Data collected at highest mountain in northeast US help track changes in climate
The higher summits of New Hampshire's White Mountains are not only known for their views and rather harsh conditions – they are also a perfect hub for unique research that can show us how sensitive our planet is to the changes that are occurring with our climate.
A frigid and windy overlook may not be the first place one may think of looking when it comes to global warming, but we have to keep in mind it is all relative in nature.
On Mount Washington, we are not only tracking the most extreme weather on Earth but also crucial data here on the summit that will help determine how we forecast our future.
Francis Tarasiewicz is an observer at the Mt. Washington Observatory.
"There has been a warming. More specifically, since about 2000, the warming has occurred. And another tidbit about warming here on the summit is that it has been significantly slower than the surrounding valleys and most of New England as well," Tarasiewicz said.
In such a remote area, it may seem difficult to imagine how equipment holds up in such extreme conditions, but rest assured, the observatory has top-notch data-collecting practices that make such statistics invaluable.
"We've been recording our early weather data since the 1930s, and so our methods haven't changed; we are still using a lot of the same equipment, and the graph you actually see right here was quality tested," Tarasiewicz said.
Our changing climate is not only affecting major cities or even just low-lying areas. In the White Mountains, we are starting to see again that data shows our climate is affecting these higher summits.
Tarasiewicz adds that the data may also help with understanding how the Canadian tundra may be affected by climate change as the summit can be comparable to those latitudes to our north.
While these higher elevations have largely been delayed when it comes to the effects of a warming climate, recent studies show us how even subtle signs speak volumes about what is happening with our climate.