Dorian J. Burnette
@djburnette.com
Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Memphis | Historical reconstruction, dendroclimatology, extreme events, storm chasing
Website: http://www.djburnette.com
Website: http://www.djburnette.com
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
This is why it’s so important to trace things back to the beginning whenever possible.
I believe @rauchway.bsky.social calls these “historical urban legends”
I believe @rauchway.bsky.social calls these “historical urban legends”
looking up the source of quotes, whether for a book or a video script, is great for figuring out when a quote everyone "knows" and has repeated for ages is actually just weird bullshit someone else made up
December 26, 2025 at 1:18 PM
This is why it’s so important to trace things back to the beginning whenever possible.
I believe @rauchway.bsky.social calls these “historical urban legends”
I believe @rauchway.bsky.social calls these “historical urban legends”
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
Wish you all a Merry Christmas. Stay safe and don't forget to check the weather before you head out. weather.gov.
December 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Wish you all a Merry Christmas. Stay safe and don't forget to check the weather before you head out. weather.gov.
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
Former head of trust and safety at Twitter, Yoel Roth, demonstrating the intellectual dishonesty of “In Covid’s Wake” by showing how they distorted his own words to make them say the opposite of what he was arguing.
A small (personal) example of this book’s intellectual dishonesty:
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
December 24, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Former head of trust and safety at Twitter, Yoel Roth, demonstrating the intellectual dishonesty of “In Covid’s Wake” by showing how they distorted his own words to make them say the opposite of what he was arguing.
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
A meteorologist's Christmas Eve, as is tradition
December 24, 2025 at 7:53 PM
A meteorologist's Christmas Eve, as is tradition
Yea, let's make it even easier to steal images and generate AI slop out of them. Reason number 999...999 to leave Xitter.
Heads up to artists still using Twitter- Twitter is now adding an "Edit image" button under all images posted on the site that allows everyone to feed it into genAI and modify it as they wish with a prompt
December 24, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Yea, let's make it even easier to steal images and generate AI slop out of them. Reason number 999...999 to leave Xitter.
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
🚨Extremely short notice: Looking for prospective PhD or postdoc w/ geological engineering or modelling experience, w/ interests in mountain geohazards for project focused on landslide-triggered tsunamis in subarctic w/ me & @geocron.bsky.social 🧵 🧪⚒️ Pls share!
nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/news/laun...
nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/news/laun...
Launch of new Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards
As announced in Budget 2025 -
nserc-crsng.canada.ca
December 23, 2025 at 8:43 PM
🚨Extremely short notice: Looking for prospective PhD or postdoc w/ geological engineering or modelling experience, w/ interests in mountain geohazards for project focused on landslide-triggered tsunamis in subarctic w/ me & @geocron.bsky.social 🧵 🧪⚒️ Pls share!
nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/news/laun...
nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/news/laun...
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
Sweeping science cuts in 2025 halted clinical trials, erased public health data and forced researchers into impossible choices.
“This year nearly broke me as a scientist,” one writes.
Six researchers share their stories: buff.ly/u2MHIQo 🧪
“This year nearly broke me as a scientist,” one writes.
Six researchers share their stories: buff.ly/u2MHIQo 🧪
‘This year nearly broke me as a scientist’ – US researchers reflect on how 2025’s science cuts have changed their lives
US science lost a great deal in 2025, including tens of billions of dollars of federal funding, entire research agencies and programs, and a generation of researchers.
buff.ly
December 23, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Sweeping science cuts in 2025 halted clinical trials, erased public health data and forced researchers into impossible choices.
“This year nearly broke me as a scientist,” one writes.
Six researchers share their stories: buff.ly/u2MHIQo 🧪
“This year nearly broke me as a scientist,” one writes.
Six researchers share their stories: buff.ly/u2MHIQo 🧪
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
This was very fun to work on, emerging from student class projects a few years ago. How sharp can a cold front get? We were able to point to some answers.
It hasn't been cold this December, but 3 years ago it got cold in a hurry. Do you remember the cold front on December 21, 2022? It was extreme in all kinds of ways, which you can read about in this blog post.
Among the highlights: the temperature dropped almost 25°F in ten seconds in Akron! #cowx
Among the highlights: the temperature dropped almost 25°F in ten seconds in Akron! #cowx
A look back at the "big chill" from three years ago - Colorado Climate Blog
There hasn’t been much cold weather to speak of so far this winter in Colorado. [In case you missed it, here’s last week’s post with a look at those numbers, which are pretty bleak if you like winter....
climate.colostate.edu
December 23, 2025 at 4:44 PM
This was very fun to work on, emerging from student class projects a few years ago. How sharp can a cold front get? We were able to point to some answers.
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
I look forward to the legally required, transparent peer review process required by the US Global Change Research Act and the Information Quality Act. I always thought they would try to do a NCA with Judith Curry, five old men and a LLM.
It’s the gold standard of US climate research. Contrarians could write the next one.
Researchers who have downplayed the threat of global warming have been asked to author the next National Climate Assessment.
www.eenews.net
December 22, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I look forward to the legally required, transparent peer review process required by the US Global Change Research Act and the Information Quality Act. I always thought they would try to do a NCA with Judith Curry, five old men and a LLM.
Keep calling your senators to #SaveNCAR, especially if you live in the states listed in the quoted post below. 🧪
From @AGU.org: Senators are working on legislation to save NCAR, but we need extra support for these 8 states. Your Senators in Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming need to hear from you.
December 20, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Keep calling your senators to #SaveNCAR, especially if you live in the states listed in the quoted post below. 🧪
Scientist at #AGU25 are speaking out to #SaveNCAR. Join more than 2000 of your colleagues to call or email your members of Congress to ask them to support NCAR today: agu.quorum.us/campaign/151...
December 18, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
There’s a lesson to be learned by all U.S. research institutions: Even if you keep your head down and “align with the president’s priorities,” it affords you no protection. This administration will still smash your institution into atoms on the flimsiest pretense. *Do not pre-comply.* #SaveNCAR
In case there was any question Trump attempting to shutter NCAR is retaliation against Colorado for Tina Peters remaining in prison.
December 18, 2025 at 1:47 PM
There’s a lesson to be learned by all U.S. research institutions: Even if you keep your head down and “align with the president’s priorities,” it affords you no protection. This administration will still smash your institution into atoms on the flimsiest pretense. *Do not pre-comply.* #SaveNCAR
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
🚨 Calling all geoscientists 🚨 If you or anyone you know is attending #AGU25, please join us and spread the word to #SaveNCAR.
More info at: wclivestream.com/ncar_at_agu/
More info at: wclivestream.com/ncar_at_agu/
December 18, 2025 at 5:25 AM
🚨 Calling all geoscientists 🚨 If you or anyone you know is attending #AGU25, please join us and spread the word to #SaveNCAR.
More info at: wclivestream.com/ncar_at_agu/
More info at: wclivestream.com/ncar_at_agu/
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
Note: NCAR/UCAR websites will be offline most of the day today due to unrelated power issues.
December 17, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Note: NCAR/UCAR websites will be offline most of the day today due to unrelated power issues.
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
It’s simply not possible to overstate how important NCAR is to US and world science. We need to fight this with everything we’ve got.
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM
It’s simply not possible to overstate how important NCAR is to US and world science. We need to fight this with everything we’ve got.
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
So the word from UCAR (NCAR’s managing entity) is, essentially, “This is news to us!” news.ucar.edu/133054/ucar-... 🤔
UCAR statement on reports that NSF NCAR could be dismantled | NCAR & UCAR News
news.ucar.edu
December 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM
So the word from UCAR (NCAR’s managing entity) is, essentially, “This is news to us!” news.ucar.edu/133054/ucar-... 🤔
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
Hearing this is payback for Colorado not honoring Trump/Peters ‘pardon’
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Hearing this is payback for Colorado not honoring Trump/Peters ‘pardon’
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
NCAR is a unique & valuable asset - far more than a climate model, or observations, or technology, or training ground, or gathering space. It covers weather, space weather, data, climate, paleo-climate, and everything in-between. It's building is an icon, but it's iconic status goes far beyond that.
December 17, 2025 at 12:21 PM
NCAR is a unique & valuable asset - far more than a climate model, or observations, or technology, or training ground, or gathering space. It covers weather, space weather, data, climate, paleo-climate, and everything in-between. It's building is an icon, but it's iconic status goes far beyond that.
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
Efforts by the USACE and facilitated by accurate NWS forecasts appear to have significantly reduced impacts from record flooding on the Skagit River in WA last week. A look at how that worked and why we have to protect the foundations of our fed science/water agencies. tinyurl.com/bdebat4m
A look at a successful real-time effort to reduce flooding in western Washington last week
Looking at how federal science and water agencies work together in flood events. Also - flood risk continue in the Pacific Northwest while the rest of the country warms up.
tinyurl.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Efforts by the USACE and facilitated by accurate NWS forecasts appear to have significantly reduced impacts from record flooding on the Skagit River in WA last week. A look at how that worked and why we have to protect the foundations of our fed science/water agencies. tinyurl.com/bdebat4m
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
The webpage for the agency responsible for disaster management in this country still lists as its director a guy who resigned a month ago, and shows 6 of the other 9 senior positions as vacant. This is emblematic of the situation at FEMA, and we better wake up about it. tinyurl.com/yc5d9uch
The chaos at FEMA gets even deeper - and we should all be concerned
Lack of mission clarity, lack of leadership, and battles with the states are all leading to a federal emergency management agency that looks unable to manage itself, let alone emergencies.
tinyurl.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:03 PM
The webpage for the agency responsible for disaster management in this country still lists as its director a guy who resigned a month ago, and shows 6 of the other 9 senior positions as vacant. This is emblematic of the situation at FEMA, and we better wake up about it. tinyurl.com/yc5d9uch
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
A total solar eclipse.
By Earth.
Taken from the Moon in March this year.
By Earth.
Taken from the Moon in March this year.
December 12, 2025 at 6:17 PM
A total solar eclipse.
By Earth.
Taken from the Moon in March this year.
By Earth.
Taken from the Moon in March this year.
Reposted by Dorian J. Burnette
I still can’t believe the National Science Foundation is being forced to move out of their brand new, purpose-built building because the HUD secretary thought his building was ugly.
The Trump administration is destroying the best parts of this country, and it will take decades to rebuild.
The Trump administration is destroying the best parts of this country, and it will take decades to rebuild.
NSF
- Forced reorg
- POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements)
- Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …)
I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing.
“Details matter” 🙃
- Forced reorg
- POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements)
- Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …)
I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing.
“Details matter” 🙃
December 11, 2025 at 1:58 PM
I still can’t believe the National Science Foundation is being forced to move out of their brand new, purpose-built building because the HUD secretary thought his building was ugly.
The Trump administration is destroying the best parts of this country, and it will take decades to rebuild.
The Trump administration is destroying the best parts of this country, and it will take decades to rebuild.