What the Crowd Expects for River Levels, Heat and Earthquakes

People currently seem to think that a handful of environmental indicators are shaping public expectations. Expectations appear to be leaning toward a negative outcome for most of the measures being watched. The conversation covers river levels, temperature trends, climate events and seismic activity.

For the Mississippi river at St. Louis, people currently seem to think it is unlikely to drop below the set level by the end of November. The overall feeling leans toward a No answer. Most observers say the water will stay above the chosen height. They point to recent dry spells and note that the river has stayed higher than expected.

When asked about global temperature rise, expectations appear to be leaning toward a No, though the split is narrow. Most observers expect the peak RONI for the El Niño event to stay above the chosen threshold, with a strong No leaning. They say the climate is still on a warming path and that the event may not bring the cooling they hope for.

Regarding the Great Salt Lake, the crowd mostly says No, but a few think Yes. As for the number of major earthquakes worldwide, the prevailing view is that the count will stay below the specified amount. People currently seem to think the lake will hold its ground and that seismic activity will not reach the expected level.