Global Warming Quicker Than Forecast
An increasingly large amount of scientific research, published since the IPCC 4th Assessment Report was released in 2007, shows that climate change is occurring right now, and that it is much faster than predicted only two years ago.
The evidence for this statement comes from many areas. The most important ecosystems currently undergoing change include:
-Multiple plants and animals, in widespread sites, are already showing evidence of climate change. Examples include the timing of plant flowering, animal breeding, and lake thawing.
-Higher ocean surface temperatures in Pacific & Atlantic hurricane-formation zones leading to stronger cyclones are definitely related to anthropogenic warming.
-Acidification of the world's oceans is happening quickly, because of CO2 in massive amounts being dissolved in salty water. This is going to have major changes on marine environments and as a result food supplies for many areas.
-Probable sea-level rise over the next 100 years will be higher than that calculated in 2007. It will probably increase at least 100cm, based on newly released scientific studies.
-Rapid melting of Greenland's glaciers, which began in 2004, is conclusively due to the greenhouse effect.
-The West Antarctic Ice Shelf has undergone rapid melting over the last 10 years and has suffered 10 major ice shelf collapses over that time.
-Arctic sea-ice is melting much faster than previously estimated, and it is almost certain that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer before 2080.
-Thawing of the boreal permafrost is proceeding much faster than previously calculated, and is expelling a lot more greenhouse gases than expected.
The climate change that we are now witnessing is expected to continue for millennia, even after all anthropogenic carbon dioxide production stops. This is because of the major lags present in the climate system, and the slow removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
The evidence for this statement comes from many areas. The most important ecosystems currently undergoing change include:
-Multiple plants and animals, in widespread sites, are already showing evidence of climate change. Examples include the timing of plant flowering, animal breeding, and lake thawing.
-Higher ocean surface temperatures in Pacific & Atlantic hurricane-formation zones leading to stronger cyclones are definitely related to anthropogenic warming.
-Acidification of the world's oceans is happening quickly, because of CO2 in massive amounts being dissolved in salty water. This is going to have major changes on marine environments and as a result food supplies for many areas.
-Probable sea-level rise over the next 100 years will be higher than that calculated in 2007. It will probably increase at least 100cm, based on newly released scientific studies.
-Rapid melting of Greenland's glaciers, which began in 2004, is conclusively due to the greenhouse effect.
-The West Antarctic Ice Shelf has undergone rapid melting over the last 10 years and has suffered 10 major ice shelf collapses over that time.
-Arctic sea-ice is melting much faster than previously estimated, and it is almost certain that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer before 2080.
-Thawing of the boreal permafrost is proceeding much faster than previously calculated, and is expelling a lot more greenhouse gases than expected.
The climate change that we are now witnessing is expected to continue for millennia, even after all anthropogenic carbon dioxide production stops. This is because of the major lags present in the climate system, and the slow removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
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posted by SolveItQuick at
9:29 AM
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