Green Climate Seeker

Tag: green house gases

  • Global Sea Levels and Climate Change

    Global Sea Levels and Climate Change

    Global sea levels (also called eustatic sea level) have fluctuated over Earth’s history. These climate changes are driven by the shape and volume of ocean basins and the location of land and water.

    At local scales, sea levels rise more or less than the global average due to things like groundwater pumping, natural climate variability and changes in the height of the land.

    Climate change

    As oceans absorb more of the heat-trapping pollution that human activities pump into the atmosphere, they are warming and rising. This is known as climate change, and it’s affecting everything from the distribution of ice sheets to the timing of peak flows in rivers and streams. The effects vary from place to place, but they all add up.

    For instance, sea level rise (SLR) threatens to inundate island nations and low-lying areas around the world. Some of these areas contain vital coastal ecosystems and the world’s largest cities. Some ten percent of the global population lives within 10 meters of sea level, and it’s estimated that SLR will displace tens of millions of people by 2050.

    SLR is also a key factor behind increased flood risks to cities and regions, as well as reduced freshwater availability in some places. It’s the reason why many governments are working to build sea-level rise-resistant infrastructure, including levees, dikes, walls and other engineering projects.

    Since the early 1990s, when NASA and France’s space agency Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales started flying satellite altimeters, scientists have been gathering a unique space-based record of sea surface height that goes back decades. This data helps scientists track the rate at which sea levels are changing, and it’s a critical complement to tide gauges.

    The SLR data has shown that the pace of change is accelerating, and the rate at which oceans are rising will likely accelerate further over the next few decades. But it’s difficult to predict how fast sea levels will rise, particularly because the underlying conditions that drive SLR are complex and variable.

    Scientists are developing methods to improve our ability to predict and respond to the impacts of climate change, including SLR. They’re investigating how to integrate SLR into planning and decision-making for regional and national infrastructure projects, such as how high to build flood protections. They’re also studying the political decision-making processes that influence the design and funding of large infrastructure projects, such as bridges and dams.

    It’s also important to keep in mind that even if we stopped adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere tomorrow, it will take years, or perhaps centuries, for the Earth’s systems to respond and stabilize. And this will have impacts on communities that contributed least to the problem, like island nations and future generations.

    Ocean currents

    Ocean currents are continuous, directed movements of seawater that occur because of forces acting on it such as breaking waves, the Coriolis effect, temperature and salinity differences, and tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. The movement of water can be horizontal, planar to the surface of the ocean, or vertical up and down within the body of water (at least 300 meters). Ocean currents travel thousands of miles and establish a global conveyer belt, transporting heat, carbon, nutrients and freshwater around the world.

    For example, some currents move warmer water into the Arctic Ocean from the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio current. This helps the Arctic ecosystem by bringing in food sources such as zooplankton. But it also increases the speed of storms and makes hurricanes stronger. And since warming ocean waters are less dense, they take up more space than cool ones, raising sea levels.

    Warming oceans also affect the atmosphere above them by changing the way in which air moves, especially during storms. Warmer air can hold more moisture and may form larger clouds, which can lead to more frequent and severe rainfall. And warmer air can hold more carbon dioxide, which is known to accelerate global warming.

    All of these changes make climate change a serious concern for marine life, from large fish to microscopic cyanobacteria. As the climate changes, they will have to find new places to live. And that will put them under pressure to survive, whether it’s from overfishing or pollution.

    Scientists are studying how ocean currents are shifting, which will likely have a knock-on effect on the weather and climate. In particular, scientists are watching for what happens when the cold, salty, dense water of the North Atlantic sinks further into the depths because of melting ice. This could change the direction of currents, and the overall system that influences everything from people’s daily commutes to where whales migrate. NASA satellites are monitoring the ocean’s surface currents and deep currents to help understand how this complex system works. You can test your knowledge by playing Go With the Flow, an interactive ocean exploration game.

    El Nino and La Nina

    The overall trend of global sea levels is affected by two opposing climate patterns known as El Nino and La Nina, which occur at irregular intervals over a period of 2-7 years. These climate patterns affect global weather conditions and ocean currents, which in turn impact the ebb and flow of sea level.

    An El Nino occurs when unusually warm water occurs in the equatorial Pacific, with a corresponding eastward shift of tropical precipitation. When the opposite pattern, known as La Nina, occurs, colder water forms in the equatorial Pacific with a corresponding westward shift of precipitation. These patterns are part of the larger phenomenon known as the Southern Oscillation.

    During an El Nino, strong trade winds diminish or cease entirely, which reduces the upwelling of cold nutrient-rich waters off the coast of Asia. This causes the phytoplankton population to decrease and eventually trickles up the food chain to affect marine species, including fish.

    El Nino episodes also contribute to wetter than normal winter and spring weather in the Deep South by redistributing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to the region. These episodes typically produce more F2 and greater tornado outbreaks over the Deep South than would normally be expected.

    During a La Nina, trade winds pick up, which results in the jet stream being placed further north. This brings colder and stormier weather to central North America, while the Deep South experiences wetter than normal weather. This weather pattern also inhibits the development of Atlantic hurricanes during the peak of the hurricane season, sparing coastal states from their associated storm damage.

    Subsidence

    It’s well-known that climate change is contributing to sea level rise, but less well-known that the land itself is also sinking in many coastal cities. This is a significant problem because the combination of rising seas and sinking land makes it more likely that people will be living in or near flood zones, and it’s often impossible to protect those people against flooding and other hazards.

    Land subsidence is caused by a number of factors, including the natural slowing down of soil particles as they are compacted, as well as tectonic movement. However, the rate at which land sinks is also influenced by human activities such as mining and groundwater pumping. In particular, rapid population growth can lead to a rapid increase in the rate at which land is sinking, especially if it happens near river deltas and coastal areas. This is because those areas have deposits of river sediment that can be accelerated by urban development and groundwater pumping.

    Scientists are able to track global land subsidence by using satellites, tide gauges, and a network of GPS sensors around the world. This allows scientists to calculate the average speed at which land is moving up and down. This data is used to create maps showing the current rates of sea level rise and land subsidence. This information is then combined with a map of the world’s coastline to show how much land is at risk of being underwater by 2100.

    Sea levels are currently rising due to melting glaciers and ice sheets, as well as a thermal expansion of the ocean water. These processes will continue to occur over the course of centuries and millennia, but they are being accelerated by human activity. As a result, sea levels will likely rise for several decades at a faster rate than they would have without that acceleration.

    Managing subsidence is an important part of reducing the threat to people living in coastal cities, as it can reduce the relative sea level rise by up to 20 mm per year, and this may make more of a difference in reducing the exposure of coastal populations than any other method of lowering sea levels over the next 30 years.

  • The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture

    The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture

    Some of the most obvious impacts of climate change on agriculture are changing weather patterns and crop diseases. The country is already seeing changes in precipitation patterns, and these are predicted to worsen in coming years. In some regions, heavy rain may last longer and be more intense, while in other regions, dry periods may last longer and be more intense. Rising average temperatures will also affect many areas, increasing summer heat and making cold season thaws more frequent.

    Increased temperatures

    Some studies have shown that increased temperatures will affect the yield of many crops, including wheat. In China, the largest wheat producer in the world, an increase of 2 degrees Celsius would significantly reduce the yield of wheat. The multimethod estimates show that the global average temperature will rise by 2.6°C in the 20th century, which would result in a 2.7+% loss in yield. These results are based on a global simulation, and the results vary from country to country.

    There are a variety of factors that are taken into account in climate models in order to determine how an increase in temperature will affect the yields of different crops. One factor is that higher levels of carbon dioxide improve photosynthesis and water retention, which increase crop yields. However, these increases in yield are at the expense of plant nutrition. In addition, the increased temperatures may accelerate the maturation of certain crops, such as maize and wheat.

    In addition to the increase in global temperatures, crops are sensitive to changes in precipitation and temperature. A recent study revealed that an increase of a degree Celsius would reduce crop yields of wheat, rice, maize, and soybean by about 6.9%, 7.4%, and 3.1%, respectively. The researchers concluded that these impacts were substantial, but that they could be mitigated with various adaptation strategies. The researchers recommend reviving national research programs to study climate change impacts on agriculture and develop mitigation strategies to address these threats.

    Increased droughts

    The impacts of increased droughts due to climate change on agriculture are already evident in some areas of the world. While there are regions that remain relatively dry, such as Australia and East Africa, climate change projections show that many areas will experience increased droughts. These areas will be affected the most, as climate change increases global temperatures and decreases precipitation. However, the impacts of climate change on agriculture will be far greater than current research suggests.

    The study’s methodology involves simulating seventeen scenarios and variants of climate change, each of which is relative to the years 1970-2000. For each variable, the study presents two scenarios, to illustrate the uncertainties of projections. Ultimately, the research will aid in decision making in areas of high uncertainty and inform future research directions. The goal of the study is to provide a clearer picture of the impacts of climate change on agriculture and help policymakers plan for the changes that will occur.

    The drought index’s SPEI value is based on average conditions over five consecutive years, rather than a single year. These index values are used to evaluate the relationship between droughts and climate change. Drought conditions vary over time, and periods of extreme drought may influence long-term trends in the index. Although the SPEI indicator is often used to illustrate the connection between climate change and drought, it is still important to understand the natural variability of drought conditions.

    Increased pests

    Agricultural productivity is already suffering due to the impact of pests. Insects, fungi and bacteria are the most common causes of crop losses. The damage caused by these pests is estimated to be between 10 to 16 percent of the global crop production each year. Climate change is predicted to increase insect pest pressure, making it even more vital to learn how to adapt to new conditions and use safe pest management techniques.

    A recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organization reveals that the rise in world temperatures is fanning the spread of invasive pests. The increased temperature increases the breeding process of these pests, resulting in higher populations and more generations per year. Consequently, the effects of climate change on the environment of farms may be devastating. Pests have the potential to disrupt production, disrupt livelihoods and even threaten the world’s food supply.

    Rising temperatures and CO2 levels will affect the abundance and range of many insect species, which will have a profound impact on agriculture. The changing climate will push existing crop pests into new environments and bring neglected species to the status of pests. This impact is expected to affect the efficiency of existing pesticides, as well as the reproductive ability of natural enemies of pests. However, it is difficult to predict the effects of these changes on crops and agriculture. In the meantime, we must rely on visual indicators of pest activity to assess the risks and take measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

    Increased diseases

    Agricultural production is highly dependent on a range of factors, including the climate. Changing temperatures affect plant health, disease resistance, and pathogen survival. Moreover, a complex interaction between climate and non-climate environmental factors, such as air pollution, influences plant health and disease outcomes. Increased temperatures are causing more pathogens to invade the planet’s agricultural crops. As a result, farmers are forced to consider crop shifts in the future.

    The emergence of new fungi, called oomycetes, is another major concern of agriculture. They pose significant threats to crops and social stability even before climate change, and a major example is the late blight disease caused by the fungus Phytophoria infestans. In the nineteenth century, this disease led to mass starvation in Ireland and changed the trajectory of Western civilization.

    In addition to these effects, climate change may affect the health of farm animals. Heat waves are one of the most common effects of global warming, and they can increase the risk of animal disease. Heat stress can lower animal fertility and milk production. It can also increase the presence of pathogens and parasites. Higher temperatures and longer summers could also increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and fatigue in agricultural workers.

    The health impacts of climate change will impede many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. As a result, a series of recommendations to country and regional governments is being made. One of them addresses the increasing risks of disease outbreaks among smallholder farmers. There are three primary recommendations. The first recommendation is to protect the health of smallholder farmers. A second recommendation is to improve the quality of food. A third recommendation focuses on increasing soil moisture.

    Shifting precipitation patterns

    According to a new study, shifting precipitation patterns are a signal of climate change. The shifts are similar in both land and ocean regions. Precipitation amounts during heavy precipitation events are projected to increase, although the patterns will differ slightly depending on region and season. The storm tracks are also projected to move poleward. As the planet warms, more water vapor will be trapped in the air. In turn, the extra water will fall in already wet regions.

    As a result, scientists have predicted that a warmer world will lead to increased evaporation and increased surface drying. These changes may increase the frequency and intensity of droughts. The increase in air temperature also increases the amount of water that can be stored in the atmosphere, especially over the oceans. According to the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, air can hold about seven percent more moisture. For example, when temperatures are four degrees warmer than in the pre-industrial era, the atmosphere will hold about two-thirds more water vapour.

    In addition to changing precipitation patterns, climate change also affects the intensity of rainfall. In addition to causing greater amounts of heavy precipitation, warmer ocean temperatures result in more water evaporation. This moisture-laden air causes more intense precipitation. This heavy rain can damage crops and cause soil erosion. It can also exacerbate flood risk and affect the quality of water. This is a concern for people living in a changing climate.

    Importance of adaptation options

    Adaptation options have important effects on soils. In seventy percent of case studies, increasing irrigation led to denser crop cover throughout the year, which reduced water erosion and nutrient losses. In addition, increasing winter cropping and conservation soil management reduced losses and improved soil functions. Future research should focus on these factors. These adaptation options are generally beneficial for soil function and food production, but their impacts on soil microorganisms are poorly understood.

    Adaptation options were most effective when farmers were able to determine the best management options. In dry lowlands, farmers are less likely to adapt if they are unable to find alternative sources of income. In addition, the distance between a farm and a farmer’s home reduces their probability of adaptation. Farmers who adapted to previous climate conditions were likely to implement new practices, such as irrigating fields, as a result of their experience.

    Other adaptation options include diversifying production systems and adopting less water-intensive cropping practices. A maize-wheat system, for example, is less water-intensive and improves adaptation to water stress. This can be a good option for farmers in some parts of the world. The more diverse and resilient the system is, the more chances there are that it will be able to adapt to climate change.