In the past few weeks, climate records have shattered across the globe. July 4 was the You do not have permission to view the full content of this post.
Log in or register now., breaking the new record set the previous day. Average sea surface temperatures have You do not have permission to view the full content of this post.
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Also on July 4, the World Meteorological Organization You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. had begun, “setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns”.
So what’s going on with the climate, and why are we seeing all these records tumbling at once?
Against the backdrop of global warming, El Niño conditions have an additive effect, pushing temperatures to record highs. This has combined with a reduction in aerosols, which are small particles that can deflect incoming solar radiation. So these two factors are most likely to blame for the record-breaking heat, in the atmosphere and in the oceans.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. is declared when the sea surface temperature in large parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean warms significantly. These warmer-than-average temperatures at the surface of the ocean contribute to above-average temperatures over land.
The last strong El Niño was in 2016, but we have released You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. since then.
El Niño doesn’t create extra heat but redistributes the existing heat from the ocean to the atmosphere.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.
Moderating the trend in global average surface temperature over time (1985–2022), La Niña (blue) has a cooling influence, while El Niño has a warming influence (red). Volcanic eruptions (orange triangles) can also have cooling effect. Dana Nuccitelli, using data from Berkeley Earth, author provided© Provided by Interaksyon
The ocean is massive. Water covers 70% of the planet and is able to store vast amounts of heat due to its You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. This is why your hot water bottle stays warm longer than your wheat pack. And, why 90% of the excess heat from global warming has been You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Ocean currents circulate heat between the Earth’s surface, where we live, and the deep ocean. During an You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., the trade winds over the Pacific Ocean weaken, and the upwelling of cold water along the Pacific coast of South America is reduced. This leads to warming of the upper layers of the ocean.
Higher than usual ocean temperatures along the equator were recorded in the first 400m of the Pacific Ocean throughout June 2023. Since cold water is more dense than warm water, this layer of warm water prevents colder ocean waters from penetrating to the surface. Warm ocean waters over the Pacific also lead to increased thunderstorms, which further release more heat into the atmosphere via a process called You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
This means that the build up of heat from global warming that had been hiding in the ocean during the past La Niña years is now rising to the surface and demolishing records in its wake.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.
From the surface to 400 metres deep, the Pacific Ocean along the equator is heating up. Bureau of Meteorology , Author provided© Provided by Interaksyon
Aerosols are small particles that can deflect incoming solar radiation. Pumping aerosols into the stratosphere is one of the You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. that humanity could invoke to lessen the impacts of global warming. Although stopping greenhouse gas emissions would be much better.
But the absence of aerosols can also increase temperatures. A 2008 study concluded that 35% of year-to-year sea surface temperature changes over the Atlantic Ocean in Northern Hemisphere summer could be explained by You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Saharan dust levels over the Atlantic Ocean have been unusually low lately.
On a similar note, new international regulations of sulphur particles in shipping fuels were introduced in 2020, leading to a global reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions (and aerosols) over the ocean. But the long-term benefits of reducing shipping emissions far outweighs the You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
This combination of factors is why global average surface temperature records are tumbling.
This prediction reflected the developing El Niño. That probability is likely higher now, since You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
It is worth noting that temporarily exceeding 1.5℃ does not mean we have reached 1.5℃ by the You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. The latter describes a sustained average global temperature anomaly of 1.5℃, rather than a single year, and is You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
This temporary exceedance of 1.5℃ will give us an unfortunate preview of what our planet will be like in the coming decades. Although, younger generations may find themselves dreaming of a balmy 1.5℃ given current greenhouse emissions policies put us on track for You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. by the end of the century.
So we are not at the point of no return. But the window of time to avert dangerous climate change is rapidly shrinking, and the only way to avert it is by You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
FROM: INTERAKSYON
Also on July 4, the World Meteorological Organization You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. had begun, “setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns”.
So what’s going on with the climate, and why are we seeing all these records tumbling at once?
Against the backdrop of global warming, El Niño conditions have an additive effect, pushing temperatures to record highs. This has combined with a reduction in aerosols, which are small particles that can deflect incoming solar radiation. So these two factors are most likely to blame for the record-breaking heat, in the atmosphere and in the oceans.
It’s not just climate change
The extreme warming we are witnessing is in large part due to the El Niño now occurring, which comes on top of the warming trend caused by humans emitting greenhouse gases.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. is declared when the sea surface temperature in large parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean warms significantly. These warmer-than-average temperatures at the surface of the ocean contribute to above-average temperatures over land.
The last strong El Niño was in 2016, but we have released You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. since then.
El Niño doesn’t create extra heat but redistributes the existing heat from the ocean to the atmosphere.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.
Moderating the trend in global average surface temperature over time (1985–2022), La Niña (blue) has a cooling influence, while El Niño has a warming influence (red). Volcanic eruptions (orange triangles) can also have cooling effect. Dana Nuccitelli, using data from Berkeley Earth, author provided© Provided by Interaksyon
The ocean is massive. Water covers 70% of the planet and is able to store vast amounts of heat due to its You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. This is why your hot water bottle stays warm longer than your wheat pack. And, why 90% of the excess heat from global warming has been You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Ocean currents circulate heat between the Earth’s surface, where we live, and the deep ocean. During an You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., the trade winds over the Pacific Ocean weaken, and the upwelling of cold water along the Pacific coast of South America is reduced. This leads to warming of the upper layers of the ocean.
Higher than usual ocean temperatures along the equator were recorded in the first 400m of the Pacific Ocean throughout June 2023. Since cold water is more dense than warm water, this layer of warm water prevents colder ocean waters from penetrating to the surface. Warm ocean waters over the Pacific also lead to increased thunderstorms, which further release more heat into the atmosphere via a process called You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
This means that the build up of heat from global warming that had been hiding in the ocean during the past La Niña years is now rising to the surface and demolishing records in its wake.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.
From the surface to 400 metres deep, the Pacific Ocean along the equator is heating up. Bureau of Meteorology , Author provided© Provided by Interaksyon
An absence of aerosols across the Atlantic
Another factor likely contributing to the unusual warmth is a reduction in You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..Aerosols are small particles that can deflect incoming solar radiation. Pumping aerosols into the stratosphere is one of the You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. that humanity could invoke to lessen the impacts of global warming. Although stopping greenhouse gas emissions would be much better.
But the absence of aerosols can also increase temperatures. A 2008 study concluded that 35% of year-to-year sea surface temperature changes over the Atlantic Ocean in Northern Hemisphere summer could be explained by You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Saharan dust levels over the Atlantic Ocean have been unusually low lately.
On a similar note, new international regulations of sulphur particles in shipping fuels were introduced in 2020, leading to a global reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions (and aerosols) over the ocean. But the long-term benefits of reducing shipping emissions far outweighs the You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
This combination of factors is why global average surface temperature records are tumbling.
Are we at the point of no return?
In May this year, the World Meteorological Organization declared a 66% chance of global average temperatures temporarily exceeding 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..This prediction reflected the developing El Niño. That probability is likely higher now, since You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
It is worth noting that temporarily exceeding 1.5℃ does not mean we have reached 1.5℃ by the You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. The latter describes a sustained average global temperature anomaly of 1.5℃, rather than a single year, and is You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
This temporary exceedance of 1.5℃ will give us an unfortunate preview of what our planet will be like in the coming decades. Although, younger generations may find themselves dreaming of a balmy 1.5℃ given current greenhouse emissions policies put us on track for You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. by the end of the century.
So we are not at the point of no return. But the window of time to avert dangerous climate change is rapidly shrinking, and the only way to avert it is by You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
FROM: INTERAKSYON