Global Warming

Record leap in carbon dioxide seen in 2015

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased at a record pace last year, US government scientists reported, raising new concern about one of the top greenhouse gases and the effects of global warming.

The measurement came from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

"The annual growth rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide... jumped by 3.05 parts per million during 2015, the largest year-to-year increase in 56 years of research," said a NOAA statement.

Last year also marked the fourth consecutive year that CO2 grew more than two parts per million.

As of February, the average global atmospheric CO2 level was 402.59 parts per million. This is a significant rise over pre-industrial times. Prior to 1800, atmospheric CO2 averaged about 280 ppm.

Global Warming

Greenhouse Gas Milestone to Be Reached This Month

Greenhouse gas emissions are accelerating even as their effects on climate are becoming more evident.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is on the verge of exceeding 400 parts per million (ppm) this month, a concentration of the climate-warming gas not seen on the planet in 3 million years.

That projection is based on observations made at Mauna Loa Observatory, the volcano-top Hawaiian lab where measurements of atmospheric CO2 have been collected since 1958.

Since then, the seasonally fluctuating levels have risen from 316 ppm at an escalating rate.

According to Ralph Keeling, a geochemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the surpassing of the 400-ppm mark should serve as a warning that despite increased public awareness of the danger posed by global warming, worldwide carbon dioxide emissions show no sign of reversing.

"We are starting to move toward alternate fossil energy — non-conventional fossil fuels like tar sands and so forth," warns Keeling. "And that’s a little troubling because it reflects our willingness to expand and use reserves of fossil fuels that probably ought to stay in the ground if we take this problem seriously."

Exceeding 400 ppm does not correspond to any specific climatological event. However, as politicians, scientists, and activists around the world push for new policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming, the new record-breaking figure may increase the sense of urgency for some.

Prior to the mid-18th century, when humans first began burning carbon-based fuels for industrial use, concentration of carbon dioxide is thought to have been stable at approximately 280 ppm.

Global Warming

NASA Study Projects Warming-Driven Changes In Global Rainfall

A NASA-led study provides new evidence that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought.

The study shows for the first time how rising carbon dioxide concentrations could affect the entire range of rainfall types on Earth.

Analysis of computer simulations from 14 climate models indicates wet regions of the world, such as the equatorial Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions, will see increases in heavy precipitation because of warming resulting from projected increases in carbon dioxide levels. Arid land areas outside the tropics and many regions with moderate rainfall could become drier.

The analysis provides a new assessment of global warming's impacts on precipitation patterns around the world. The study was accepted for publication in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

The models project for every 1 degree Fahrenheit of carbon dioxide-induced warming, heavy rainfall will increase globally by 3.9 percent and light rain will increase globally by 1 percent. However, total global rainfall is not projected to change much because moderate rainfall will decrease globally by 1.4 percent.

Heavy rainfall is defined as months that receive an average of more than about 0.35 of an inch per day. Light rain is defined as months that receive an average of less than 0.01 of an inch per day. Moderate rainfall is defined as months that receive an average of between about 0.04 to 0.09 of an inch per day.

Areas projected to see the most significant increase in heavy rainfall are in the tropical zones around the equator, particularly in the Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions.

Some regions outside the tropics may have no rainfall at all. The models also projected for every degree Fahrenheit of warming, the length of periods with no rain will increase globally by 2.6 percent. In the Northern Hemisphere, areas most likely to be affected include the deserts and arid regions of the southwest United States, Mexico, North Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, and northwestern China. In the Southern Hemisphere, drought becomes more likely in South Africa, northwestern Australia, coastal Central America and northeastern Brazil.

Environment

The British government is looking into a proposal to have volcanos generate power to homes within a decade. The geothermal energy would be piped to Britain through the world's longest seabed power cable from Icelandic volcanoes. Experts say this would be no more expensive than the next generation of nuclear energy.

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Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2011 rose 2.5 percent to 34 billion tonnes, a new record, Germany's renewable energy institute has reported.

If the current trend is sustained, worldwide CO2 emissions will go up by another 20 percent to over 40 billion tonnes by 2020.

China led the table of emitters in 2011 with 8.9 billion tonnes, up from 8.3 billion a year earlier. Its CO2 output was 50 percent more than the 6 billion tonnes in the United States.

India was third, ahead of Russia, Japan and Germany.

Environment

Coral reefs around the world are under severe threat.

Caribbean corals are under immediate threat and urgent action was needed to limit pollution and aggressive fishing practices. Average live coral cover on Caribbean reefs has declined to just 8 percent today compared to more than 50 percent in the 1970s.

As more and more carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere, sea water turns more acidic which can hinder calcification which is crucial for corals' growth.

Warmer sea surface temperatures are likely to trigger more frequent and more intense mass coral bleaching, which is when reefs turn pale. Although corals can survive bleaching, if the heat persists they can die. This happened in 1998 when 16 percent of corals were lost in a single, prolonged period of warmth worldwide.

Warmer ocean temperatures and acidification are also placing the Great Barrier Reef off Australia under stress.

Coral reefs are home to almost a quarter of the world's ocean species, they provide coastal protection and can support tourism and fishing industries for millions of people worldwide.

Global Warming

A new study has shown that dumping iron into the oceans can alleviate global warming.

The introduction of iron into the ocean has the effect of fertilising algae which prompts blooms of algae and phytoplankton. The fast growing algae absorbs relatively large quantities of carbon dioxide. When the algae dies, it sinks to the bottom of the ocean, taking the carbon with it - thereby removing the carbon from the atmosphere.

The value of such geoengineering remains in question. Iron fertilization of the oceans could at most remove about 1 gigatonne of CO₂ per year compared to annual emissions of 8-9Gt.

More research concerning the possible long term effects on the ocean environment of dumping huge quantities of iron needs to be done.

 

Oceans

The North Atlantic is currently bursting with color as blooms of microscopic plants erupt on the surface of the chilly sea. These expanses of plankton, which provide the basis for the area's food chain and help to take in enormous quantities of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, wouldn't be possible without swirling whirlpools of water created by wind and ocean currents which actually prompt the growth of these colorful plankton blooms on the surface and keep them afloat.

 

Climate Change

Scientists report that carbon dioxide levels in the Arctic have reached 400 parts per million [ppm]. Years ago, when levels passed 350 ppm, scientists said that was the highest safe level for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Levels were at 275 ppm in the pre-industrial age.

At present only the Arctic is showing levels of 400 ppm, with the global average being 395.