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Global Warming Effects on Global Warming Effects on Extreme WeathersExtreme Weathers
By: Christopher ChappellBy: Christopher Chappell
December 5, 2005December 5, 2005
Global Change and Global Change and Environmental Consequence Environmental Consequence
Global climateGlobal climate change is a change in the change is a change in the long-term weather patterns that long-term weather patterns that characterize the regions of the world. The characterize the regions of the world. The term "weather" refers to the short-term term "weather" refers to the short-term (daily) changes in temperature, wind, (daily) changes in temperature, wind, and/or precipitation of a region. Weather is and/or precipitation of a region. Weather is influenced by the sun. The sun heats the influenced by the sun. The sun heats the earth's atmosphere and its surface earth's atmosphere and its surface causing air and water to move around the causing air and water to move around the planet. The result can be as simple as a planet. The result can be as simple as a slight breeze or as complex as the slight breeze or as complex as the formation of a tornadoformation of a tornado
• WeatherWeather is the state of the atmosphere at a is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time in a specific place. Temperature, specific time in a specific place. Temperature, cloudiness, humidity, precipitation, and winds are cloudiness, humidity, precipitation, and winds are examples of weather elements. Thunderstorms, examples of weather elements. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and monsoons are also part of the tornadoes, and monsoons are also part of the weather of some places during some seasons weather of some places during some seasons
• ClimateClimate is defined as long-term weather patterns is defined as long-term weather patterns that describe a region. For example, the New York that describe a region. For example, the New York metropolitan region’s climate is temperate, with metropolitan region’s climate is temperate, with rain evenly distributed throughout the year, cold rain evenly distributed throughout the year, cold winters, and hot summers. winters, and hot summers.
Climate ChangeClimate Change
Climate change refers to the effect of Climate change refers to the effect of human-induced increase in the human-induced increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, enhancing the natural the atmosphere, enhancing the natural greenhouse effect. Combustion of greenhouse effect. Combustion of fossil fuels, cement production and fossil fuels, cement production and land use changes have caused CO2 land use changes have caused CO2 concentrations to increase. concentrations to increase.
Types of Events and Types of Events and WeathersWeathers• WildfireWildfire
• Severe StormsSevere Storms
• TornadoesTornadoes
• HurricanesHurricanes
• FloodingFlooding
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Severe Thunderstorms
Severe thunderstorms are a hazard in many parts of the world. Our understanding of their distribution in space and time is limited by problems in our physical understanding of the processes, and in limitations of the observational databases. Given those limitations, the question of how, if at all, severe thunderstorms will change under climate change scenarios is difficult to answer.
TornadoesTornadoes
Tornadoes are violent, whirling funnel-shaped Tornadoes are violent, whirling funnel-shaped windstorms that usually travel over land. When a windstorms that usually travel over land. When a tornado touches the ground, it can cause great tornado touches the ground, it can cause great destruction in its narrow path. destruction in its narrow path.
Tornadoes occur when a warm, humid air mass Tornadoes occur when a warm, humid air mass meets with a cool, dry air mass. This collision meets with a cool, dry air mass. This collision sometimes results in a powerful, swirling column of sometimes results in a powerful, swirling column of air. The tornado's swirling winds can exceed 300 air. The tornado's swirling winds can exceed 300 mph. Tornadoes cause much damage by this sheer mph. Tornadoes cause much damage by this sheer force of wind, but they also have a strong updraft force of wind, but they also have a strong updraft that can lift and carry objects. Fortunately, most that can lift and carry objects. Fortunately, most tornadoes are relatively weak; only a few are tornadoes are relatively weak; only a few are devastating. devastating.
Weak Weak
Photograph by: Marshall
Strong Strong
Photograph by: NSSL
Violent Violent
Photograph by: NSSL
Radar animation of Katrina
NOAA Satellite Image Of Katrina
FloodingFlooding
• High population densities are presently High population densities are presently concentrated near the water’s edge at concentrated near the water’s edge at several locations throughout the region and several locations throughout the region and coastal the populations are growing coastal the populations are growing
• Because of the highly developed nature of Because of the highly developed nature of the coast within the region, a large the coast within the region, a large population and considerable private population and considerable private property and public infrastructure are property and public infrastructure are potentially at risk of hazardous events (i.e. potentially at risk of hazardous events (i.e. inundation and flooding) associated with inundation and flooding) associated with sea-level rise sea-level rise
Flooding due to rise in sea Flooding due to rise in sea levellevel
Historical Data
GCM Projections
1900 – 1997 2020s 2050s 2080s
Sea-level rise (inches)
+0.09 – 0.15 inches
4.3 – 11.7 in
6.9 – 23.7 in
9.5 – 42.5 in
+0.09 – 0.15 inches
10.9 – 29.7 cm
17.5 – 60.2 cm
24.1 – 108.0
cm
100-year flood zone (feet)
9.7 feet9.8 – 11.5
ft10.1 – 12.4
ft10.4 – 13.8
ft
3.0 meters 3.0 – 3.5 m 3.1 – 3.8 m 3.2 – 4.2 m
100-year flood return (years)
Once per 100 years
80 – 43 yrs 68 – 19 yrs 60 – 4 yrs
Adaptation or MitigationAdaptation or Mitigation
• The human response to global climate change and climate The human response to global climate change and climate variability can be characterized in two ways: adaptation and variability can be characterized in two ways: adaptation and mitigation. mitigation.
• Adaptation involves developing ways to protect people and Adaptation involves developing ways to protect people and places by reducing their vulnerability to climate impacts. places by reducing their vulnerability to climate impacts. Examples of adaptation include building seawalls or Examples of adaptation include building seawalls or relocating buildings to higher ground to protect relocating buildings to higher ground to protect communities against increased flooding due to storms.communities against increased flooding due to storms.
• Mitigation involves attempts to slow the process of global Mitigation involves attempts to slow the process of global climate change by lowering the level of greenhouse gases climate change by lowering the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Examples include such mechanisms as in the atmosphere. Examples include such mechanisms as planting trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the air and planting trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the soil or in their trunks and roots.store it in the soil or in their trunks and roots.
Adaptation Adaptation
A related problem is that focusing on A related problem is that focusing on adaptation to local impacts of climate adaptation to local impacts of climate change without attempting to reduce future change without attempting to reduce future changes to Earth's climate is not a changes to Earth's climate is not a responsible position for a city or region, a responsible position for a city or region, a state, or a country. This is an issue of good state, or a country. This is an issue of good governance and responsible stewardship of governance and responsible stewardship of the Earth, not an issue that speaks to the the Earth, not an issue that speaks to the self interest of local governments or even self interest of local governments or even the nation.the nation.
Benefits of Mitigation Benefits of Mitigation
• Improvements in local environmental Improvements in local environmental quality quality
• Improvements in local public health Improvements in local public health and well-being and well-being
• Stimulation of the local economy Stimulation of the local economy
