Posts
Wild
Weather Swings
6
October, 2014
Above
combination-image illustrates some of the wild temperature swings
that are taking place on the Northern Hemisphere. While the average
temperature anomaly on the Northern Hemisphere may not differ much
between the two dates (+0.95°C versus +1.07°C), huge temperature
swings can occur locally, as is the case in Greenland.
Note
that the overall temperature anomaly for the Arctic is +2.16°C and
+3.34°C, respectively, but it can be much more locally. What
contributes to these high temperatures in the Arctic is that heat
from the Arctic Ocean is entering the atmosphere where there still is
open water, while large emissions of methane from the seafloor of the
Arctic Ocean are exercizing their high immediate local warming
potential.
On
the Southern Hemisphere, things aren't much different, as illustrated
by the combination-image below.
The
two images show that, while the average anomaly for the Southern
Hemisphere and for the Antarctic may not differ much between the two
dates, temperature anomalies locally may go from one end of the scale
to the other.
And
it's not merely temperatures that seem to have gone wild. Winds have
strengthened, which can push sea ice far out into the sea surrounding
Antarctica, while the resulting open water quickly freezes over. The
result is expanding sea ice that traps heat in the ocean, as
discussed in an earlier
post.
It appears that much of the extra energy trapped by greenhouse gasses
becomes manifest as kinetic energy, in the form of stronger winds,
storms and ocean currents.
In
conclusion, these huge temperature swings combine with pressure
swings and storms, and with swings between expansion and contraction
of soil and ice, resulting in severe shocks to ecosystems and
infrastructure.
The
threat is that infrastructure will increasingly come under stress.
Infrastructure that was built up over hundreds, if not thousands of
years, is not easily replaced with more durable alternatives. Parts
of infrastructure such as roads, buildings, railways, storm water and
drainage systems, water supply, dams, levees and power poles may
collapse without much scope for repair.
Furthermore,
soil degradation will increase, as in some areas storms grow stronger
and run-off causes more erosion, while other areas may be hit by more
severe droughts and dust-storms. In both cases, ecosystems will
suffer and can go into shock, bringing food supply and habitat
progressively and possibly abruptly under threat.
As
more and deeper cracks and fractures appear in sediments and soils,
more methane may start entering the atmosphere. Indications that the
integrity of the permafrost is breaking up under the stress of such
swings were discussed in earlier posts such as this
one and this
one.
The extra methane can constitute a powerful additional feedback loop,
causing strong additional warming locally.
The
situation is dire and calls for comprehensive and effective action,
as discussed at the Climate
Plan blog.
References
and Related Posts
-
Climate Plan
-
Antarctica linked to Arctic
-
What's wrong with the weather?
-
Is Global Warming breaking up the Integrity of the Permafrost?
-
Earthquakes in the Arctic Ocean
-
Ten Dangers of Global Warming (written March, 2007)
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