Implications of Climate Change

ByTanmay SrivastavaMSc 1st SemesterInstitute of Science,Nagpur

What is Climate Change:

• Climate change is the time variation in weather patterns occurring over periods ranging from decades to millions of years.

• Climate change is caused by factors such as Biotic processes, variations in Solar Radiation received by Earth, Plate Tectonics, Volcanic eruptions and Human Interference.

Evidences of Climate Change:

The Global Implications of Climate Change:

• Increase in Earth's average temperature:

• Average global temperatures are expected to increase by 2°F to 11.5°F by 2100, depending on the level of future greenhouse gas emissions, and the outcomes from various climate models.

• By 2100, global average temperature is expected to warm at least twice as much as it has during the last 100 years.

• Ground-level air temperatures are expected to continue to warm more rapidly over land than oceans.

• Some parts of the world are projected to see larger temperature increases than the global average.

• Changes in the amount and intensity of precipitation will vary by region.

• The strength of the winds associated with tropical storms is likely to increase.

• Annual average precipitation is projected to increase in some areas and decrease in others.

Change in Precipitation patterns:

• For every 2°F of warming, models project about a 15% decrease in the extent of annually averaged sea ice and a 25% decrease in September Arctic sea ice.

• The coastal sections of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are expected to continue to melt or slide into the oceans.

Loss in Sea Ice:

• Warming temperatures contribute to sea level rise by: expanding ocean water; melting mountain glaciers and ice caps; and causing portions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to melt or flow into the ocean.

Sea Level Rise:

• Since 1870, global sea level has risen by about 8 inches.

• Global sea level for the next century is expected to rise at a greater rate than during the past 50 years.

Ocean Acidification:

• Oceans become more acidic as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the atmosphere dissolve in the ocean.

• The pH level of the oceans has decreased by approximately 0.1 pH units since pre-industrial times, which is equivalent to a 25% increase in acidity. This is expected to rise due to continuous rise in CO2

• Ocean acidification adversely affects many marine species, including plankton, molluscs, shellfish, and corals.

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