Global warming Group 3
- 1. Global warming and its effects. Global warming is an increase in the average temperature of the Earth's surface. In everyday language, the term also refers to other effects of global climate change, caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases since the beginning of the industrial age. The main cause of the observed warming is human industrial activity. According to the research results summarized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the human impact on the climate is obvious. This is evidenced by the growing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, positive radiative forcing, observed warming and understanding of the climate system, and it is extremely probable that man has dominated the warming observed since the mid-twentieth century. Without limiting greenhouse gas emissions, the average global temperature is expected to increase progressively. Research shows that the average global temperature of the Earth's surface will increase in the 21st century by 0.3–1.7 ° C compared to the end of the 20th century (average for 2081–2100 in relation to the multi-year period 1986- 2005). Decade-long climate forecasts prepared in 2019 by the World Meteorological Organization indicate that the average annual global temperature in the period 2020-2024 will most likely be in the range of 0.91-1.59 ° C above the pre-industrial level, represented by the years 1850-1900. The climatic effects of the global warming. First - deadly heatwaves. The southern part of Europe has been experiencing them for many years, but in the future the average summer temperature in this region may be up to 3-4 degrees higher than the current one. If the temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius, extreme events such as deadly heat waves can take place almost every year, and not only in southern Europe. The nuisance of heat will be exacerbated by the growing moisture deficit in the soil, resulting from positive thermodynamic couplings - dry soil gives off more heat, causing a local increase in air temperature. As a result
- 2. of ever higher temperatures, the soils will be less and less irrigated - not only because of greater evaporation, but also because of a decrease in rainfall. Forecasts indicate that in the areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea it will occur mainly in spring and summer. These regional changes will affect the rest of the continent, as air masses forming over the dried soil of southern Europe moving deep into the continent will carry less moisture. Second - downpours, floods and snowless winters. Climate forecasts show that the number of downpours in Europe will increase in all seasons. If the temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius, extreme one-day rainfall will be at least 70% more likely than in the current climate. This will increase the risk of floods - the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. In turn, less snowfall in warmer climates is due to two factors: an increase in the average temperature in winter and the disappearance of sea ice in the Arctic. Forecasts indicate that the frost-free period for western Europe will extend by up to 10 days per decade, and the number of snow days there will drop by as much as 30% for each degree of global warming. The snow cover will disappear earlier in spring. In addition to rising temperatures, the aforementioned impact of the disappearance of ice in the Arctic also influences the amount of snowfall. Increased melting of sea ice in the summer season means that in autumn and winter the ice cover rebuilds very slowly. The air over the open ocean is warmer than over the ice. These humid air masses are so warm that when they reach Europe in early winter, they bring rain rather than snow. Third - hail and destructive storms. Increasing humidity in the atmosphere will result in an increase in air temperature. In the northwest and central areas of Europe, more intense evaporation will therefore increase the amount of latent heat which will make the atmosphere more unstable. Climate forecasts indicate that more favorable conditions towards dangerous convective phenomena will apear in Europe. Those phenomena include tornadoes, hail and squalls, and the energy of storms will also increase.