Research On Global Warming
Research on Global Warming
Research is constantly being done on global warming. The research is being done by studying statistics and by going directly to the source. Various scientists are coming up with different answers to the most basic questions about global warming.
Some scientists studying global warming in the Arctic have discovered thinning sea ice near the northern reaches of Alaska. The summer of 2007 showed the least sea ice since sea ice was first tracked in 1979. Scientists participating in the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Gyre Exploration Project cruised aboard the Canadian Coast Guard's ship, the Icebreaker, to see the effects of global warming for themselves.
When they reached the area where ice would usually be the thickest and heaviest, the ship sailed right through. When they did see ice, it was in a state of disintegration because of global warming. Most of the ice remaining was young ice, which is more vulnerable to thaw. The scientists took their data home to analyze during the colder months.
Another group, with the Arctic Modeling Group and the IJIS Research Group, set sail along the Alaskan coast in the Chukchi Sea. Their mission was to study different variables of the ocean water that might affect phytoplankton. They found that the water was warmer than the satellite statistics. The satellite showed 10 degrees Celsius, while their measurements showed 14 degrees Celsius. This is an example of global warming.
One study was done linking the Russian peat bogs with global warming. The bogs produce a large amount of methane gas. According to carbon dating that was done, this has been the case since the last ice age. Since methane is one of the greenhouse gases, this impacts global warming.
However, the studies also show that the peat bogs absorb carbon dioxide at an impressive rate. They contain the largest carbon stores on the planet. If the peat bogs dry up due to global warming, they would release this carbon dioxide into the air. The trade-off of carbon dioxide for methane would not be a good one, since methane stays in the atmosphere a shorter time.
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been busy proving that humans bear some culpability for the climate change in the oceans. They have done this both by observing and noting evidence, and by constructing computer models.
The computer models are based on the evidence that they do have, so they are thought to be quite accurate. With all the data in place, the evidence seems to point to definite global warming events. It also makes it clear that humans have played a part in causing this phenomenon.
An MIT professor has studied the effects of warming waters on hurricanes over the last fifty years. He studied statistics from past storms and generated computer models to test his theory. His specialty is meteorology, so his take on global warming is of interest. He found that the hurricanes have indeed been getting stronger since 1970.
Research is important to the field of global warming studies. It is only by knowing the problem in precise detail that people can adequately confront it.
More Articles
Transportation Issues And Global Warming
Climate Changes Due To Global Warming
Health Concerns Related To Global Warming
What The Other Side Is Saying About Global Warming
The History Of The Movement To Stop Global Warming
Books That Support Or Deny The Concept Of Global Warming
Celebrities Weigh In On Global Warming
Global Warming And The Significance Of Rising Water Temperatures
How You Can Fight Global Warming At Home
Related Products And FREE Videos
More Articles
Forecasting The Future Of Global Warming
... Statisticians can make educated guesses, but a number of factors can always change the dynamics of population growth. Biological factors, as well as governmental policies and economics can all play a part. The more people on earth, the greater the chance for global warming. Fuel efficient cars have already been developed, and the research continues to make them even better. There is a question, though, as to whether the people of the world will embrace these technologies. At least at first, cost might prevent poor people from having hybrid or other fuel efficient cars. The extent to which this technology ...
... rainforests. Loggers do not just take out mature trees for lumber. People who want to clear a place to live, work, or farm in the jungle clear the forest by cutting and burning large portions of the rainforest. As if this was not enough, other greenhouse gases are increased by deforestation. These include methane and nitrous oxide. Global warming is foreseeable when people greedily take the rainforest and other forests for their own purposes. It seems that, by the figures in these studies, global warming prevention should focus on the green house emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels first. ...
How Global Warming Affects The Ecosystems
... regions to survive. For instance, polar bears' habitat is altered. Where once they could swim a short distance from ice floe to ice floe, that is no longer the case. Now, the ice floes are so far apart that many polar bears drown trying to make the swim. According to the US Geological Survey, their numbers will decrease by half in the next forty or so years. The melting polar ice cap will be too much for most polar bears to survive. Global warming will eventually lead to their extinction if left unchecked. Global warming is pushing a reported 2000 species toward the poles. The climate becomes warmer ...
The IPCC Reports On Global Warming
... The portion of the study that blamed humans was a result of expert opinions more than a product of research. Different factors were discussed that could cause global warming or cooling. The current era was defined as starting in 1750. In the current era, the sun has radiated more intense heat, human activities have raised the temperature, and greenhouse gases have increased rapidly. Different models were given of the course global warming would take in the next century. The models were run using different scenarios. They all turned out somewhat different. However, they all indicated significant ...
... Specifically, the temperatures near the surface of the earth and the temperatures in the ocean are rising. Since 1990, there have been 10 years that have been hotter than any others in recorded history. The greenhouse effect is said to be responsible for global warming. The greenhouse effect causes certain vapors and gases to form a sort of blanket that covers and warms the earth. Water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and several other trace gases make up this blanket. The greenhouse effect itself is not disputed. No controversy exists on this point because the greenhouse effect is recognized as ...