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Global Warming & Extreme Weather Events
Jul 2, 2008 | 10:53 AM
Category: Weather
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Scientific Assessment Captures Effects of a Changing Climate on Extreme Weather Events in North America

June 19, 2008

Observed changes in North American extreme events table.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research today released a scientific assessment that provides the first comprehensive analysis of observed and projected changes in weather and climate extremes in North America and U.S. territories. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change previously evaluated extreme weather and climate events on a global basis in this same context. However, there has not been a specific assessment across North America prior to this report.

Among the major findings reported in this assessment are that droughts, heavy downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are likely to become more commonplace as humans continue to increase the atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

The report is based on scientific evidence that a warming world will be accompanied by changes in the intensity, duration, frequency, and geographic extent of weather and climate extremes.

"This report addresses one of the most frequently asked questions about global warming: what will happen to weather and climate extremes? This synthesis and assessment product examines this question across North America and concludes that we are now witnessing and will increasingly experience more extreme weather and climate events," said report co-chair Tom Karl, Ph.D., director of NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

What is an Extremem Event chart.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

"We will continue to see some of the biggest impacts of global warming coming from changes in weather and climate extremes,” said report co-chair Gerry Meehl, Ph.D., of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. "This report focuses for the first time on changes of extremes specifically over North America."

The full CCSP 3.3 report, Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate, and a summary FAQ brochure are available online.

Global warming of the past 50 years is due primarily to human-induced increases in heat-trapping gases, according to the report. Many types of extreme weather and climate event changes have been observed during this time period and continued changes are projected for this century. Specific future projections include:

  • Abnormally hot days and nights, along with heat waves, are very likely to become more common. Cold nights are very likely to become less common.
  • Sea ice extent is expected to continue to decrease and may even disappear in the Arctic Ocean in summer in coming decades.
  • Precipitation, on average, is likely to be less frequent but more intense.
  • Droughts are likely to become more frequent and severe in some regions.
  • Hurricanes will likely have increased precipitation and wind.
  • The strongest cold-season storms in the Atlantic and Pacific are likely to produce stronger winds and higher extreme wave heights.

Here's the website...

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080619_cl
imatereport.html

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Member Comments Total Comments: 10
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Peagcu read my blog
Jul 2, 2008 | 12:37 PM

No proof that man has done this. Just scientific speculation.
tyler167 read my blog view my photos
Jul 2, 2008 | 4:03 PM

I saw a model on CNN the other night that showed the north pole ice pack melting as of now. The models showed that if the current weather patterns exist and do not change that we could see for the first time this late summer (september)a north pole with enough ice gone that you would be able to take a ship from greenland to alaska. The experts were predicting by 2050 it would be completely free of ice. These models didnt show it 100% free of ice, but it sounds like that could happen alot sooner than 40 years from now, especially if this late summer has a posibility of a new shipping route.
Patch_W_Adams read my blog
Jul 2, 2008 | 10:04 PM

We have trouble predicting weather during the span of a week...and people think these guys can Predict what is going to happen in 50 years?

While they are at it...can they Predict what the Lotto numbers are going to be in 50 years??

When they do that ....let me know...
Wildredneck read my blog view my photos
Jul 3, 2008 | 6:22 AM

Just wanted to say hi mark it's Colleen i belive weve chatted 1 or 2 im ST Ann'd weather watcher
Jimmy-42 read my blog
Jul 3, 2008 | 8:23 AM

As to the ice pack in the Arctic, they've also found a very large active volcano under the ocean, under the Arctic. Now, they say that the heat from that volcano is having no effect on the ice pack, but, all that heat's gotta go somewhere.
tyler167 read my blog view my photos
Jul 3, 2008 | 9:27 PM

Patch, I agree with you it is unknown what is going to happen 50 years from now, but currently at the rate which we are going right now they can have some sort of an idea to what possibly is to come. Plus climate and weather are not the same. Climate is seasonal while weather is daily. They take past years of earths climate and notice a dramatic warming trend, which CO2 is believed to be the culprit to the warming. So they can see that unless changes are made and their assumptions are correct that possibly what they predict now could happen. What im trying to say is that just b/c fridays forcast my be blown doesn't mean that the climates forcast 50 yrs from now is also blown.
WebsterGroves read my blog view my photos
Jul 4, 2008 | 8:07 PM

Thanks for posting this, Mark. This is interesting and very important information.
Patch_W_Adams read my blog
Jul 5, 2008 | 7:49 AM

If CO2 is believed to be the Culprit, why has none suggested we all hold our Breath so we can Live greener?

The Populaiton of today is Higher than 100 years ago and the Average person is estimated to produce about 1kg per day, depending on their activity level. Multiply that by the Billions of people on the Planet, add to that the Healthy lifestyle Push going on in this country which helps produce more CO2, wow that is alot of co2...lol Not to mention that the average body heat of an individual is 98.6 and like a room the more people you cram into it...the hotter it gets...plus add all the excercising going on which increase body tempurature..

So I guess to be Greener...I need to sit and do nothing so I create less CO2 and Body heat.....Excercising is Destroying the Environment...lol

I know..just making a point.... Global Warming may or may not be happening...but it is still a theory..and the outcome of a Computer Model depends on the input of Information....if we still don't know the cause and all the Variables applied to the Theory are ...then the outcome of the Computer Model becomes suspect..we have not been recroding Tempuratures and weather patterns since the begining of time...so we are only using what we have....which is not a complete picture...we can utilize data from the earth to give educated guesses to what had happened in the past...like why did the Ice age end or begin for that matter...was it solar flares or an asteroid? We know for one thing.....

The Dinosaurs didn't die because of SUV's and the Ice Age ended without the assistance of Indus
Patch_W_Adams read my blog
Jul 5, 2008 | 7:50 AM

The Dinosaurs didn't die because of SUV's and the Ice Age ended without the assistance of Industry.

Meterologists used to scoff at hte idea of Global Warming.....why change now? Where you guys told to tow the Line?

In the 80's we were told there was a Cooling trend, but we had cars then too...what is different now?
imaappygrl read my blog
Jul 5, 2008 | 12:27 PM

good point patch maybe the climate has seasons .Maybe its a natural occurance
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MarkGeldmeier

I'm the Fox 2 "fill-in" meteorologist and a huge weather geek. This picture was taken in Bora Bora...a break from my studies while at the University of Hawaii.

Member Since: 11/15/2006


 

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