The Science of Abrupt Climate Change
Introduction
In the debate on climate change, we are used to hearing about climate changes on the scale of hundreds or even thousands of years. But since the early 1990s, a radical shift in the scientific understanding of Earth's climate history has occurred. We now know that that major regional and global climate shifts as recently as 8200 years ago have occurred in just a few decades or even a single year. If an abrupt climate change of similar magnitude happened today, it would have severe consequences for humans and natural ecosystems. Although scientists consider an abrupt climate change unlikely in the next 100 years, they concede that their understanding of the phenomena is so incomplete that such a change could be triggered at any time by natural processes or by human-caused global warming.
The National Academy of Sciences--the board of scientists established by Congress in 1863 to advise the federal government on scientific matters--compiled a comprehensive report in 2002 entitled, Abrupt Climate Change: Inevitable Surprises. The 244-page report, which contains over 500 references, was written by a team of 59 of the top researchers in climate, and represents the most authoritative source of information about abrupt climate change available. Unless noted otherwise, all of the material that follows was taken from this report.
http://www.wunderground.com/education/abruptclimate.asp
Informant: di
In the debate on climate change, we are used to hearing about climate changes on the scale of hundreds or even thousands of years. But since the early 1990s, a radical shift in the scientific understanding of Earth's climate history has occurred. We now know that that major regional and global climate shifts as recently as 8200 years ago have occurred in just a few decades or even a single year. If an abrupt climate change of similar magnitude happened today, it would have severe consequences for humans and natural ecosystems. Although scientists consider an abrupt climate change unlikely in the next 100 years, they concede that their understanding of the phenomena is so incomplete that such a change could be triggered at any time by natural processes or by human-caused global warming.
The National Academy of Sciences--the board of scientists established by Congress in 1863 to advise the federal government on scientific matters--compiled a comprehensive report in 2002 entitled, Abrupt Climate Change: Inevitable Surprises. The 244-page report, which contains over 500 references, was written by a team of 59 of the top researchers in climate, and represents the most authoritative source of information about abrupt climate change available. Unless noted otherwise, all of the material that follows was taken from this report.
http://www.wunderground.com/education/abruptclimate.asp
Informant: di
Starmail - 25. Nov, 11:20
