Posted on 06/25/2004 6:07:15 AM PDT by presidio9
A new US supercomputer has shown that global temperatures could be rising more than scientists had thought, experts said.
The computer at the National Center for Atmospheric Research projects that temperatures could rise by 2.6 degrees Celsius (4.7 degrees Fahrenheit) if countries continue to emit large amounts of carbon dioxide.
The previous estimates were a rise of about two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
Information from the Community Climate System Model, known as CCSM3, will be presented to the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change, an international body of experts established by the United Nations (news - web sites) to assess the environmental impact of climate change.
According to the US National Science Foundation (news - web sites) (NSF), a variety of models in the past have been used to understand the effects of carbon dioxide, a common greenhouse gas emitted by cars and power plants.
Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide have increased significantly in recent decades to about 370 million parts per million today and levels are continuing to rise.
If carbon dioxide emissions were to double, most scientific models agree that this would signifigantly increase global temperatures.
But, the models have been unable to produce consistent results in trying to determine the impact of other sources global warming, such as radiation from clouds or thunderstorms and the effect aerosol gases have on the environment.
Clifford Jacobs, an NSF scientist, said that with the new models "the degree of uncertainty has narrowed."
"We have a higher degree of confidence in these results than in the previous results."
Jacobs said scientists now hope their models will become sophisticated enough to predict how climate change will affect specific regions, such as in Africa or the American Midwest.
He hopes the scientific breakthrough will "better inform the ongoing debate" over global warming.
"The key question is: How much of the change is a natural variability and how much of the change is caused by activities of mankind on the face of planet," he said.
I am up here freezing my butt off at the end of June and these people come up with this BS. Give me a break! We had a low last night of 42 deg..
Another story about mystics gazing into their cristal silicon balls.
"... Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide have increased significantly in recent decades to about 370 million parts per million today..."
Wow! 370 million parts per million? It's surprising that any of us can breathe.
Andrew
Sorry, I missed the "scientific breakthrough". The only "scientific breakthrough" that occured were the already worse than worst-case assumptions have been tweaked to produce more dramatic results to stir public opinion. My Theory of Global Warming states that as Public Opinion about global warming drops, the higher the predictions go. So far my well-researched theory has shown perfect correlation.
Not to mention the oceans which, after all, only account for 2/3 rds of the surface of the planet.
Oh, and BTW, how about the impact of Mr. Sun?
That's great news, that should save us from their predicted ICE-AGE for a few years.
Yup the global warming is killing us.
right now it's 56, was only 70 yesterday, might not even hit that today.
Global warming my a.....
I'm in WI and going through the same thing. It's almost the 4th of July and I'm sitting here in a flannel shirt and jeans! Low of 46 last night . . thought about turning on the furnace . . . . .
yikes! it's 72 already..
They've got balls?
Since I am coming up there for the weekend it is good to hear I won't have to climate adjust.
If this is the key question, why aren't they trying to find the answer instead of building more sophisticated models on faster computers that use the assumption it is our activities that are causing it?
What a beautiful cool Iowa morning it is!
What I find very amusing, is the source of your post. They can't get anybody around here to print their Bravo Sierra!
probably the coldest June in a long time (10,000 years) here in Missouri. I have my sweatshirt on
LOL.....same here in the northeast. Hardly had the air conditioning on yet and have had the heat on numerous times this spring.
Hey, nothings faster than thought. Or at least that's what I thought.
But, shhhhhh don't tell the kookburgers!
It's June 25 in Ohio.
The projected high today for Columbus is 73.
I'm wearing a long sleeved shirt.
I'm going to hold a < bleeping > party when 'global warming' finally gets around to starting.
Oh, wait, I forgot! The unusually cool temps are a part of Global Warming, too. So, if I'm too hot, it's global warming, if I'm too cold, it's global warming, and if I'm just right, it's central air.
Yeesh.
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