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November 17, 2005
Climate Change Predictions
By: Rowan Wolf
The magazine "Nature" has an interesting article on the possible impacts of global warming on each continent. The only publicly (non-subscription) article available is Climate change: world round-up. Michael Hopkins points out that there are many variables so exact prediction is not possible, but the article covers a couple of different assumptions on most continents.
Summary - By Continent
Europe: Warmer, which will help the growing season in northern Europe, but make southern Europe much hotter.
North America: If you depend on snow melt for your water supply, forget it.
South America: The weather could get very unpredictable with heavy storms, rising ocean level, and rising ocean temperature.
Asia: Those areas that get monsoons will get more and heavier, but other areas may experience a precipitation decrease Permafrost tundras likely to melt, which will have other climatic influences.
Africa: Desertification is likely to increase, however, sub-Saharan Africa could get wetter. This would increase mosquito borne diseases.
Australia: Could get very dry if El Nino changes as predicted. Warming ocean could be devastating to algae and coral (and all that depends on them).
Antarctica: Will it melt or expand? Raise ocean levels or lower them. Both seem possible. Warming temperatures may cause melt, but also increased precipitation - which may freeze and expand the ice mass.
Posted by Rowan at November 17, 2005 4:49 PM Category: Global Warming