Impact of Carbon Dioxide on Global Climate
Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is a significant contributor to global warming and climate change. The increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and oceans have resulted in drastic shifts in weather patterns, leading to extreme events such as droughts, heatwaves, and flooding.
New Study on Carbon Dioxide and Rainfall Patterns
A recent study conducted by the University of Pusan in South Korea and the University of Hong Kong in China has shed light on the effects of carbon dioxide on rainfall patterns in mountainous regions. The research revealed a significant decrease in rainfall in areas that historically received high levels of precipitation, such as the Western Ghats in Kerala, India.
Mountains typically create their own unique climate, often characterized by abundant rainfall. However, with the increase in greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, the climate in these regions is being heavily impacted, leading to reduced rainfall and altered weather patterns.
Previous studies had suggested that global warming would lead to an increase in rainfall in mountainous areas due to a rise in atmospheric moisture levels. However, the recent study’s findings contradict this notion, highlighting the need for further research to understand the complex relationship between greenhouse gases and rainfall.
Climate Model Predictions
Using a three-dimensional climate model, researchers demonstrated that doubling the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could lead to a four-degree Celsius rise in global temperatures. Furthermore, a tripling of carbon dioxide levels could result in an eight-degree Celsius temperature increase.
This model study also revealed that mountainous regions in lower latitudes, such as Central America and the Andes, would experience a decrease in rainfall with increasing carbon dioxide levels. These findings have implications for regions in India, particularly the Western Ghats, which are likely to see a reduction in rainfall in the future as a result of rising carbon dioxide levels.
For regions situated within lower latitudes, the impact of carbon dioxide on rainfall patterns is a cause for concern and warrants further investigation to understand the potential implications for these areas.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that plays a major role in global warming. Increasing carbon dioxide in the oceans and atmosphere is causing large-scale climate change. As a result, droughts and heat waves are being experienced around the world today. It also causes unexpected flooding by causing large floods in a short period of time.
When the Kottayam Eirailkadav-Manipuzha Bypass was flooded during heavy rains. Image: Abhijit Ravi Manorama
At the same time, a new study shows that carbon dioxide causes a significant decrease in the amount of rain in the mountain and mountainous regions that receive the most rain on Earth. This discovery was made in a joint study by the University of Pusan in South Korea and the University of Hong Kong in China. The results of the study say that the rains will reduce in Kerala in the coming days as well.
The unique climate of the mountainous region
Mountains have the ability to create their own unique climate. Mountains can block the wind, create cold weather and rain. An example of this is the unique climate in Kerala due to the Western Ghats. However, the study found that the climate in hilly and mountainous areas is also largely affected as the presence of greenhouse gases increases globally and temperatures rise. Carbon dioxide also plays a vital role in that increase.
This study sheds new light on how this change occurs. Previous studies on this topic have found that global warming will significantly increase rainfall in mountainous regions. Behind this discovery was the conclusion that the amount of moisture in the atmosphere will increase along with the increase in atmospheric temperature, but the new study, which has also observed the amount of rain received during the last few decades in various mountains of the world, prove that this idea is wrong.
A rainy view of Kannur (Image: Manorama)
As the temperature increases
A computer-generated three-dimensional model of the Earth is divided into a number of 25 kilometer long horizontal grids for climate studies. The Community Earth System Model was developed with approximately 1500 grids by the Fluid Dynamics Geophysical Laboratory. In a new study, researchers used this model to understand regional climate and rainfall patterns. According to this, if the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on Earth doubles, the global temperature will increase by around four degrees Celsius. A tripling of carbon dioxide would lead to a temperature rise of almost eight degrees Celsius.
In a similar model study by researchers, it was found that there will be a large reduction in rainfall in mountainous regions, especially in lower latitude regions. The study was mainly in New Guinea, the highlands of East Africa, the Himalayas, Central America, and the Andes. The researchers noted that the three highest mountain regions and the central region of the Andes will experience an increase in precipitation as carbon dioxide increases.
The young man dips his head into the water to escape the heat. A view of Piazza del Popola in Rome. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
But in Central America and east of the Andes the situation is completely different. Researchers have found that the amount of rainfall decreases with the increase in carbon dioxide. These mountain ranges are located at low latitudes. The lower latitude or low latitude regions are the region located up to 30 degrees from the equator to the two poles.
Relevance in India
This finding also makes this study relevant to India. In India, the region from Maharashtra to South India belongs to the lowest latitude region. Especially the Western Ghats region receives the best rainfall in India. According to the new study, it is clear from this study that the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lead to less rainfall in the coming days in this region which includes Kerala.
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