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Nature Can Join Forces With Global Warming
London - Nov. 3, 2000 The adverse weather sweeping the UK may not be that unusual, according to fresh evidence which has allowed researchers to look back at rainfall trends over a longer period than ever before. A team led by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne has completed the world's first 1,000-year record of annual rainfall by studying the width of growth rings in cave stalagmites. The record provides evidence that nature is able to generate recent weather conditions without the help of global warming. But this is not necessarily good news, warn the researchers, because the predicted global warming-induced change could exaggerate the natural variations and could create even more severe bouts of flooding. The research, published in the academic journal Climate Dynamics -- by coincidence at a time when storms and floods are wreaking havoc across parts of Britain -- suggests that a number of sustained periods of wet and relatively stormy conditions have occurred over the past 1,000 years. "Looking back over the last 1,000 years can give us a real insight into natural climate variability," said project leader Dr Andy Baker, of the Univesity's Department of Geography. "Our research suggests that British rainfall is naturally highly variable. "This variability is in addition to any future changes in rainfall or storminess predicted by climate models as a consequence of global warming." The thickness of growth rings in stalagmites are determined by rainfall -- unlike the rings found in trees, whose thickness is generally determined by temperature. Dr Baker, working with colleagues from Exeter University, concentrated their work in Scottish Highland caves because the local rainfall is strongly correlated with the strength of North Atlantic westerly circulation -- so the results should be valid for a number of other northern European countries. While people may take some comfort in the news that the current flood crisis could be part of natural climate variability, Dr Baker stresses that there is no room for complacency. "Certainly I think that politicians and other decision-makers should be aware of both natural and human-induced rainfall variability when planning for the future," he said. "With the help of our longer rainfall record, we have shown that nature is able to repeat current events without the help of global warming, and even more seriously, the addition of predicted global warming-induced change could exaggerate the natural variations and could create even more severe bouts of flooding." Peer reviewed publication and references: "A Thousand Year Proxy Record of North Atlantic Climate in Scotland", is published in the current edition of Climate Dynamics. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links University of Newcastle upon Tyne SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Dirt, rocks and all the stuff we stand on firmly
Magnetic Reconnection Region Larger Than 2.5 Million Km Found In The Solar Wind
Paris (ESA) Jan 12, 2006Using the ESA Cluster spacecraft and the NASA Wind and ACE satellites, a team of American and European scientists have discovered the largest jets of particles created between the Earth and the Sun by magnetic reconnection. This result makes the cover of this week's issue of Nature. |
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