a
useful discussion of possible abrupt climate change
A meeting at the Royal Society in London
“[Abrupt climate change] from the point of view
of the climate - [can be described as] as:
- “the climate system "flips": it crosses
some threshold, for example, from a state with a Gulf
Stream like today's to one where it stops short further
south; and
- “after is has crossed the threshold, further
change happens at a speed governed by the climate system
itself, not the slow change in whatever pushed the system.
“From the point of view of ecosystems, the more
important features of these abrupt changes are that:
- “once the threshold is crossed, the changes
persist;
- “the changes are on continental or global scales;
and
- “because they are abrupt, these are changes
for which ecosystems are unprepared or to which they
are incapable of adapting.
Topics covered:
- What is "abrupt climate change"?
- Abrupt Climate Change has happened already
- About climate modelling
- The big picture of climate
- The real world looks more sensitive than the models
- Atmospheric processes and observations
- Recent changes in the North Atlantic
- Return of the Varves - climate records in sediments
- Abrupt climate change in the distant past - the methane
connection
- The ice amplifier - the key to modelling?
- Sea ice as the climate switch
- The effect of increasing carbon dioxide on the ocean
- The future of the carbon cycle - new ideas in ocean
chemistry
- Surprises in plant responses to CO2
- Can society cope?
- Economics of Abrupt Climate Change
- Scientific challenges & new research
related material
shifting
global and local weather patterns
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/ecology082010.php#abrupt_climate_change_201210
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