Abrupt Change In Climate

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Abrupt Change in Climate

The scientific comprehension of the world’s climate change has been occurring since the

early 1990s. It is apparent that climate shifts have occurred, both in the regional and global

contexts for the past two decades. A severe shift occurred 8200 years ago, and if it recurred now

with the similar magnitude, then it would have dangerous effects to the natural ecosystem, as

well as human beings. Scientists are predicting an abrupt climate change, although their

understanding of the phenomenon is considered as a work-in-progress. The change will be

triggered by global warming caused by human beings or natural processes with little warning.

The Greenland Ice Sheet

According to Hammer, the ice sheet bears an elaborated record that shows the Earth’s climate

(50). It serves as the key source of helping people understand the climate record of the world.

Each year, snow usually falls on glacial areas, accumulating and piling on top of past snow. The

ice forms rings because of its compression into layers just like in the tree trunk. Air forms tiny

bubbles that are preserved in the ice, which help scientists understand how the atmosphere is

composed. Scientists use the thickness of the ice layer to ascertain the amount of precipitation

that fell in any particular year.

The process of accessing or drilling the ice provides climatic information that can be used

to understand climatic changes over a particular period. The process also happens in the most

inhospitable places because of high levels of coldness in ice-forming regions. By studying

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previous ocean sediment and ice core data, scientists have been able to determine that the climate

has been changing rapidly. They were also surprised at the quickness at which these climate

changes are occurring. The data from lake and ocean sediment in places like Antarctica,

California, and Venezuela have also helped scientists confirm that sudden climate changes in the

Greenland affects the world (Hammer 52).

Reasons for Climate Change

Scientists continue to debate on the main causes of climate changes. The current theories dealing

with this issue focus on start-up and shutdown of the thermohaline circulation (Meridional

Overturning Circulation or MOC). MOC is a global network that deals with density-driven ocean

currents. It keeps much of Europe and North Atlantic warm, with temperatures of up to 9°F

(5°C), but it transports a high amount of heat northward particularly during winter. If the currents

cease suddenly, then they would result in ripple effects that would change the ocean-atmosphere

system (Baveye et al. 296). The effect would be felt worldwide because it would change the

ocean currents, as well as the path used by the atmospheric jet stream.

The sediments excavated from the North Atlantic Ocean have been used for study

purposes, and they have revealed, from the past, that the MOC had been shut down several

times. Majority of these shutdowns co-occured with quick climate variations that were observed

in the cores that occurred in the Greenland ice. The processes through which the MOC requires

examining. The examination is important because the MOC is a system that comprises

interlinked ocean currents that circulate across the entire world. The warm ocean currents at the

surface are usually driven by the winds; hence, they move in a parallel direction to the wind,

excluding places where the continental landmasses block their way (Baveye et al. 296).

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According to Sheppard, water can travel vertically in the sea in the sense that low-density

water rises, as the high-density one sinks (25). Salty water is dense than fresh water, in the same

way that cold water is dense than warm water. Therefore, cold and salty water tend to sink.

Similarly, the colder currents have high salinity and move deep than the warmer ones. A

machine (Great Ocean Conveyor Belt) is usually driven by the ocean water density differences

that exist in ocean water. The whole issue of abrupt climate change would be triggered by the

global warming problem. Global warming causes melting of the sea ice at the polar, as well as

precipitation and the melting of the Greenland ice sheet. All these activities increase the amount

of water, particularly the fresh one that flows into areas that are deep, such as Greenland.

A study done in 2007 by IPCC estimated that the MOC would slow down because of the

current model simulation, which is believed to happen during this 21

century. In addition, MOC

will have a large, quick passage that will happen in a century because of the technological

advancements currently happening around the world. In 2012, an agency used computer

modeling to help people understand that the past abrupt climate changes occurred because of an

alteration in ocean currents. The change happened because of the Bering Strait that closed off

due to abject sea levels. The Bering Strait exists as a 50-mile-wide gap between Alaska and

Siberia. As long as this gap is open, people should not expect an abrupt climate event soon

(DiFrancesco and Young 518).

From the research by scientists, it is evident that oceans are capable of absorbing some of

the excess carbon dioxide that is released by human activity. It is important for keeping the Earth

cooler than it would be if these gases remained in the atmosphere. The issues of abrupt change in

climate need to be addressed by using various mechanisms, such as daily monitoring of

temperature, ocean currents, and carbon. Other activities that need to be done include now-

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casting, additional climate impact assessment, past-climate-change reconstructions, as well as

model development (DiFrancesco and Young 520). Severe effects, such as the acidification of

the oceans due to the absorption of carbon dioxide will happen if this issue is not addressed

early. The weak acid formed by the reaction of carbon dioxide and water is capable of changing

the seawater chemistry.

Conclusion

From the historical records, it is clear that the issue of abrupt climate change is a normal state of

the climate system. The present climate is stable; however, it is essential for people to learn the

climate system that will help them predict the time of quick shift of climatic conditions in future.

Unless people know when the next abrupt change in climate will happen, they need to do

embrace strategies and technologies that will minimize emission of carbon dioxide into the

environment, whether in the air, water, or any other ecological system. For example, they need to

progressively replace fossil fuels with renewable or alternative energy sources to minimize

carbon footprint in the environment. If necessary measures are not taken, the issue of global

warming will accelerate and magnify the natural cycle of MOC, posing great risks to both

aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

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Works Cited

Baveye, P, Jaroslav Mysiak, and Magdeline Laba. Uncertainties in Environmental Modelling

and Consequences for Policy Making. Dordrecht: Springer, 2009. Print.

DiFrancesco, Anne Darryn, and Nathan Young. "Seeing Climate Change: The Visual

Construction of Global Warming in Canadian National Print Media." Cultural

Geographies 18.4 (2011): 517-536. Print.

Hammer, Graeme L. Applications of Seasonal Climate Forecasting in Agricultural and Natural

Ecosystems. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000. Print.

Sheppard, Celene. Beyond Technology: Climate Change and the Future of Dwelling. Ann Arbor,

MI: ProQuest LLC, 2008. Print.

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