Measuring global warming

Measuring global warming

CO2 concentrations measured at Mauna LoaPada early 1896, scientists suggested that burning fossil fuels will change the composition of the atmosphere and temperature can increase the global average. This hypothesis was confirmed in 1957 when the researchers who worked on the global research program called the International Geophysical Year sampled the atmosphere from the top of Mauna Loa mountain in Hawaii.

Measurement results showed an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. After that, the composition of the atmosphere has been carefully tracked. The data collected show that there have been increasing the concentration of the gas-greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Scientists also have long suspected that the global climate warms, but they are not able to provide evidence of the right. Temperatures vary widely from time to time and from one location to another location. It takes many years of climate observations to obtain data that showed a tendency (trend) is clear. Note in the late 1980s seem to show a warming trend, but statistics are few and can not be trusted.

Weather station was originally located near urban areas where temperature measurements were affected by the heat emitted from buildings and vehicles and the heat stored by building materials and roads. Since 1957, the data obtained from a reliable weather station (located far from urban areas), and from satellites. These data provide a more accurate measurement, especially at 70 percent of the planet's surface is covered with oceans. Data that more accurately shows that the surface warming trend really happened. If seen in the late 20th century, noted that the ten warmest years over the last hundred years occurred after 1980, and the three hottest years occurred after 1990, with 1998 being the warmest.

In a report issued in 2001, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that global air temperature has risen 0.6 degrees Celsius (1 degree Fahrenheit) since 1861. The panel agreed that the warming was caused primarily by human activities that add to the gas-greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The IPCC predicts a temperature increase in global average will rise 1.1 to 6.4 ° C (2.0 to 11.5 ° F) between 1990 and 2100.

The IPCC panel cautioned that even if greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere has not increased since the year 2100, climate would continue to warm for a certain period of emissions that have been released previously. carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for a hundred years or more before nature can dispose of it. [22]

If emissions of greenhouse gases continue to increase, experts predict that carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere can be increased up to three times in the early 22 th century when compared to pre-industrial era. As a result, there will be dramatic climate change. Although the actual events of climate change has occurred several times throughout the history of Earth, humans will face this problem with the risk of a very large population.