Global Warming to Blame for Changes in Rain
Humans to blame for global changes in rain: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Human activities that spur global warming are largely to blame for changes in rainfall patterns over the last century, climate researchers reported on Monday.
The report was released as record rains caused deadly flooding in Britain and China.
Human-caused climate change has been responsible for higher air temperatures and hotter seas and is widely expected to lead to more droughts, wildfires and floods, but the authors say this is the first study to specifically link it to precipitation changes.
"For the first time, climate scientists have clearly detected the human fingerprint on changing global precipitation patterns over the past century," researchers from Environment Canada said in a statement.
The scientists, writing in the journal Nature, found humans contributed significantly to these changes, which include more rain and snow in northern regions that include Canada, Russia and Europe, drier conditions in the northern tropics and more rainfall in the southern tropics.
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2 comments:
Strictly speaking whether you can specifically link recent floods to climate change is debatable. Certainly it is bad practice for scientists to do so solely with the benefit of hindsight. However I have just had a book published, Climate Change: Biological & Human Aspects, and with the recent floods I wondered what I said in my book (it was months since I handed in the manuscript). I found that I had concluded that this sort of thing (summer flooding in Europe) is what one would expect in a warming world. I therefore have posted the appropriate text on the web free http://www.science-com.concatenation.org/archive/uk_floods_climate_change.html .
Jonathan
Our predictions are becoming true; global warming is undeniable.
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