From: Steffus 13/06/2001 19:00:52 Subject: Global warming post id: 321530 Very very very simple question here, but how does global warming change weather patterns? From: Tommy ® 13/06/2001 19:04:47 Subject: re: Global warming post id: 321533 It warms up air in places that the air is usualy cold changing the cycle. It melts polar ice. I'm not quite sure. If your wondering why dosn't the whole planet warm up and nothing acutaly changes because everything is still the same temprature relative to each other then you'v got me. Sorry I couldn't be more help. From: Zardoz ® 13/06/2001 19:12:14 Subject: re: Global warming post id: 321538 One of the easiest effects to estimate is the "ice-albedo" feedback. As the world warms, ice caps will melt. As this happens, water or land will replace parts of the Earth's surface that were once covered with ice. Ice is very efficient at reflecting solar radiation into space, whereas water and land absorb far more. So the Earth's surface will trap more heat, increasing warming - a positive feedback. Less clear-cut is the impact of the extra water vapour likely to enter the atmosphere because of higher evaporation rates. This added water vapour itself contributes to the greenhouse effect, another positive feedback. But it may also increase cloud cover. The dominant effect of some low-altitude clouds is to shroud and cool the Earth - a negative feedback - but other clouds, such as cirrus, may trap heat at low levels, giving another positive feedback. Disputes about how water vapour and clouds will influence global warming are at the heart of many of the disputes between mainstream scientists and the handful of greenhouse sceptics. Overall, the majority view is that positive feedbacks could amplify the warming effect by perhaps 2.5 times. But some sceptics believe the feedback effect could be neutral or even predominantly negative. Global Warming FAQ All you ever wanted to know about climate change "Earlier this month the UNEP/WMO Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finalized its three volume Third Assessment Report," Mr. Toepfer said. "The message is clear: intensive climate research and monitoring give scientists much greater confidence in their understanding of causes and consequences of global warming. The Assessment presents a compelling snapshot of what the Earth will probably look like in the late 21st century, after global warming changes weather patterns, water resources, the cycling of the seasons, ecosystems, extreme climate events, and much more." While developing countries are at greatest risk, Mr. Toepfer said, climate change will also pose challenges for rich countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. In North America, the IPCC predicts increasing frequency, severity and duration of weather disasters including floods, droughts, storms and landslides, while in all sectors - water, health, food, energy, insurance, governments and human settlements - the risk exists that impacts of climate change will over-stress existing institutional structures and engineered systems designed for a more stable world. http://www.unic.org.in/nl24march2001.htm UN Newsletter Published Weekly by the United Nations Information Centre This forum is un-moderated. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual poster and not the ABC. The ABC reserves the right to remove offensive or inappropriate messages.