A new study has found that the Earth is right on the cusp of a new period when it will witness the increase in the rate of global temperatures reaching an alarming level that has not been seen in the last 1,000 years.
The climate study was carried out by the researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy.
Even though this accelerated surge in temperatures would affect all nations worldwide, the Arctic region, which is already witnessing a loss in its ice sheet at a steady rate, is expected to be the worst-hit.
The study has found that the Arctic, Europe and North America will be among the first parts of the world on our Earth that would witness a significant reshape in their climates. According to the researchers, the wet regions will become much wetter and the dry areas will desiccate further.
Hence, the researchers call for an imperative approach for the policy makers and climate scientists for beginning a proper plan for adaptations to this new environment.
Steven Smith, a researcher at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, said, “Essentially the world is entering a new regime where what is normal is going to continue to change and it’s changing at a rate than natural processes might not be able to keep up with.”
Even though a study of the past millennium has shown a significant temperature fluctuation at 0.2°F each decade, the last four decades has shown something rather alarming.
It’s not just that the temperatures have jumped consistently every decade since 1975, the process of global warming is also infringing on an average of 0.4°Farenhiet a decade.
By 2020, the scientists are expecting that these warming rates accelerate beyond the historical bounds of the last 1,000 years and continue to increase. The scientists cautions the countries of tough times ahead if they fail to work for controlling greenhouse gas emissions. According to them, this rate is likely to spike up to 0.7°Farenhiet per decade and is expected to continue until at least 2100.
These historic warming levels are likely to start in the northern hemisphere, which is already witnessing a remarkable decline in ice levels. Arctic temperatures are likely to increase 1.1°F per decade by 2040. On the other hand, the rate of warming in Europe and North America is expected to be somewhat lower, the warming rates will be equally unprecedented.
The study is partially based on a research paper that suggests the current global warming slowdown will be coming to an end soon, and the rapid warming to continue in the 2020’s.
Much of the slowdown in warming has been attributed to the storing heat of oceans.
The findings were published on Monday in journal Nature Climate Change.
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