Many scientists say that there is a correlation between the weather phenomenon El Nino and the problem of global warming. Because of the things that humans are doing to the atmosphere, it is said that the earth is becoming warmer and therefore the intensity of El Nino is growing year by year. At the same time, many scientists disagree with this wholeheartedly. There is good evidence to go either way, so you will just have to read through some of the information here. Ultimately you will decide for yourself whether you think we are causing global warming, and whether global warming is affecting El Nino.
There was some controversy when evidence came up that El Nino might have caused some short-term increases in temperature. This was around the time that the theory of global warming was becoming more popular, and people started to see a scandal. What if global warming wasn’t really true at all, and it was just a product of El Nino? Everyone knows about El Nino, so that would definitely take some of the fear away from the steadily increasing temperatures. There has still been no conclusive proof either way that global warming is a product of humans, so it actually might be a weather pattern that takes years to go through its cycle.
So it is a possibility that El Nino is causing global warming, but what if it was the other way around? Could global warming be causing El Nino to intensify over time? Some believe that this is a perfectly logical theory due to the simple cause and effect. If El Nino is caused by warmth in a certain region, it seems that global warming could cause more warmth and therefore a stronger Nino. This was another theory that was in the public eye for a while, but was quickly disproved by scientists.
Before any truly conclusive answers can be made about global warming and El Nino, years more of weather and temperatures must be analyzed. If global warming is just occurring in the recent past, it will have a much higher rate of increase than if it had been happening without the help of humans. Hopefully with enough data observation, we can begin to decide which of the two cases it is.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
What Exactly Is El Nino?
Many people have a hard time understanding exactly what is going on when the weather man says that El Nino is occurring. It is a very important feature of weather, and you should make every effort to understand it in order to understand the weather around your area. Essentially, El Nino refers to a rapid change in the temperature of the water in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The last El Nino cycle began in September 2006, and was projected to carry on until at least 2007. The El Nino phenomenon has far-reaching effects, and here are some of the ways it can change the weather in your area.
El Nino has many effects on smaller parts of the environment. In all of the affected areas, water levels in streams rise. This results in higher water levels in lakes and ponds. It creates a huge domino effect of environmental oddities causing more. The increased amounts of water cycling around can very well cause more risks of landslides or flooding. The amount of natural disasters increases slightly during El Nino. It is also blamed for debris being dislodged from rivers and subsequent higher levels of pollution being on the move.
Living things are affected as well. Phytoplanktons are the most basic food source in the ocean. When El Nino comes around, they are less able to live in the ocean. This creates a wave in the food web, and may animals die out. The amount of fish goes down drastically, and this in turn affects humans who live off of the fish as a food supply. Fortunately since it is a natural process that has been happening for as long as the world has been around, no species go extinct, and usually fisherman are able to cope with the slightly lower levels of fish.
If you listen to the news for long enough, you will hear something about El Nino. When you know what it is, the news will start to make sense. You will see why your local climate is being affected, and why certain things are happening as a result of the weather phenomenon. If you want to read further on the subject, there are entire books written on El Nino that explain every single aspect of it.
El Nino has many effects on smaller parts of the environment. In all of the affected areas, water levels in streams rise. This results in higher water levels in lakes and ponds. It creates a huge domino effect of environmental oddities causing more. The increased amounts of water cycling around can very well cause more risks of landslides or flooding. The amount of natural disasters increases slightly during El Nino. It is also blamed for debris being dislodged from rivers and subsequent higher levels of pollution being on the move.
Living things are affected as well. Phytoplanktons are the most basic food source in the ocean. When El Nino comes around, they are less able to live in the ocean. This creates a wave in the food web, and may animals die out. The amount of fish goes down drastically, and this in turn affects humans who live off of the fish as a food supply. Fortunately since it is a natural process that has been happening for as long as the world has been around, no species go extinct, and usually fisherman are able to cope with the slightly lower levels of fish.
If you listen to the news for long enough, you will hear something about El Nino. When you know what it is, the news will start to make sense. You will see why your local climate is being affected, and why certain things are happening as a result of the weather phenomenon. If you want to read further on the subject, there are entire books written on El Nino that explain every single aspect of it.
What Exactly Is La Nina?
Sometimes people labor under the delusion that La Nina is a completely different weather phenomenon than El Nino. In truth, El Nino refers to fluctuations in the temperature of the central tropical Pacific Ocean. But when you start to differentiate between El Nino and La Nina, you see that El Nino is more specifically raised temperatures, while La Nina deals with lower temperatures. When La Nina occurs, it has vastly different effects since the ocean has a temperature that is vastly different than its usual temperature. Here are some of the ways that La Nina affects the climates around the world.
If you have read about the way that El Nino can alter parts of the environment, you can obtain the effects of La Nina by simply reversing them. Water in the Eastern Pacific becomes very cold, and this is what causes the most effects. One of the most unpleasant results is an increase in hurricanes around the time that La Nina shows up. The contrast in temperatures between two regions very close to each other creates a much higher probability for hurricanes and tropical storms forming. This is why many sailors don’t exactly look forward to when La Nina happens.
La Nina also causes warmer weather in some regions, as a result of the colder weather in the Pacific region. It has been recorded that during La Nina, temperatures during the winter in some areas were as much as 15 degrees over the average from the previous years. This is one of the most drastic changes that La Nina can perform, and comes as quite a shock to people in the affected regions that don’t know it is coming.
Many specific wind patterns are relied upon to be fairly constant throughout the years. However, when La Nina occurs many of them shift. They may go so far as to reverse directions, but usually the most drastic result is a shift in one direction. La Nina causes many different issues, and these are just a few of them. Once you start understanding how the chain reactions of weather work, you will understand why La Nina is an important part of how the world works and how one thing can change into another.
If you have read about the way that El Nino can alter parts of the environment, you can obtain the effects of La Nina by simply reversing them. Water in the Eastern Pacific becomes very cold, and this is what causes the most effects. One of the most unpleasant results is an increase in hurricanes around the time that La Nina shows up. The contrast in temperatures between two regions very close to each other creates a much higher probability for hurricanes and tropical storms forming. This is why many sailors don’t exactly look forward to when La Nina happens.
La Nina also causes warmer weather in some regions, as a result of the colder weather in the Pacific region. It has been recorded that during La Nina, temperatures during the winter in some areas were as much as 15 degrees over the average from the previous years. This is one of the most drastic changes that La Nina can perform, and comes as quite a shock to people in the affected regions that don’t know it is coming.
Many specific wind patterns are relied upon to be fairly constant throughout the years. However, when La Nina occurs many of them shift. They may go so far as to reverse directions, but usually the most drastic result is a shift in one direction. La Nina causes many different issues, and these are just a few of them. Once you start understanding how the chain reactions of weather work, you will understand why La Nina is an important part of how the world works and how one thing can change into another.
The Phenomenon of Tsunamis
Tsunamis are a force to be reckoned with. Every year, tsunamis on small scales and large scales destroy properties and take lives. For such a brutal force of nature, they are truly an interesting one as well. Tsunamis are caused by large amounts of water being displaced within a very short amount of time. Many different things can cause this to happen, and you will see what in a short while. When this water is displaced, it usually rides along the top of the ocean until it violently hits a shore, creating large waves, flash floods, and higher tides.
The main cause for these horrendous tidal waves is natural forces by the earth when the tectonic plates are grinding against each other. When the plates grind it pushes the surface of the sea up, creating more land and more surface area. By doing so, the mass of the sea level rises and creates a swell, which will in some time hit the earth’s land surface creating a massive impact of water onto the ground. And when it does hit the earth’s surface, it usually creates a massive mudslide and can move up to two to ten miles inland. When the landslide occurs it can create a hefty amount of damage, and can be very pricey to repair.
So many people might be curious onto how much would be spent. The question varies on the type and size of tsunami. Some tsunamis can create a minor amount of damage costing up to 2 million in repairs, or a huge amount of damage to about 7 billion in cost - as seen in the 2004 Asian tsunami. It’s very pricey and be very difficult to cover the cost and repairs for such a disaster. Many people create funds and charities for such occasions, and are willing to give out a helping hand when it comes to the amount needed for the funds and other necessities.
Since the tsunamis are such a problem, many scientist want to find out how to such a thing can be foreseen. Many research teams are watching the movements in the water to this day. They are looking at specific locations and seeing whether they might be a problem in terms of long term or short term. These studies might help to indicate where they might be, and where they might hit. But all we know for sure is that, tsunamis are and always will be a problem to be dealt with.
The main cause for these horrendous tidal waves is natural forces by the earth when the tectonic plates are grinding against each other. When the plates grind it pushes the surface of the sea up, creating more land and more surface area. By doing so, the mass of the sea level rises and creates a swell, which will in some time hit the earth’s land surface creating a massive impact of water onto the ground. And when it does hit the earth’s surface, it usually creates a massive mudslide and can move up to two to ten miles inland. When the landslide occurs it can create a hefty amount of damage, and can be very pricey to repair.
So many people might be curious onto how much would be spent. The question varies on the type and size of tsunami. Some tsunamis can create a minor amount of damage costing up to 2 million in repairs, or a huge amount of damage to about 7 billion in cost - as seen in the 2004 Asian tsunami. It’s very pricey and be very difficult to cover the cost and repairs for such a disaster. Many people create funds and charities for such occasions, and are willing to give out a helping hand when it comes to the amount needed for the funds and other necessities.
Since the tsunamis are such a problem, many scientist want to find out how to such a thing can be foreseen. Many research teams are watching the movements in the water to this day. They are looking at specific locations and seeing whether they might be a problem in terms of long term or short term. These studies might help to indicate where they might be, and where they might hit. But all we know for sure is that, tsunamis are and always will be a problem to be dealt with.
Tropical Cyclones: The Amazing and Deadly Storms
Tropical cyclones are caused by a very exact sequence of events, and can lead to many disasters. They are also known as hurricanes or typhoons, depending on their location and intensity. The effects of a tropical cyclone are nearly apocalyptic in nature. If you live in an area that is prone towards cyclones, you will want to be as cautious as possible. If you are more informed about cyclones and how they work, you may be able to foresee them and evacuate the area. You will also be more informed by knowing what exactly is going on, and why the world has erupted into chaos.
Warm air always rises above cold air. Well, when that warm air holds a large amount of water vapors, it has the potential of causing a tropical cyclone. The water vapor condenses into a more solid substance, and sets off a chain of reactions. If everything is perfect, with a high humidity level, high water temperatures, and cool air at a higher altitude, the tropical cyclone will form. It first starts out by producing strong winds, but can quickly escalate into much more serious side effects. Tornadoes may branch off and start their own miniature paths of destruction. Usually huge amounts of rainfall are associated with tropical cyclones. Waves will almost double in size, with water essentially battering the land.
Tropical cyclones are mobile, and tend to move around during their lives. Once they move over land, they become particularly destructive towards whatever lies below. However, as soon as they are robbed of water energy, their power begins to decrease. Eventually they calm down and turn into nothing more than a regular storm. That is when the citizens of the land below all sigh in relief and begin to rebuild their structures that were harmed in the course of the tropical cyclone.
Forecasting these cyclones is a fairly great possibility, at least compared to the prediction of other natural disasters. If various things can be monitored, such as temperature, humidity, and pressure, it is possible to decide which areas have a high risk of forming tropical cyclones. Technology is in development to be able to do all of these things, and hopefully some of the more risky areas will be able to get advanced warning.
Warm air always rises above cold air. Well, when that warm air holds a large amount of water vapors, it has the potential of causing a tropical cyclone. The water vapor condenses into a more solid substance, and sets off a chain of reactions. If everything is perfect, with a high humidity level, high water temperatures, and cool air at a higher altitude, the tropical cyclone will form. It first starts out by producing strong winds, but can quickly escalate into much more serious side effects. Tornadoes may branch off and start their own miniature paths of destruction. Usually huge amounts of rainfall are associated with tropical cyclones. Waves will almost double in size, with water essentially battering the land.
Tropical cyclones are mobile, and tend to move around during their lives. Once they move over land, they become particularly destructive towards whatever lies below. However, as soon as they are robbed of water energy, their power begins to decrease. Eventually they calm down and turn into nothing more than a regular storm. That is when the citizens of the land below all sigh in relief and begin to rebuild their structures that were harmed in the course of the tropical cyclone.
Forecasting these cyclones is a fairly great possibility, at least compared to the prediction of other natural disasters. If various things can be monitored, such as temperature, humidity, and pressure, it is possible to decide which areas have a high risk of forming tropical cyclones. Technology is in development to be able to do all of these things, and hopefully some of the more risky areas will be able to get advanced warning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)