Valerie Collier
SCI207
Lincoln Simmons
June 09, 2012
Is global warming due to human actions? Global warming result of over use and consuming too much to make things easier, there are many actions that can be adhered to, to stop Global Warming. One way to stop global warming is to use less, meaning each country; state and family cut down on everyday use and to identify “Global Warming Mechanisms” which causes changes in frequency and intensity of precipitation in the tropics are examined in climate model simulations. Under global warming, tropical precipitation tends to be more frequent and intense for heavy precipitation but becomes less frequent and weaker for light precipitation. Changes in precipitation frequency and intensity are both controlled by thermodynamic and dynamic components. The thermodynamic component is induced by changes in atmospheric water vapor, while the dynamic component is associated with changes in vertical motion. A set of equations is derived to estimate both thermodynamic and dynamic contributions to changes in frequency and intensity of precipitation, especially for heavy precipitation. In the thermodynamic contribution, increased water vapor reduces the magnitude of the required vertical motion to generate the same strength of precipitation, so precipitation frequency increases. Increased water vapor also intensifies precipitation due to the enhancement of water vapor availability in the atmosphere. In the dynamic contribution, the more stable atmosphere tends to reduce the frequency and intensity of precipitation, except for the heaviest precipitation. The dynamic component strengthens the heaviest precipitation in most climate model simulations, possibly due to a positive convective feedback. There is also “Freshwater Flux Global Warming” which states the roles of freshwater flux (defined as evaporation minus
References: Chou, C., Chen, C., Tan, P., & Chen, K. (2012). Mechanisms for Global Warming Impacts on Precipitation Frequency and Intensity. Journal of Climate, 25(9), 3291-3306. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00239.1 Zhang, L., & Wu, L. (2012). Can Oceanic Freshwater Flux Amplify Global Warming? Journal of Climate, 25(9), 3417-3430. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00172.1 Weart, S. (2011). Global warming: How skepticism became denial. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 67(1), 41-50. Doi: 10.1177/0096340210392966 .