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533 days ago
(http://www.thestar.com)
Category: Science Discovery Environment |
The study published in the science journal Nature finds that precipitation increased by 10 per cent in northern regions during the 20th Century, a change which cannot be explained by natural variability or volcanic eruptions.
Human activity can be the only explanation for the changes, according to the study co-led by Francis Zwiers and Xuebin Zhang of Environment Canada.
"These are pretty big changes over the better part of the century and what we're able to say from our study is that a substantial part of that change is due to human influence," Zwiers said in an interview.
Zwiers and Zhang examined global rainfall data from 1925 to 1999 and compared it to 14 complex computer climate models.
The study confirms the reliability of the computer models that are widely used to study climate, showing that actual changes are in line with computer predictions. But the changes are happening faster than predicted.
"The observed changes, which are larger than estimated from model simulations, may have already had significant effects on ecoystems, agriculture and human health," says the report.
Almost all computer models predict that global warming will bring increased precipitation along the equator, with more moisture transported toward the poles, resulting in greater precipitation at higher latitudes.
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