Future & Predictions about Atmospheric Temperature

Abstract

A range of possible increases in temperatures is predicted by scientists via climatic models through different possible future scenarios. Though a number of the uncertainties in climate forecasts stem from inadequate understanding of feedbacks of climate; however, in these predictions, the most significant uncertainty source is that scientists have no idea what choices will be made by people in order to control emissions of greenhouse gas. Continued greenhouse gases emissions will bring about more climate changes. More changes are likely to happen in future, including a warmer atmosphere, higher sea levels, more acidic and a warmer ocean, and larger changes in patterns of precipitation. Even if today, greenhouse gas concentrations get stabilized, the planet would continue to warm, over the next century, by about 0.6°C due to greenhouses gases already present in the atmosphere.

Future & Predictions about Atmospheric Temperature

Introduction

Global warming has already been observed over the last several decades. Future temperatures are projected to change in future. According to the projections of climatic models, average temperatures of globe are likely to rise by 2°F to 11.5°F by 2100, relying upon the future greenhouse gas emissions' level, and the impacts from different climatic models (NRC, 2010). Global average temperature, by 2100, is projected to warm at least twice as much as it has throughout the last hundred years. Predictions are also made that ground-level air temperatures are predicted to continue in the future to warm over land more rapidly as compared to oceans. Some world regions are also expected to see larger atmospheric temperature increases in the future in relation to the global average (www.epa.gov, 2013). The aim of this paper is to research and present about future and predictions regarding atmospheric temperature along with the confidence in those projections.

Discussion

Atmospheric Temperature

Atmospheric temperature can be defined as a measure of temperature at various atmospheric levels of the earth. The human activities initiated at the dawn of industrialization have caused significant climate changes around the globe in the form of emission of green-houses gases, cloudiness and aerosols (small particles). One of the foremost reasons for climate change or global warming is the burning of fossil fuels, which has a tendency to release carbon dioxide gas within the atmosphere.

The aerosols and greenhouse gases affect the global climate by changing incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation which is involved in maintaining earth energy's balance. Altering the atmosphere's propensity and abundance of these very particles and gases might results in the cooling or warming of the global climate system. The advent of the industrial revolution, in the mid 18 century, led to the increase in climate change and resulted in temperature fluctuations in various parts of the world. The emission of CO2 and other chemical gases from the factories, automobile and other industrial appliances have made the world warmer as compared to the pre-industrialize age. The human influence on climate change greatly exceed with the changes that have been caused due to natural processes in the form of volcanic ...