A remarkable new phenomenon is emerging: Disparate regions are experiencing repeated heat waves so extreme that they far exceed what any global warming model can predict or explain. A new study provides the first global map of such areas, which appear as giant, angry patches on the skin on every continent except Antarctica. (More on sciencedaily.com)
Earth's climate is a complex system including key components such as Arctic sea ice in the summer and the El Niño Southern Oscillation, along with climate-inclining elements including polar ice caps, the Atlantic meridian, and the Amazon rainforest. Exceeding the threshold values of these elements can lead to a qualitatively different climatic condition that threatens human societies. Elements of the cryosphere are vulnerable to current levels of global warming (1.3°C), while also having long response times and high uncertainty. We assess the impact of interacting components of the Earth system on overturning risks using an established conceptual network model of these components. The polar ice sheets (the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets) are critical to the tilt probability and cascading effects within our model. (Jonathan P. Rosser, Ricarda Winkelmann & Nico Wunderling, more at phys.org)
Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.
28 November 424.21 ppm
Safe concentration: 350 ppm
ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.
More on gml.noaa.gov
Environmental law—indeed, the environment itself—continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and we see no signs of this slowing down. The global community continues to grapple with issues such as climate change and adaptation, sustainability and supply chains, waste and circular economy considerations, infrastructure development, ocean and species protection, the management of plastics and chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). , and environmental justice to name a few. Attention to ESG issues—environmental, social, and governmental—by companies, investors, NGOs, and stakeholders continues to rise, even as an "anti-ESG" movement is taking shape. (James M Auslander, Brook J Detterman, more at lexology.com)
Billions of vehicles around the world throw away approximately 6 million tons of tire debris every year. These tiny flakes of plastic, created by the wear and tear of normal driving, eventually end up in the soil, in rivers and lakes, and even in our food. Scientists in South China recently found tire-derived chemicals in most human urine samples. (by Henry Obanya, The Conversation, more at phys.org)
Scientists have long considered dimethyl sulfide (DMS) to be the main form of volatile sulfur emitted by the oceans that contributes to aerosol formation. However, recent research has shown that metathiol (MeSH), another volatile degradation product of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), plays a much more important role in this process than previously thought.
In fact, up to 85% of DMSP consumed by marine microbes is not directed to DMS but to the demethylation pathway, the final product of which is MeSH. Subsequent measurements in seawater, air, and sea-air flows confirm that MeSH constitutes a substantial part of volatile methylated sulfur (VMS) emissions.
However, previous climate models neglected MeSH emissions, which led to an underestimation of their impact on atmospheric chemistry and the radiative action of aerosols. A new study published in the journal Science Advances aimed to quantify this impact.
The researchers compiled a database of MeSH concentrations in seawater and identified statistical predictors that allowed monthly fields of global MeSH emissions to be created. These data were implemented in a global chemical-climate model, which showed that emissions of MeSH increase the concentration of sulfate aerosols by 30 to 70% over the Southern Ocean and enhance their cooling effect.
Increased MeSH emissions have several important consequences:
The study's conclusions emphasize the importance of MeSH for atmospheric chemistry and the Earth's radiation balance. MeSH should be included in global climate models to more accurately assess the atmospheric oxidizing capacity and radiation balance, both in the reconstruction of pre-industrial scenarios and in global warming projections.
In addition, the study highlights the need for further research into the distribution of MeSH, its biological and chemical cycle in the surface ocean, its interaction with solar radiation and temperature, and its atmospheric chemistry. You can download the entire document here
Europe has experienced record summer temperatures and repeated, prolonged heat waves in recent years (ECMWF, 2022; C3S, 2024a). When the human body is exposed to periods of very high temperature, it can have trouble regulating it, leading to heat stress, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and complications from pre-existing medical conditions, which in some cases lead to premature death. The elderly, children, pregnant women, outdoor workers, people suffering from cardiovascular, respiratory or renal diseases, diabetes or mental health disorders and marginalized people and people with insufficient resources are among the most vulnerable to extreme heat (WHO Europe, 2021). (More on eea.europa.eu)
Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.
26 November 424.19 ppm
Safe concentration: 350 ppm
ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.
More on gml.noaa.gov
Several components of the Earth's system are at high risk of undergoing rapid, irreversible qualitative changes or "overturning" with increasing climate warming. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the feasibility of stopping or even reversing the exceeding of tipping thresholds. Here, we study the feedback control of an idealized energy balance model (EBM) for Earth's climate that exhibits a “small ice sheet” instability responsible for the rapid transition to an ice-free climate under increasing greenhouse gas pressure. We develop an optimal control strategy for EBM under different forcing scenarios to reverse sea ice loss while minimizing costs. Control is achievable for this system, but the cost almost quadruples when the system flips. While thermal inertia can delay a rollover, leading to a critical force threshold being exceeded, this freedom comes with a steep increase in the control required when a rollover occurs. Furthermore, we found that the optimal control is localized in the polar region. (Parvathi Kooloth, Jian Lu, Adam Rupe, more at nature.com)
Global climate changes represent the most significant threat to the environment and socio-economic development, endangering lives and livelihoods. Within the UN's current 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate action is explicitly included in Goal 13, "take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts." This perspective considers how to reformulate the Sustainable Development Goals and their successors towards incorporating climate action into the goals and indicators of all development goals.Ajit Singh, František D., Ian Thomson, more at nature.com)
Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.
24 November 424.16 ppm
Safe concentration: 350 ppm
ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.
More on gml.noaa.gov
Today, the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is the main driver of northward heat transport in the Atlantic Ocean and creates global climate patterns. Whether global warming has affected the strength of this overturning circulation over the past century is still debated: observational studies suggest a persistent weakening since the mid-twentieth century, while climate models systematically simulate a stable circulation. Here, using Earth system and eddy-allowing ocean–sea ice models, we show that freshening of the subarctic Atlantic Ocean and weakening of the overturning circulation increase the temperature and salinity of the South Atlantic on a decadal timescale through Kelvin and Rossby wave propagation. We also show that accounting for the upper meltwater input in the historical simulations significantly improves the model fit to data on past changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, yielding a slowdown of 0.46 sverdrups per decade since 1950. Including estimates of subarctic meltwater inputs for the coming century suggests that this circulation could be 33 % weaker than its anthropogenically undisturbed state below the 2°C of global warming that can be achieved within the next decade. Such a weakening of the overturning circulation would significantly affect the climate and ecosystems. (Gabriel M. Pontes & Laurie Menviel , more at earth.com)
Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.
23 November 424.15 ppm
Safe concentration: 350 ppm
ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.
More on gml.noaa.gov
The key freshwater inputs that drive the Atlantic meridional circulation (AMOC) slowdown and their climate responses remain inconclusive. Using a state-of-the-art global climate model, we conduct freshwater experiments to re-examine the sensitivity of the AMOC and its climate impacts. The Irminger Basin appears to be the most effective area for additional freshwater inflows, causing the greatest weakening of the AMOC. While global temperature and precipitation responses are relatively homogeneous, subcontinental responses—especially in the northern midlatitudes—are heterogeneous. At high latitudes, temperature changes determine the response of sea ice to freshwater fluxes and associated ice-albedo feedbacks. In tropical and extratropical regions, temperature dynamics are shaped by atmospheric circulation and oceanic heat transfer. Precipitation shows seasonal and regional variability due to altered surface turbulent heat flux and the southward movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The extensive heterogeneity in climate extremes underscores the need to monitor areas of freshwater release associated with AMOC deceleration. These findings have major implications for understanding paleoclimate and the future impacts of the AMOC. (Qiyun Ma, Xiaoxu Shi, Monica Ionita, more at science.org)
Mining activities significantly contribute to the loss of forest cover (FCL), consequently to changing global carbon dynamics and worsening climate change. This study aims to estimate the contribution of mining-induced FCL to carbon sequestration loss (CSL) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from 2000 to 2019 using proxy datasets. For the FCL analysis, global FCL data with a spatial resolution of 30 m were developed by Hansen et al. (2013), was employed in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform. In addition, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-based Net Primary Productivity (NPP) data and biomass datasets developed by Zhang and Liang (2020) were used to assess CSL and CO₂ emissions. The results of the study showed approximately 16,785.90 km worldwide 2 FCL due to mining activities, resulting in an estimated CSL of ∼36,363.17 Gg CO₂/yr and CO₂ emissions of ∼490,525.30 Gg CO₂. Indonesia emerged as the largest contributor to mining-induced FCL, accounting for 3,622.78 km 2 of deforestation or 21.58 % of the global total. Brazil and Canada followed with significant deforestation and CO₂ emissions. The findings revealed that mining activities are a major driver of deforestation, especially in resource-rich regions, leading to substantial environmental degradation. (Avinash Kumar Ranjan, Amit Kumar Gorai, more at sciencedirect.com)
Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.
20 November 424.12 ppm
Safe concentration: 350 ppm
ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.
More on gml.noaa.gov
Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.
November 19 424.11 ppm
Safe concentration: 350 ppm
ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.
More on gml.noaa.gov
Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.
November 18 424.09 ppm
Safe concentration: 350 ppm
ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.
More on gml.noaa.gov
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