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The Planet is Undergoing One of the Largest Changes in Climate Since the Dinosaurs Went Extinct
Thursday, August 1, 2013 16:45
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Climate change occurring 10 times faster than at any time in past 65 million years
The planet is undergoing one of the largest changes in climate since the dinosaurs went extinct. But what might be even more troubling for humans, plants and animals is the speed of the change.
Stanford climate scientists warn that the likely rate of change over the next century will be at least 10 times quicker than any climate shift in the past 65 million years.
Top: The change in annual temperature projected for the late 21st century using simulations from 27 global climate models. The change is calculated as the 2081-2100 mean minus the 1986-2005 mean. Bottom: The velocity of climate change required to maintain the current annual temperature should the late-21st-century climate change occur. The velocity is calculated for each location by identifying the closest location in the future climate that has the same annual temperature as the starting location has in the present climate. Credit: Noah Diffenbaugh
If the trend continues at its current rapid pace, it will place significant stress on terrestrial ecosystems around the world, and many species will need to make behavioral, evolutionary or geographic adaptations to survive.
Physorg.com
Read more at:
More information: “Changes in Ecologically Critical Terrestrial Climate Conditions,” by N.S. Diffenbaugh et al Science, 2013.
Journal reference: Science
Provided by Stanford University
