Just how hot will it get this century? Latest climate models suggest it could be worse than we thought

Mon, 25 May 2020 02:14:08 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/just-how-hot-will-it-get-this-century-latest-climate-models-suggest-it-could-be-worse-than-we-thought-137281>

"Climate scientists use mathematical models to project the Earth’s
future under a warming world, but a group of the latest models have
included unexpectedly high values for a measure called “climate
sensitivity”.

Climate sensitivity refers to the relationship between changes in carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere and warming.

The high values are an unwelcome surprise. If they’re right, it means a
hotter future than previously expected – warming of up to 7℃ for
Australia by 2100 if emissions continue to rise unabated."

Punchline:

"Essentially, the jury is still out on the exact value of equilibrium
climate sensitivity, high values can’t be ruled out, and the results
from the new models need to be taken seriously.

In any case, the new values are a worrying possibility that no one
wants, but one we must still grapple with. As researchers in one study
conclude: “what scares us is not that the models’ [equilibrium climate
sensitivity] is wrong […] but that it might be right”."

Cheers,
        *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net                   Andrew Pam
http://www.xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
http://www.glasswings.com.au/             Partner, Glass Wings
http://www.sericyb.com.au/                Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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