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Global surface temperatures have increased by about 0.6C (plus or minus 0.2C) since
the late 19th century.
Global surface temperatures have increased by about 0.4F (0.2 to 0.3C) over the past 25
years.
2001 was second only to 1998 in terms of global temperature.
The trend has been toward increasing temperatures at least since the beginning of the
20th century.
Land temperatures have greater anomalies than the ocean, which is to be expected since
land heats up and cools down faster than water
global warming in not spatially uniform. Some areas (including parts of the southeastern
U.S.) have cooled over the last century. The recent warmth has been greatest over North
America and Eurasia between 40 and 70N
indirect indicators of warming such as borehole temperatures, snow cover, and glacier
recession data, are in substantial agreement with the more direct indicators of recent
warmth
See: Changes in glacier length
Arctic sea ice has decreased
Sea-ice in the Antarctic
Projections for changes in El Nino events are still controversial since most models cant
distinguish El Nino events.
Results from the German Coupled Climate Model (ECHAM) suggest that, under warmer
climates, the number of weak El Nino/La Nina events are likely to decrease while the
number of stronger events increase.
The changes in projected intensity of La Ninas is much greater than for El Ninos.
Change in the Water Cycle. There have been many recent changes in the water cycle (e.g.,
evaporation and precipitation). However, the exact connection between global warming and
these changes in not know.
Overall, land precipitation for the globe has increased by about 2% since 1900.
Precipitation is expected to increase over the 21st century, particularly at northern midhigh latitudes, though the trends may be more variable in the tropics.
There has been a general increase in precipitation of about 0.5-1.0% per decade over land
in northern mid-high latitudes (except in parts of eastern Russia).
There has been a decrease of about -0.3% per decade in precipitation during the 20th
century over land in sub-tropical latitudes.
Northern Hemisphere annual snow cover extent has consistently remained below average
since 1987, and has decreased by about 10% since 1966 (mostly due to a decrease in
spring and summer snowfall over both the Eurasian and North American continents since
the mid-1980s). Winter and autumn snow cover extent has shown no significant trend for
the northern hemisphere over the same period.
The general trend of increasing cloud amount over both land and ocean since the early
1980s seems to have reversed in the early 1990s, and total cloud amount over land and
oceans now appears to be decreasing.
More frequent droughts will deplete surface water that supplies cities in many regions.
Fresh water reserves in some western states of the USA are now disappearing after many
dry years. Winter snowfalls are already 40 to 70 percent lower than normal in some
temperate regions. Climate change may aggravate these trends.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, up to 3 billion additional
people will experience significant decreases in water resources by 2080.
More Extreme and Variable Climate. On a global scale there is little evidence of sustained
trends in climate variability or extremes. However, on a regional scale, there is clear evidence of
climate changes (see: Observed Variability and Trends in Extreme Climate Events: A Brief
Review).
Change in Sea Level. Global mean sea level has been rising at an average rate of 1 to 2
mm/year over the past 100 years, which is significantly larger than the rate averaged over the last
several thousand years. Projected increases from 1990-2100 are anywhere from 0.09 to 0.88
meters. A rise in 20 cm predicted by 2030 will affect coastal towns and cities, wetlands, and
lowland.
Decrease in Agricultural Productivity. Although some countries may enjoy increased
agricultural productivity, overall a worsening of production inside the continents is predicted.
Small changes in local and regional crop production are likely to affect global food supplies.
The effects of global warming on agriculture are likely to increase as the worlds population
continues to grow.
Wheat, corn, and rice yields may increase in temperate regions, and decline in tropical
and subtropical regions.
Fisheries Impact. Many fish species are very sensitive to changes in temperature; thus global
warming can be expected to severely impact fish populations and fishery industries throughout
the word. For example, warmer water temperatures off of British Columbia are expected to
increase migration of salmon northward, leading to a decrease in the British Columbia salmon
population.
Increase in Health Problems. An increase in temperature can be expected to increase health
problems of urban dwellers. In many cities, an increase in temperature means an increase in
pollution and associated problems.
Salinization Problems. A rise in sea level may cause salt water intrusion into aquifers and
streams. A 30 cm rise in sea level would cause salt water to flow 5-15 km further inland.
Erosion Problems. A rise in sea level will cause erosion of coastal areas. In the United States,
20,000 km of coast are likely to be affected.
Forest Impacts. In general, trees wont be able to adapt quickly to global warming and there
will be a significant shift in forest types as global ecozones change.
Those species with limited distributions will be most affected.
In the mountains of Europe, over half the trees are already diseased, and climate change
is hastening the death of forests.
High temperatures will increase population levels of many insect pests and pathogens.
The composition of tropical and boreal forests are likely to change because of changes in
rainfall patterns, pest populations, and fires.
As forests change, uptake of carbon by trees may decrease.
Demographic Changes. As climate changes, there will be major shifts in the distributions of
people throughout the world as people look to new sources of water, land, and food.
There is likely to be a shift in population towards northern cities; if just 1% of the global
population in 2025 are affected, 80,000,000 people will move to northern cities.
Of 18 million refugees in the world today, at least 10 million are environmental refugees.
A third of the world's population today lives within 60 km of coastlines; rising sea levels
will cause millions of people to lose their homes and sources of food.