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There are slim chances of climate stability in the near future.
Climate stability will not be achieved this year, nor the next one. Even though scientists believed that 2015 was the worst year that this planet experienced temperature-wise, it seems that in 2016 more records were broken and with enough time to spare.
Global Temperature
According to US and international agencies, the global average temperature last year was higher than ever, beating those registered in 2014 by 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit (0.1 degrees Celsius) which is the largest margin recorded ever since 1998.
Ever since preindustrial times, the average level of global temperature rose by over 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius).
According to present results, 2016 was even hotter, the increase in temperatures closing fast in the benchmark of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Carbon Dioxide
It seems that 2015 was a year for records. The levels of greenhouse gasses that were registered in the past years were significantly higher than those recorded in previous years.
According to the Mauna Loa Observatory located in Hawaii, we’ve already reached the total levels of 2015, so 2016 will bring more side effects from the enormous amounts of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Arctic Sea Ice
The Artic has been witnessing the worst face of global warming. The temperatures are rising in a double rhythm that the world average.
The accelerated warming pattern lead to considerable changes, especially in the case of the ice sheets that used to cover the Arctic Ocean.
The loss of Arctic sea ice affects us on a planetary scale, not just the local polar ecosystems. The continuous rapid melting can influence weather patterns in Asia, North America, and Europe.
Usually, the sea ice from the Arctic Ocean reaches its peak towards the end of the winter. In 2015, the ice levels registered a record low, and the concerning level has already been beaten this year.
Researchers believe that the pattern might be broken if a La Nina phenomenon appears, ups and downs in temperatures not being a strange occurrence. However, the alarming rhythm with which the sea ice is melting still concerns the scientific community.
Ocean Heat
The global oceans are among the primary drivers of the record temperatures that we experienced in 2015. The reason for this being that the oceans take up around 90 percent of the excess amounts of heat that are trapped in the atmosphere.
In 2015 the records for heat in the ocean’s upper portion and sea surface temperature were both broken, the levels registered being significantly higher than in 2014.
From the 2016 measurements, it seems that climate stability is not a term scientists will be using to describe our planet anytime soon.
No Chance of Climate Stability
From what researchers gather, 2016 will not be a year defined by climate stability. Unfortunately, this year we broke the records registered in the previous one with a couple of months to spare.
Image source: Wikipedia
