Devoir de Philosophie

changes in precipitation

Publié le 05/02/2019

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Warmer temperatures cause more water to evaporate from the oceans, transferring energy and water vapor to the atmosphere, this warm air will cool and condensate creating molecules of water. These will combine to form numerous clouds and due to the excess amount of air evaporating and further on condensating in the cold atmosphere, it will result in more intense storms that bring heavier rains and snows. Therefore we can say that there is a direct influence of global warming on precipitation.  Increased heating leads to greater evaporation and thus surface drying, thereby increasing the intensity and duration of drought, especially over continental areas.  With modest changes in winds, patterns of precipitation do not change much, but result in dry areas becoming drier (generally throughout the subtropics) and wet areas becoming wetter, especially in the mid- to high latitudes. This pattern is simulated by climate models and is projected to continue into the future.    Case Study - Hurricane Michael   The water holding capacity of air increases by about 7% for every 1°C of warming, which leads to increased water vapor in the atmosphere. Hence, storms such as thunderstorms, snow storms, or tropical cyclones, supplied with increased moisture, produce more intense precipitation events.  An example of this is Hurricane Michael: The hurricane began in the southwest Caribbean Sea, it was first monitored by the National Hurricane Center on Oct. 2 2018, and rapidly strengthened to a hurricane by Oct. 8th. It made landfall on Mexico Beach on October 10th as a category 4 storm but quickly moved up to a category 5 due to its 250 km/h wind, the worst ever recorded in the Florida Panhandle.  The Caribbean is located around 20°N and therefore is in a low pressure zone. This means that due to temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico increasing rapidly, the air started rising and cooling in the atmosphere, causing the formation of clouds due to the moist air. This excess moist air fueled the hurricane and its wind caused it to move upwards towards Florida.

« The Caribbean is located around 20°N and therefore is in a low pressure zone.

This means that due to temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico increasing rapidly, the air started rising and cooling in the atmosphere, causing the formation of clouds due to the moist air.

This excess moist air fueled the hurricane and its wind caused it to move upwards towards Florida.. »

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