Clipping Board » Environmental Pollution & Change ─ How dirty the human heart is, how dirty the environment will be...
Update Date: 2009/09/17 11:29
By Yang Shuting, Taiwan Awakening News Reporter
Not only are record-high temperatures and rainfall becoming the norm, but ocean surface temperatures have also hit a new high this year, rising to 16.9°C—surpassing the 16.5°C recorded during the 1998 El Niño phenomenon. U.S. meteorological agencies further indicate that temperatures may continue to rise over the next couple of years due to the influence of El Niño.
Since observational records began in 1880, ocean temperatures have consistently broken records. For example, in August, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that sea surface temperatures rose to 16.9°C, marking the hottest single month in 130 years of observations. When combined with land and sea surface temperatures, it ranked as the second-highest on record and the third-hottest summer. For the entire year, 2009 is currently the fifth-hottest year on record.
Experts believe the rise in ocean temperatures is closely linked to the El Niño phenomenon. NASA also predicted earlier this year that 2009 and 2010 would set new high-temperature records. However, not all regions experienced warming—parts of Canada and the western U.S. saw sea surface temperatures lower than usual.
Historical records show that the 1997–1998 El Niño also set record-high temperatures. July 1998 was the hottest month in recorded sea surface temperature history, with an average of 16.5°C.
In August, Liu Chung-ming, director of National Taiwan University’s Global Change Research Center, and Wang Chung-ho, a researcher at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Earth Sciences, told this newspaper that it was too early to definitively conclude whether this year’s El Niño would cause more severe disasters than the 1998 event, emphasizing the need for continued observation.
However, Liu Chung-ming also warned that this year’s El Niño is very pronounced, with temperatures rising rapidly, making it a strong El Niño. Wang Chung-ho pointed out that Pacific Ocean temperatures in April and June this year were the highest ever recorded, while Taiwan’s July temperatures ranked as the second-hottest in history, following only 2003 and 2007.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……rl/ d/ a/ 090917/ 115/ 1r9wz. html
Sea Surface Temperature Hits 130-Year High
By Yang Shuting, Taiwan Awakening News Reporter
Not only are record-high temperatures and rainfall becoming the norm, but ocean surface temperatures have also hit a new high this year, rising to 16.9°C—surpassing the 16.5°C recorded during the 1998 El Niño phenomenon. U.S. meteorological agencies further indicate that temperatures may continue to rise over the next couple of years due to the influence of El Niño.
Since observational records began in 1880, ocean temperatures have consistently broken records. For example, in August, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that sea surface temperatures rose to 16.9°C, marking the hottest single month in 130 years of observations. When combined with land and sea surface temperatures, it ranked as the second-highest on record and the third-hottest summer. For the entire year, 2009 is currently the fifth-hottest year on record.
Experts believe the rise in ocean temperatures is closely linked to the El Niño phenomenon. NASA also predicted earlier this year that 2009 and 2010 would set new high-temperature records. However, not all regions experienced warming—parts of Canada and the western U.S. saw sea surface temperatures lower than usual.
Historical records show that the 1997–1998 El Niño also set record-high temperatures. July 1998 was the hottest month in recorded sea surface temperature history, with an average of 16.5°C.
In August, Liu Chung-ming, director of National Taiwan University’s Global Change Research Center, and Wang Chung-ho, a researcher at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Earth Sciences, told this newspaper that it was too early to definitively conclude whether this year’s El Niño would cause more severe disasters than the 1998 event, emphasizing the need for continued observation.
However, Liu Chung-ming also warned that this year’s El Niño is very pronounced, with temperatures rising rapidly, making it a strong El Niño. Wang Chung-ho pointed out that Pacific Ocean temperatures in April and June this year were the highest ever recorded, while Taiwan’s July temperatures ranked as the second-hottest in history, following only 2003 and 2007.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……rl/ d/ a/ 090917/ 115/ 1r9wz. html