Clipping Board » Environmental Pollution & Change ─ How dirty the human heart is, how dirty the environment will be...
Update Date: 2010/08/16 22:27 Yu Jingyao
This summer, a total of 17 countries saw temperatures soar to record highs. The Dead Sea in the Middle East reached a scorching 51.4°C, while Pakistan even recorded an extreme temperature of 53.5°C. Experts from NASA predict that this year could be the hottest on record since meteorological records began in the 19th century. Additionally, researchers have observed signs of melting in the ice layers north of the Arctic, as extreme weather conditions gradually push humanity toward a potential apocalypse.
Russia, which typically has an average temperature of 20°C, unexpectedly experienced a record-breaking 44°C. A small spark could instantly ignite into towering flames, with hundreds of wildfires subjecting Moscow to severe smog. The situation was similar across eastern and southern Europe, where fires erupted one after another. CNN Meteorologist: "It's not just Russia—wildfires have spread from here all the way to Portugal and even Spain."
High temperatures have been the most consistent weather phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere this year. Pakistan recorded Asia’s highest-ever temperature of 53.5°C, while even the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, reached 51.4°C. Seventeen countries in total broke historical temperature records, with 10 of them exceeding 45°C.
According to the U.S. National Climatic Data Center, June of this year was the hottest on record, while July ranked as the second hottest. Experts warn that 2010 may become the hottest year since records began. NASA Expert: "Satellite data and other indicators suggest that 2010 is on track to be the hottest year in history."
NASA experts believe that current weather conditions indicate the Earth is indeed overheating. NASA Expert: "The heatwaves and intensified rainy seasons we’re seeing now align with our earlier predictions about global warming."
However, what concerns experts the most is not just the heat. The rapid melting of Greenland’s glaciers in the Arctic due to warming is their biggest worry. NASA Expert: "In recent years, we thought ice loss was limited to Greenland’s warmer southern regions. But now, the northern ice is also disappearing."
British scientists traveled to Greenland in search of new evidence of global warming. They observed icebergs melting and breaking apart, leaving fragmented ice floating on the sea. Cracks have also begun to form inland, with snowmelt creating small streams. British Scientist: "That pole was placed two weeks ago. You can see that about 2.5 meters of ice in this area has already melted."
The accelerated melting of glaciers means sea levels are rising faster. According to NASA experts, sea levels are currently rising at a rate of 3 millimeters per year. In 100 years, they could rise by over 30 centimeters. By then, not only will stunning landscapes vanish, but humanity may also face catastrophic weather conditions compounded by coastal flooding—a dual threat heralding a potential doomsday.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 100816/ 8/ 2b7x8. html
Hottest Year since 1800s as Earth Hits Record Heat
This summer, a total of 17 countries saw temperatures soar to record highs. The Dead Sea in the Middle East reached a scorching 51.4°C, while Pakistan even recorded an extreme temperature of 53.5°C. Experts from NASA predict that this year could be the hottest on record since meteorological records began in the 19th century. Additionally, researchers have observed signs of melting in the ice layers north of the Arctic, as extreme weather conditions gradually push humanity toward a potential apocalypse.
Russia, which typically has an average temperature of 20°C, unexpectedly experienced a record-breaking 44°C. A small spark could instantly ignite into towering flames, with hundreds of wildfires subjecting Moscow to severe smog. The situation was similar across eastern and southern Europe, where fires erupted one after another. CNN Meteorologist: "It's not just Russia—wildfires have spread from here all the way to Portugal and even Spain."
High temperatures have been the most consistent weather phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere this year. Pakistan recorded Asia’s highest-ever temperature of 53.5°C, while even the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, reached 51.4°C. Seventeen countries in total broke historical temperature records, with 10 of them exceeding 45°C.
According to the U.S. National Climatic Data Center, June of this year was the hottest on record, while July ranked as the second hottest. Experts warn that 2010 may become the hottest year since records began. NASA Expert: "Satellite data and other indicators suggest that 2010 is on track to be the hottest year in history."
NASA experts believe that current weather conditions indicate the Earth is indeed overheating. NASA Expert: "The heatwaves and intensified rainy seasons we’re seeing now align with our earlier predictions about global warming."
However, what concerns experts the most is not just the heat. The rapid melting of Greenland’s glaciers in the Arctic due to warming is their biggest worry. NASA Expert: "In recent years, we thought ice loss was limited to Greenland’s warmer southern regions. But now, the northern ice is also disappearing."
British scientists traveled to Greenland in search of new evidence of global warming. They observed icebergs melting and breaking apart, leaving fragmented ice floating on the sea. Cracks have also begun to form inland, with snowmelt creating small streams. British Scientist: "That pole was placed two weeks ago. You can see that about 2.5 meters of ice in this area has already melted."
The accelerated melting of glaciers means sea levels are rising faster. According to NASA experts, sea levels are currently rising at a rate of 3 millimeters per year. In 100 years, they could rise by over 30 centimeters. By then, not only will stunning landscapes vanish, but humanity may also face catastrophic weather conditions compounded by coastal flooding—a dual threat heralding a potential doomsday.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 100816/ 8/ 2b7x8. html