Which Country is Heating up the Fastest?

Many people do not believe that climate change poses an issue. Some think it is a myth created by the media. However, evidence to the contrary continues to be presented, which not only shows that the threat is real, but also that the effects are happening faster than previously expected.

Southern Hemisphere Change

A significant study published in October 2014 suggested that the upper layers of the worlds’ oceans were warming faster than oceanographers may have previously realised. Whilst researchers had been aware of changes, it would seem that based upon the results of the latest survey, their estimates had been particularly conservative. In fact, they now believe that the amount of heat energy in the top 700m of the Southern Hemisphere oceans could have been underestimated by anything up to 152%.

On a global scale, those Southern Hemisphere oceans make up 60% of the entire worlds’ oceans and as such the researchers now believe that the seas are heating between 24 and 58% faster than had previously been considered.

However, although the picture might appear particularly bleak, the researchers were also fast to confirm a reason as to why the gross under-estimation might have taken place. Paul Durack, a researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, suggests that the research taken from the Southern Hemisphere in the past was so sparse that it made estimations difficult. “Historical observations are much more numerous in the Northern Hemisphere because the developed countries (Europe, US, Japan) had boats which were travelling across the Northern Hemisphere oceans. As there’s less land in the Southern Hemisphere, this led to far fewer observations,” he said.

The more recent research also suggests that sea levels have risen significantly and consistently. Over the last two decades, sea levels have risen by an average of 3mm per year. Professor Allen of the University of Reading stated: “The ocean heating rate is consistent with rising greenhouse gas concentrations.”

Australia

In turn, the more recent research has also allowed scientists to make predictions about the countries which will be more affected by climate change and global warming in the future.

The latest research by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) suggests that Australia will feel the effects of Global Warming faster than any other country. This has been evaluated based upon 40 global climate models which are calculated using data collected since weather recording began. As a result, they are able to estimate that whilst the global temperature is expected to rise significantly by 2100, should conditions continue to rise in their existing manner, Australia is likely to see the highest temperature rises with an average increase of 11.5F.

From their research, it can be seen that Australia has already had a temperature rise of 1.9F since 1910 and this, combined with the country’s location close to the South Pole makes it the most likely candidate to be affected if more isn’t done to control climate change.