Remove Climate Scientist Remove Fossil Fuels Remove Ocean
article thumbnail

Why Were 2023 and 2024 So Hot?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Scientists are sounding the alarm because this warming is shockingly bigbigger than what we would have expected given the long-term warming trend from fossil fuel-caused climate change. Here, low-level cloud cover has decreased drastically, mostly related to an increase in ocean surface temperature.

2024 289
article thumbnail

​​The Science Behind Sea Level Rise: How Past Emissions Will Shape Our Future

Union of Concerned Scientists

The future trajectories are based on different scenarios, such as versions of the future where the world comes together to take action and phase out fossil fuels, or versions where fossil fuel production continues throughout this century. What causes sea level rise to persist for centuries?

Sea Level 268
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

The Long History of Climate Models

Union of Concerned Scientists

Climate models are the main tool scientists use to assess how much the Earths temperature will change given an increase in fossil fuel pollutants in the atmosphere. As a climate scientist, Ive used them in all my research projects, including one predicting a change in Southwestern US precipitation patterns.

article thumbnail

Hurricane Helene’s Massive Destruction Was Supercharged by Climate Change, Here’s How You Can Help 

Union of Concerned Scientists

I asked my colleague, Dr. Marc Alessi , an atmospheric scientist, about the hurricane. With ocean surface temperatures more than 2 degrees Celsius above normal in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, Helene was able to rapidly intensify to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall in Florida.

article thumbnail

ExxonMobil Accurately Projected Rising Temperatures While Publicly Disparaging Climate Science

Union of Concerned Scientists

Corporate leadership was informed about advances in climate science and incorporated those advances when its scientists built their own models. Regardless, the company publicly cast doubt on the reality of global warming, attempted to discredit climate scientists and climate models, and tried to block climate action.

article thumbnail

Dr. Shaina Sadai Talks About COP27, Climate Justice, Sea Level Rise, and Corporate Accountability

Union of Concerned Scientists

While there is enormous potential for UN climate negotiations to transform climate action, meaningful progress has been delayed in part by the fossil fuel industry’s deceptive tactics. Last year’s COP was notable as the first to explicitly mention “fossil fuels” in the final decision document.

Sea Level 243
article thumbnail

Climate Change Is Intensifying the Water Cycle, New IPCC Report Finds

Circle of Blue

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of the world’s leading climate scientists, released its sixth climate assessment on Monday. The 1,300-page paper is the most comprehensive, up-to-date report yet on the physical science of climate change, synthesizing the findings of thousands of recent publications.