Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Using ice cores they are able to tell that global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have increased within the last ten thousand years. There has been a rapid increase of these gases within the last two hundred years. Carbon dioxide, which is an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, has increased due to our use of fossil fuels and reduction in natural landscape. The increase in methane's and nitrous oxides is a result of mainly agriculture and fossil fuel use. All these changes have created a negative feed back loop that is increasing their impact.
These changes have been becoming more noticeable because they are causing warmer temperatures, an increase in atmospheric water vapour, warmer ocean temperatures, less snow/ice on mountains and in the arctic, a rise in sea level, extreme weather, and intense tropical cyclone activity.
The IPCC has come to the conclusion that all of these changes in our atmosphere are due to the increase in the gases: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. And it is very likely that a major factor in the increase of these atmospheric gases was caused by humans. It is very unlikely that natural factors would have caused such an increase in our climate.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Using ice cores they are able to tell that global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have increased within the last ten thousand years. There has been a rapid increase of these gases within the last two hundred years. Carbon dioxide, which is an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, has increased due to our use of fossil fuels and reduction in natural landscape. The increase in methane's and nitrous oxides is a result of mainly agriculture and fossil fuel use. All these changes have created a negative feed back loop that is increasing their impact.
These changes have been becoming more noticeable because they are causing warmer temperatures, an increase in atmospheric water vapour, warmer ocean temperatures, less snow/ice on mountains and in the arctic, a rise in sea level, extreme weather, and intense tropical cyclone activity.
The IPCC has come to the conclusion that all of these changes in our atmosphere are due to the increase in the gases: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. And it is very likely that a major factor in the increase of these atmospheric gases was caused by humans. It is very unlikely that natural factors would have caused such an increase in our climate.
Our atmosphere will continue to warm into the future even if we would stop increasing our greenhouse gases and aerosols. The IPCC have made estimates of what the future temperatures, weather, and other regional-scale features will be like. Because these gases are already in our atmosphere and they take so long to get rid of we are sure to see future trends of warming and all associated problems that come along with it.
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