Tag: Climate change

High altitude ice cores are precious and informs our understanding of climate change

February 7, 2024

The world is warming, and many in the scientific community has describe the temperature increases that we observe as part of a larger phenomenon known as climate change. But, how do we know that the climate has changed? One approach is to obtain past records of Earth’s climate. Another is through computer simulation under different … More High altitude ice cores are precious and informs our understanding of climate change

Mitochondrial DNA introgression from brown bear to polar bear may be attributed to warmer climate arising from climate change

November 3, 2023

Mitochondrial DNA in higher animals is mainly responsible for metabolism, redox balance, and other functions in a reduced genome. Recent observations of introgression of mitochondrial DNA from brown bears to polar bears suggests a phenotypic requirement for polar bears to adapt to warmer climate under the scenario of rapid climate change in the Polar regions. … More Mitochondrial DNA introgression from brown bear to polar bear may be attributed to warmer climate arising from climate change

Receding mountain glaciers threaten the water supply of millions of people around the world

April 18, 2020

With increasing concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and rising surface temperatures, glaciers in many parts of the world are receding due to increased melting. Many of these glaciers sit on mountains and serve as a storage of freshwater during the summer months. Hence, increased melting of these glaciers could potentially lead to upheaval in the … More Receding mountain glaciers threaten the water supply of millions of people around the world

Slowing of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could impact on climate of North America and Europe

January 26, 2020

As an extension of the Gulf stream that brings warm water to northern Europe, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays an important role in modulating the climate of Europe and North America. However, recent measurements of the speed of flow of the current via conductivity measure revealed that the current is slowing. Potential effects … More Slowing of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could impact on climate of North America and Europe

Thawing of Arctic permafrost releases previously entrapped microbial spores and viruses

January 11, 2020

Thawing of the Arctic permafrost has been raised in the popular media as a point of concern for the release of methane, that has greater global warming potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide. However, a recent report in Scientific American (November 2016) highlighted the role where progressive thawing of the Arctic permafrost has already contributed … More Thawing of Arctic permafrost releases previously entrapped microbial spores and viruses

What is the current extent of warming compared to pre-industrial level?

October 24, 2019

Global warming is real, but what is the current extent of warming relative to pre-industrial level. The first point to note is the baseline usable for our understanding of how far temperature has risen compared to pre-industrial level. Continuous global surface temperature measurement was first instituted in 1850, and thus, the usable baseline for understanding … More What is the current extent of warming compared to pre-industrial level?

Re-domestication of food crops using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing

May 19, 2019

Selective breeding has played a major role in the evolution of domesticated food crops such as tomatoes. For example, progressive selective breeding by farmers selected for traits useful for garnering a higher price for the food crop as well as enabling ease of harvest. However, significant flavour and nutritional content were lost from the food … More Re-domestication of food crops using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing

Vegetation’s response to global warming

May 12, 2019

Article in Nature, Vol. 531, Issue 7596, pp. 633-636, “Boreal and temperate trees show strong acclimation of respiration to warming”   Summary of article: Using statistical analysis of a large sample of temperature response curves obtained by measuring carbon dioxide loss from leaves in simulated temperature changes, the study opens our eyes to the role … More Vegetation’s response to global warming

Satellite imagery of clouds reveals evidence of climate change

April 30, 2019

Article in Nature, Vol. 536, Issue 7614, pp. 72-74, “Evidence for climate change in the satellite cloud record”   Using climate modelling specific for predicting cloudiness and satellite records of cloud cover, the reasons underlying recent decadal changes in cloud cover and movement of storm tracks were uncovered. The study illustrates the increasing utility of … More Satellite imagery of clouds reveals evidence of climate change

Clouds constitute a significant source of uncertainty in climate modelling

December 3, 2018

Clouds play dual roles in our understanding of how increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration impact on climate. Firstly, they serve as reflectors that reflect the incoming solar radiation back into space, and thus constitute a cooling factor in climate modelling. However, cloud also traps heat in the air layer between it and the ground due … More Clouds constitute a significant source of uncertainty in climate modelling