Why in the News?
The 2024 European State of the Climate Report shows Europe warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, with significant regional variations due to human-driven climate change.
European State of the Climate Report: Key Highlights
- 2024 as the Warmest Year: The year 2024 was recorded as the warmest year ever, not just globally but for Europe as well, with Eastern Europe experiencing particularly high temperatures.
- East-West Contrast: While Eastern Europe enjoyed sunny and warm conditions, Western Europe was cloudier and wetter, highlighting the regional differences in climate impact.
- Southeastern Europe Heatwave: Countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Kosovo, and Serbia faced their longest heatwave on record, adding to the already extreme conditions.
Reasons Behind Europe’s Higher Rate of Warming:
- Proximity to the Arctic Region: A large part of Europe lies within the Arctic region, where warming is three to four times faster than the global average, driving higher temperatures in Europe.
- Albedo Effect: The melting of Arctic ice exposes darker surfaces (land and water) that absorb more solar radiation, accelerating warming in Europe.
- Reduction in Aerosols: Decreasing aerosol emissions in Europe allow more solar radiation to reach the Earth’s surface, contributing to faster warming.
- Land-Based Warming: Europe’s land areas warm faster than oceans, triggering extreme weather like heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and flooding.
- Global Climate Dynamics: Europe’s geographical and atmospheric conditions make it more susceptible to climate change effects compared to other regions.
| [UPSC 2014] The scientific view is that the increase in global temperature should not exceed 2 0 C above pre-industrial level. If the global temperature increases beyond 30 C above the pre-industrial level, what can be its possible impact/impacts on the world?
1. Terrestrial biosphere tends toward a net carbon source. 2. Widespread coral mortality will occur. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only * (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
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