Bits of Climate

Biosphere’s influence on cloud formation larger than previously thought

Clouds can have a large impact on global climate. Depending on conditions they can either trap or reflect the sun’s heat. Scientists at CERN have now determined that organic vapours released by Earth’s organisms play a far more significant role … Continue reading →

Nature: climate change leads to 67-84 percent intraspecific biodiversity loss by 2080 – Holocene Mass Extinction within this century

The better we define the richness of life on Earth, the larger the percentage we are going to lose becomes. Life won’t go extinct. The number of domains and kingdoms will very-very likely remain the same. But as we go … Continue reading →

Climate change may release around 3 percent of 2,000+ Gt instable soil carbon from Arctic tundra over this century – as CO2 and methane

Here´s why finding out the Gulfstream could be quite stable wouldn´t necessarily be such good news: under continued warming, the positive feedback of increased tundra peat soil CO2 and methane emissions far outweighs the negative feedback of ‘taiga creep’ and … Continue reading →

Newly discovered North Icelandic Jet more important than East Greenland Current for AMOC – good news?

Icelandic scientists say they have discovered a new overturning site, where cold, dense, deep water is formed and transported through a separate route towards the Denmark Strait and further south into the Atlantic Ocean.

Tropical forest CO2 fertilisation: self-mitigation of emissions possibly around 15 percent

In which case increased tropical forest density would sort of average out emissions of tropical deforestation. [Is it just us or do you share the feeling something is uncomfortably unsustainable about that comparison?] A couple of days ago we reported … Continue reading →

NASA climate model study: Arctic melting linear with temperature

Here’s another climate model study that challenges the Arctic tipping point idea. Arctic melting is still sensitive to temperature rise though and any further increase in atmospheric CO2 will keep translating to further ice loss. According to the new NASA … Continue reading →

Climate model shows possibility of multiple years of Arctic sea ice growth – or faster decline

Computer simulations of the US National Center for Atmospheric Research indicate that the natural Arctic climate variability, like seasonal and annual variations in pressure systems, wind patterns and precipitation or cloud cover, could be larger than previously thought.