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The new normal
The Earth has always had a dynamic climate, but it has never changed as fast as it is changing now. What forces are driving this massive flux? How can we reduce carbon emissions caused by human society, and mitigate the effects of climate change? How can we adapt to the new normal?
Introducing NZGeo.com's new climate Special Focus Area |
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Three feet high and rising
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Living Ice
When Trevor Chinn first visited the Franz Josef Glacier, it was to make ice cream. As a child he helped to load blocks of ice into a sack to take home to Tetaho, near Whataroa, and marvelled at a temporary lake formed at the foot of the glacier by a recent retreat. Bergs bobbed in the lake, and the contrast between the white ice and surrounding forest was dramatic. Read how Trevor Chinn pioneered the study of New Zealand’s 3162 glaciers.
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In pursuit of the perfect model
Climate modelling has expanded from the relatively simple constructions of last century into an increasingly complex set of models today. It reflects the complexity of natural systems, our growing appreciation of the interaction between many systems, and the popular and political desire to understand the forces acting on the planet and how we might respond to them.
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Carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that’s getting us into trouble, only amounts to about 385 parts per million of the gases in the atmosphere—not a large amount. But that’s a third more CO2 than 150 years ago, enough to have caused, and continue to cause, significant changes in local and global climate. Twelve of the 13 years from 1995 to 2007 have been the warmest since 1850, while 1998 and 2005 are the warmest years since records began. Over the last 100 years, New Zealand’s temperature has increased by 0.9ºC.
What will a warmer New Zealand be like? |
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