The tropical belt that circles the Earth is expanding north and south, which could have severe consequences for large regions of the world where the climate is likely to become drier or more stormy.
“Most importantly, poleward movement of large-scale atmospheric circulation systems, such as jet streams and storm tracks, could result in shifts in precipitation patterns affecting natural ecosystems, agriculture and water resources," scientists say. "An increase in the width of the tropics could bring an increase in the area affected by tropical storms, or could change climatologically tropical cyclone development regions and tracks," they say.
Australia is one of the countries likely to be worst affected by the shifting tropics because westerly winds bringing much-needed rain to the continent's arid south coast are likely to be pushed further south, dumping their water over open ocean rather than on land, scientists said.
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“Most importantly, poleward movement of large-scale atmospheric circulation systems, such as jet streams and storm tracks, could result in shifts in precipitation patterns affecting natural ecosystems, agriculture and water resources," scientists say. "An increase in the width of the tropics could bring an increase in the area affected by tropical storms, or could change climatologically tropical cyclone development regions and tracks," they say.
Australia is one of the countries likely to be worst affected by the shifting tropics because westerly winds bringing much-needed rain to the continent's arid south coast are likely to be pushed further south, dumping their water over open ocean rather than on land, scientists said.
Read the rest here
Climate change conference
The two-week gathering in Bali, Indonesia, will also debate how to help poor nations cope in a warming world. At the top of the conference's agenda is the need to reach a consensus on how to curb emissions beyond 2012.
Read the rest of this BBC article here.
The two-week gathering in Bali, Indonesia, will also debate how to help poor nations cope in a warming world. At the top of the conference's agenda is the need to reach a consensus on how to curb emissions beyond 2012.
Read the rest of this BBC article here.
