May 5, 2014

Global warming is 'not uniform': Regions of the planet have actually COOLED over the past 100 years, study claims

From 1910 to 1980, study found areas south of the equator cooled down
Other areas near the equator didn't see significant changes in warming
It found largest warming to date has been at the northern mid latitudes
The research comes as United Nations secretary-general urges the world’s policymakers to do more to address the threat of climate change

PUBLISHED: 09:46 EST, 5 May 2014 | UPDATED: 09:47 EST, 5 May 2014

It can be easy to dismiss talks on global warming if your part of the world is feeling colder than usual.

But a new study claims that while the world is getting warmer, the heating effect on the Earth has not been uniform across the planet.

The research provides the first detailed analysis of global land surface warming trends over the century.

A new study claims that while the world is getting warmer, the heating effect on the Earth has not been uniform across the planet. This graphic shows how temperatures have changed from 1910-2000 over different latitudes

‘Global warming was not as understood as we thought,’ said Zhaohua Wu, an assistant professor of meteorology at Florida State University.

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Professor Wu used a newly-developed analysis method on historical temperature records to examine land surface temperature trends from 1900 onward for the entire globe, minus Antarctica.

Previous work by scientists on global warming could not provide information of non-uniform warming in location and time due to limitations of analysis methods.

Pictured is Fitz Roy mountain om Patagonia, Argentina. From 1910 to 1980, while the rest of the world was warming, areas south of the equator - near the Andes = were cooling down according to the study

The research comes as UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, urges the world's policymakers to do more to address the threat of climate change

SCIENTISTS RAISE FEARS OF A 'SIGNIFICANT' EL NINO EVENT

A spike in Pacific Ocean sea temperatures and the rapid movement of warm water eastwards have increased fears that this year's El Niño could be one of the strongest yet.

El Niño - a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific - affects wind patterns and can trigger both floods and drought in different parts of the globe.

Although previous research has suggested extreme El Niño events could occur later this year, experts claim this recent rise hints they are likely to be more significant than first thought.

Dr Wenju Cai, a climate expert at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, said the rises in Pacific Ocean temperature were above those seen in previous El Niño years.

‘I think this event has lots of characteristics with a strong El Niño,’ said Cai.

He based his conclusions on studying data released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The research team found that noticeable warming first started around the regions circling the Arctic and subtropical regions in both hemispheres.

But the largest warming to date has been at the northern mid-latitudes. The research team also found that in some areas of the world, cooling had occurred.

‘The global warming is not uniform,’ Professor Eric Chassignet said. ‘You have areas that have cooled and areas that have warmed.’

For example, from about 1910 to 1980, while the rest of the world was warming up, some areas south of the Equator, such as those near the Andes, were cooling down, and then had no change at all until the mid-1990s.

Other areas near and south of the Equator didn't see significant changes comparable to the rest of the world at all.

The detailed picture of when and where the world has warmed or cooled will provide a greater context to global warming research overall, Professor Wu said.

The research comes as UN secretary-general urges the world’s policymakers to do more to address the threat of climate change.

The largest warming to date has been at the northern mid latitudes, according to the Florida State study

Speaking to hundreds of international delegates at the start of a climate gathering in Abu Dhabi, Ban Ki-moon warned that time is running out to reduce harmful emissions and that political leaders need to offer bold commitments to drive meaningful change.

‘If we do not take urgent action, all our plans for increased global prosperity and security will be undone,’ he warned.

Ban was in the United Arab Emirates capital to mark the start of a conference meant to lay the groundwork for a climate summit he has called for world leaders in September.

The aim of the process is to get governments to agree to cut emissions after 2020 to keep warming below 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to today's levels.

Global temperatures already have risen 0.8°C since record-keeping began in the 19th century.