About Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven regions are commonly regarded as continents geopolitically.
Climate change: Is the world warming faster than expected?
... There have been historically high sea temperatures, worrying lows in Antarctic sea-ice, and extreme weather events hitting every Continent - the latest being...
Andrew Harding: A fond farewell to an uneasy South Africa
... I ve always shied away from drawing grand or apocalyptic conclusions about where this - or any country on this Continent - is heading...
Brics summit: How China's and Russia's clout is growing in Africa
... Recent headlines from the Continent may have been dominated by the coup in Niger, and the potential for Russia s thuggish, opportunistic, Wagner Group mercenaries to exploit the chaos for their own benefit, as they have already done in Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR)...
Africa unmasked at the Tate: The continent through its own lens
...By Ismail EinasheLetter from Africa seriesA remarkable new exhibition showcasing contemporary African photography - looking at Africa s past, present and future through the lenses of artists from the Continent - has opened in London...
Why South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa is leading Ukraine peace mission
... It is also a rare attempt at diplomatic intervention outside the Continent - a " welcome development" given Africa s growing demand to have a bigger voice at the UN and other international organisations, says Murithi Mutiga, Africa director at the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank...
Anurag Maloo: Indian climber who fell in Nepal crevasse found alive
... He was on a mission to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000m and scale the world s seven summits - the highest mountains in each Continent - to create awareness about the UN s Sustainable Development Goals...
Kamala Harris Africa trip: Can US charm offensive woo continent from China?
... This flurry of visits by top figures in the US administration reflects a growing awareness that the US needs to deepen its engagement with the Continent...
Australian woman's record-breaking run from continent's 'tip to toe'
... Australia is home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world - much of which is unique to the Continent - but it is among the worst in the world for biodiversity loss...
Climate change: Is the world warming faster than expected?
By Matt Mcgrath & Mark PoyntingBBC News climate & science
Climate records have tumbled in 2023.
There have been historically high sea temperatures, worrying lows in Antarctic sea-ice, and Extreme Weather events hitting every Continent - The latest being.
It's now. That's something that no major climate science body expected at The start of The year.
Scientists have long known that temperatures will continue to rise as humans keep releasing record amounts of planet-heating greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, This is The main cause of Global Warming .
While they are struggling to fully explain 2023's, here are four additional reasons that could be behind The increases.
A 'weird' El NiñoOne key factor is The unusually rapid onset of a natural weather system known as El Niño.
During an El Niño, warmer surface waters in The Eastern Pacific release additional heat into The atmosphere. This typically leads to a surge in global air temperatures.
The graph below shows how a new El Niño is strengthening. It has Not Yet reached The Peak of The Last major one in 2016, as you can see, but is expected to intensify in The Coming months.
The ongoing 2023 El Niño May be releasing even more warmth than previous ones, because The World had previously been in an extended cool Phase - an opposite weather system known as La Niña.
This kept a lid on global temperatures for an unusually long period, as warmth was less able to escape from The Sea surface into The atmosphere.
During This Time , some of which is now finally being released into The atmosphere.
Normally, scientists expect a delay of around three months between maximum El Niño strength and global air temperatures peaking, explains Zeke Hausfather , a climate scientist at Berkeley Earth , a science organisation in The US.
But air temperatures have risen much more quickly during this El Niño than with previous ones, and it's not even reached full strength yet.
As Dr Hausfather puts it, " this El Niño is weird. "
Cutting aerosolsCutting some air pollutants - aimed at cleaning The air that humans Breathe - May actually be having an unintended consequence for warming. That's because some small airborne particles known as aerosols, like sulphate or dust, tend to reflect some of The Sun 's energy back into space. Generally, this cools The Earth 's surface.
Regulations introduced in 2020 to encourage cleaner shipping fuels have reduced global emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), a harmful air pollutant for humans to Breathe ,
But this appears to have raised temperatures, especially in shipping hotspots like The North Atlantic.
" We saw quite rapidly from The satellite data that less sunlight was being reflected and more sunlight was being absorbed by The oceans, " explains Leon Simons, a climate researcher at The Club of Rome group.
Not all scientists agree on how important aerosols are for explaining 2023's records.
" It's hard to make The case that The [new shipping fuel] regulation in 2020 would create a sudden jump in 2023 that we didn't see in 2022, " Dr Hausfather argues.
A large volcanic eruptionIn January 2022, there was a huge eruption of The . The eruption plume reached an and triggered.
Importantly for The climate, it also released around 150 million tonnes of water vapour into The stratosphere. Water vapour is a Greenhouse Gas , like carbon dioxide, so May have added to warming.
Studies So Far suggest The eruption May have only had a limited effect on global air temperatures, But scientists are still working to establish its Full Impact .
An Antarctic 'radiator'?The Sea -ice surrounding Antarctica is, satellite data showed in September.
Arctic sea-ice has long been in decline, but until 2017 Antarctic sea-ice had largely defied predictions and remained relatively stable. This could now be changing, with consequences for global temperatures.
Fewer areas of bright, reflective ice mean more of The Sun 's energy is absorbed by The darker ocean surface. In turn, this accelerates warming.
" The concern is that The Antarctic has started to operate like The Arctic , " working " like a radiator rather than a refrigerant" notes Martin Siegert , from The Grantham Institute for Climate Change .
It is unclear whether The Antarctic changes are a contributor to 2023 warmth, or a consequence.
But it indicates how warming could speed up in future, Prof Siegert says.
So is The World warming faster than expected?While The in recent decades, this has Not Yet consistently that scientists expected from climate models.
This provides some reassurance that The World hasn't yet tipped into a new Phase of runaway Climate Change .
However, a group of leading climate scientists recently
They suggest that The climate is yet to fully respond to The Greenhouse gases already emitted. One reason could be The Artificial cooling effect of aerosols. This leaves more warming " in The pipeline" than previously thought, they argue.
Not all scientists agree with this view, but The currently being experienced highlight The Challenges The World is already facing.
Ahead of The crucial, this " should really spur action to accelerate The Phase out of fossil fuels, " explains Lili Fuhr from The Centre for International Environmental Law .
" It doesn't have to be worse than we expected to be a huge problem that society urgently needs to deal with, " says Dr Hausfather.
" Climate Change is as bad as we expected. And that's bad enough. "
Related TopicsSource of news: bbc.com