As I’ve been explaining to freaked out audiences – scientists have done a fantastic job projecting the average rise in global temperatures that we have seen over the last 50 years. What has not been well appreciated is the magnitude of the extreme events that would arise when background temperatures rose.
Thus, things like the melt of arctic sea ice, as well as ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica, have been warning signs. We’ve also seen things like the 2021 heat dome over the Pacific Northwest, and the worst drought in 1200 years in the Southwest.
The concern about these kind of events is that they are strong enough to begin breaking systems, both human and natural systems, in ways that are beyond recovery.
This year’s global marine heat wave event is an example.
Above, excellent and sobering report from WKMG Orlando on how that heat wave is playing out around Florida and the Gulf.