Whether or not heat increases are accelerating, the data suggest that the global agreement to keep warming to 1.5°C is about to be violated.
A new study led by environmental scientist Audrey Minière of Paul Sabatier University in France found evidence of an acceleration of Earth’s warming trend, especially in ocean temperatures. This occurs in the middle of continuous discussions regarding the acceleration of global warming among scientists.
In their work published in Scientific Reports, the researchers state that “despite suggestive evidence of a potential increase in heating rates, detecting an acceleration of Earth heating has remained elusive to date.”
Although Earth is warming, there might be a catch
According to climate scientist Zeke Hasfather, “not particularly well supported by the literature” is the study that claimed that the pace of warming had increased by 50% since 2010. This information was provided to the Associated Press.
Whether or not heat increases are accelerating, the data suggest that the global agreement to keep warming to 1.5°C is about to be violated. The effects are already being seen, as extreme weather events like storms, fires, and floods get worse.
According to Hansen, “There won’t be any argument [by] late next spring, we’ll be way off the trend line.”
The study, which was published in Scientific Reports, emphasized how urgent it is to address global warming and its far-reaching effects.
What does the current research say?
According to the study, additional research is required to determine whether the changes associated with Earth’s warming trends are related to the rise in carbon dioxide levels.
“The long-term acceleration of Earth warming aligns qualitatively with the rise in CO2 concentrations and the decline in aerosol concentration during the same period,” Minière and colleagues write.
“But further investigations are necessary to properly attribute these changes,” they continue.