Global warming is the next big impact that will bring about a change in the weather patterns. By definition, Global Warming is the increase in average temperature that gradually warms the Earth's atmosphere. It is a phenomenon, which has been on the rise but in the last century, the increase in the levels have been alarming.
The average temperature of the atmosphere has risen by 0.74 - 0.18 °C during the last century. According to the study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is observed that the increase in global average temperature has been caused due to an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. This has led to an unprecedented warming of the Earth's surface.
The other phenomena's responsible for global warming include volcanoes and solar variations. Base on some of the models by the IPCC, the prediction is that the global temperature is likely to rise by 1.1 to 6.4 °C between 1990 and 2100.
This increase in temperature will cause climatic changes and extreme weather conditions like rising sea level, change in the amount of precipitation, above average rainfall, melting of polar ice caps and glaciers, storms and hurricanes.On the worse side, it will also affect yield of crops as well as plants and animals leading to extinction of different species. Global warming will increase the spread of diseases and there will be droughts and flooding, coral reef bleaching, forest fires etc. Global warming is no more a myth but a fast approaching reality, which in the long term will bring the much feared ice age that will wipe out all living organism on Earth.
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