2023 will be the hottest year on record, with temperatures higher than those of previous years. This unprecedented rise in temperatures has caught climate scientists by surprise. Although the exact causes are still being studied, four additional factors have been identified as potential contributors to this phenomenon.
El Niño, a natural weather system, has been releasing more heat into the atmosphere than usual. The transition from the cooling phase known as La Niña to El Niño has caused a significant increase in global air temperature.
Regulations introduced in 2020 to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from shipping fuels have had an unexpected warming effect. Cleaner fuels have resulted in fewer aerosols, which reflect the Sun’s energy back into space. This has led to an increase in temperatures, especially in shipping points such as the North Atlantic.
The massive eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in January 2022 released a substantial amount of water vapor into the stratosphere. Acting as a greenhouse gas, this water vapor may have contributed to global warming.
Sea ice surrounding Antarctica has reached record lows, and Arctic sea ice has also declined. This change in Antarctic sea ice, which had previously remained relatively stable, could have implications for global temperatures.
Although the rate of warming has accelerated in recent decades, it has not yet exceeded the range predicted by climate models. However, a group of leading climate scientists warn that the climate may change more rapidly than expected in the future. The artificial cooling effect of the aerosols may be masking the full extent of the warming, suggesting that there are more significant temperature increases in the pipeline.
The devastating climate impacts that are already being experienced highlight the urgency of taking action. As the world looks towards the COP28 climate summit, there is a need to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels and address the challenges posed by climate change.
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