UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH
CREDIT: GABRIELA SCHAEPMAN-STRUB, ARCTIC CENTURY EXPEDITION, 2021
Due to climate change, Arctic winters are getting warmer. An international study by UZH researchers shows that Arctic warming causes temperature anomalies and cold damage thousands of kilometers away in East Asia. This in turn leads to reduced vegetation growth, later blossoming, smaller harvests and reduced CO2 absorption by the forests in the region.
During the past few days, the east coast of the United States experienced heavy snowfall and low temperatures as far south as Florida. Warmer Arctic winters are now also triggering extreme winter weather of this kind in East Asia, an international team of researchers from Switzerland, Korea, China, Japan and the United Kingdom has found. The cooler southern winters reduce vegetation activity in the evergreen subtropics, and continue to negatively affect ecosystems in the spring, for example due to branches broken under heavy snowfall or frost-damaged leaves. First author Jin-Soo Kim of the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich says: “The cooler winters also reduce agricultural productivity of cereals, fruits, root vegetables, and legumes.”
Globally connected weather events
The scientists combined earth system modelling, satellite data and local observations for the study. They also analyzed an index of sea surface temperatures from the Barents-Kara Sea and found that in years with higher than average Arctic temperatures, changes in atmospheric circulation resulted in an anomalous climate throughout East Asia. In particularly cold years, the unfavorable conditions adversely affected vegetation growth and crop yields, and delayed blossoming. Moreover, the researchers estimated a decrease in carbon uptake capacity in the region of 65 megatons of carbon during winter and spring (by way of comparison, fossil fuel emissions in Switzerland are 8.8 megatons of carbon per year). The reduction in carbon absorption capacity caused by climate change is thus another issue that must be taken into account when discussing carbon neutrality.
Climate change causes ecological and socioeconomic damage
The warming of the Arctic caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is causing social and economic harm to humans as far south as the subtropics. Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, co-author of the study, says: “This study highlights how complex the effects of climate change are. While we observe strong warming in the Arctic system, especially over the Barents-Kara Sea, we have now discovered that this warming affects ecosystems thousands of kilometers away and over multiple weeks through climate teleconnections. Arctic warming is not only threatening the polar bear, but will affect us in many other ways.”
JOURNAL
Communications Earth & Environment
DOI
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Data/statistical analysis
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Not applicable
ARTICLE TITLE
Arctic warming-induced cold damage to East Asian terrestrial ecosystems
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
1-Feb-2022
” Due to climate change, Arctic winters are getting warmer. ”
This phenomenon is known to occur on a few days of winter in some years at some places. Formerly, before the development of SCS (Social Climate Science), it was called “weather”.
I prefer CliSciFi; no need to explain one’s acronyms. The few non-socialist blogs that allow discussion and dissention (like WUWT), however, preserve the the inherent right for humans to have independent thoughts and differences: Do your own thing.
I was trying to make a subliminal link to SSS (Social Studies of Science), which is the Father Of All That BS. As all fathers, this one also has a father: the great Michel F. plus his ideologic sons and grandsons (and daughters and grandaughters) with their relativism of science.
Damn! I went for the wrong field in college. The big bucks is in “climate…” and not being held accountable for BS spewed via scholarly observations. Really great grant monies available though. Luvin’ that the idiots are starting to out themselves with their continued more or less common sense observations of weather. Hey, I know farmers who can do the same tricks, do it every year.
Yep, because the Climastrologists never suffer accountability for being always wrong. Great business. About like economics a la Paul Krugman.
In CliSciFi, governments fund and allow outright frauds such as Mann and Marcott to flourish, among many others. Thanks to Rud’s ebook “Blowing Smoke” we all have a handy reference to some of those instances of scientific misconduct/fraud. I hope he comes up with an updated version. Hint, hint.
Heat causes cold. Of course it does. (sarc off)
Heat causes cold just like wealth causes poverty. Duh!
What does a warm winter (at night) in the Arctic look like? – 29 ° C instead of – 32° ?
It’s obvious from that context why those in East Asia would be very concerned.
It can’t be long before we hear warnings of zombies, aliens and goblins turning the climate into a giant fire-breathing dragon with syphilis and bad posture.