¥So, as the Earth
starts warming, other things start to changeÉ
¥The atmosphere
can hold more water vapor
–Water vapor is a
GHG => more warming (ÔpositiveÕ feedback)
–More intense
precipitation events and severe weather
¥Land heats up
faster than the oceans (remember sea breeze)
–Less snowpack => earlier and smaller run-off =>
drier summers
–Relative
humidity over land will likely drop in general
–Continental
interiors will generally get drier?
¥Clouds will
change?????
–Having more
clouds increases albedo, cooling the Earth
–More clouds
increase Greenhouse effect warming the Earth
¥Wind patterns
start changing
–Storm tracks and
precipitation patterns change.
–Winter storm
tracks may move more poleward
¥Ice starts
melting
–Reducing the
albedo => more warming
–Continental ice
melt causes sea level to rise