The Climate Research Unit of the Canadian Ministry of the Environment and the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh (UK) have analyzed precipitation trends from 1951 to 1999 in the Northern Hemisphere. The results, published today in the journalNature, they point out thatemitting more toxic gases into the atmosphere has enhanced the heavy rainsin almost two-thirds of the hemisphere.
“Previous studies have underestimated this greater intensity of rainfall, but the results show important variations during the last half of the 20th century”, highlights the research. “Understand the changes that have occurred, like thisrecent increase in torrential rains across much of the northern hemisphereis key to making predictions for the future, “he adds.
The work is published alongside asecond study looking at floods in England and Walesduring October and November 2000. The autumn season of that year was the wettest since 1766. After running thousands of climatic simulations of the autumn season of 2000 under real conditions, the researchers suggested that the increase in gas emissions Greenhouse effect influenced the floods that year in England and Wales.
The human being, after the floods
“Although the magnitude of human actions is uncertain,The results indicate that, in nine out of ten cases, CO2 emissions during the 20th century increased the risk of flooding in both territories by 20%, and that, in two out of three cases, the increase was more than 90% “, highlights the study.
According to the authors of the research, this analysis model can be used to study other floods. The study will also help to know how certain external factors affect other climatic events (for example, floods due to melting snow), less influenced by climate change.
