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299. Recent Topics on Global Temperature Rise and Icebergs

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A video released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on May 13 shows that land temperatures have increased since 1950 until 2000, with unusually hot days becoming more frequent and cold days becoming less common. In particular, in recent years, the temperature distribution curve has shown a tendency to swing toward higher temperatures. As mentioned in previous Pick Up article, the year 2020 was one of the hottest years in history and the past six years have been the hottest consecutive years on record.  

Meanwhile, in May 2021, it was reported that one of the largest icebergs in the world has broken off from Weddell Bay in Antarctica and started drifting. Named A-76, this iceberg is around 170 km in length, 25 km wide, and 4,320 square km in area. It is nearly the size of Majorca, Spain, 40 times the size of Paris, and 73 times the size of Manhattan, making it the largest iceberg currently adrift. Incidentally, the iceberg is named after the Antarctic quadrant, followed by a number. According to researchers, some icebergs will continue to drift for 18 years as long as they stay in the relatively cold waters around Antarctica, but they will also melt more rapidly as they move from Weddell Bay to the South Atlantic. In fact, one of the largest icebergs, A-68A, which broke off from the Larsen-C ice shelf in Antarctica in 2017, has since broken into multiple pieces earlier this year.

Global climate change has a negative impact on agriculture, and at the same time, agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) is estimated to be responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities. Science and technology play a major role in contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture, and JIRCAS is working with research institutions in developing countries to develop technologies to solve global-scale problems.

 

Reference
NASA Watching the Land Temperature Bell Curve Heat Up (1950-2020) May 13 2021. https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/266/watching-the-land-temper… 

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Director, Information Program)

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