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Updated November 13th, 2021 at 17:24 IST

Global warming rises ‘unprecedented’ over last 24,000 years: University of Arizona study

A new study from the University of Arizona reveals that the earth is warming at an extraordinary rate, unlike anything witnessed in the previous 24,000 years.

Reported by: Rohit Ranjan
Global Warming
Image: Pixabay | Image:self
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A new study from the University of Arizona reveals that the earth is warming at an extraordinary rate, unlike anything witnessed in the previous 24,000 years. The study confirms that people have created a shift in Earth's climate never before identified in the geological record by reconstructing past temperatures from marine layers dating back to the last ice age's peak, as per the report of Science Alert. Jessica Tierney, a paleoclimatologist at the University of Arizona and co-author of the study stated that this reconstruction implies that present temperatures are unprecedented in the last 24,000 years, as well as that the rate of human-caused global warming is quicker than anything people have seen in that period.

The findings support the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which reported in August that burning fossil fuels has heated the world at a rate unmatched in the past 2,000 years. Matthew Osman, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona and his colleagues evaluated 539 paleoclimate records, each dating back at least 4,000 years and spanning the past 24,000 years, which is from the end of the last ice age, according to Science Alert.

Researchers deduced historical temperatures

The researchers deduced historical temperatures from geochemical markers in marine sediments collected from coastlines and seafloors throughout the world and used this "proxy data" to update climate model simulations that are becoming more complex but still rely on data inputs, according to Science Alert. In a commentary regarding the study, Shaun Marcott of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Jeremy Shakun of Boston College explained that the benefit of this hybrid method is that the proxy data bring the model closer to reality, and the model fills in gaps when no data are available. 

According to Science Alert, Marcott and Shakun also said that the findings indicate that present warming is exceptional when compared to that of the previous 10,000 years. Furthermore, the study authors note that monitoring global temperature variations in 200-year intervals as ice sheets melted and greenhouse gases rose, provides a more comprehensive view of climate change on Earth during the previous 24,000 years.

COP26 brought sovereign leaders to address existential issues

As scientists deliver increasingly dire warnings each year, the urgency for climate action has intensified. From October 31 to November 12, 2021, the COP26 brought sovereign leaders and dignitaries from all over the world to Glasgow, Scotland to address existential issues and chart a new climate-friendly path forward before global warming reaches irreversible levels.

Image: Pixabay

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Published November 13th, 2021 at 17:24 IST

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