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El Niño (link: Famous Earth) Devastated lodgings (link: Famous Earth)
El Niño is responsible for many torrential monsoons
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Home
Timeline
section 1.1
Section 1.2
Section 1.3
Section 1.4
Section 1.5
Section 1.6
Section 1.7
Section 1.8
Section 1.9
Section 1.10
Section 1.11
Section 1.12
Section 1.13
Section 1.14
Section 1.15
Tsunami: Ground Zero
The Sumatran Earthquake Disaster
The Man Who Predicted the Tsunami
The Performer Mission
Developing an Early Warning System
Map
Section 2.6
Section 2.7
Section 2.8
Section 2.9
Section 2.10
Section 2.11
Section 2.12
Section 2.13
Section 2.14
Section 2.15
Earth
Earthquakes
Drought
Volcanoes
Avalanches
Section 3.5
Section 3.6
Section 3.7
Section 3.8
Section 3.9
Section 3.10
Section 3.11
Section 3.12
Section 3.13
Section 3.14
Section 3.15
Air
Tornadoes
Hurricanes
Anatomy of a Hurricane
Meteorite Impacts
Extreme Atmosphere
Section 4.6
Section 4.7
Section 4.8
Section 4.9
Section 4.10
Section 4.11
Section 4.12
Section 4.13
Section 4.14
Section 4.15
Fire
Bushfires
Lava
Rainforest Fires
Section 5.4
Section 5.5
Section 5.6
Section 5.7
Section 5.8
Section 5.9
Section 5.10
Section 5.11
Section 5.12
Section 5.13
Section 5.14
Section 5.15
Water
Flooding
Whirlpools
Icebergs
Tsunamis
Section 6.5
Section 6.6
Section 6.7
Section 6.8
Section 6.9
Section 6.10
Section 6.11
Section 6.12
Section 6.13
Section 6.14
Section 6.15
Mount St. Helens
Introduction
Forecast for Disaster
Past Eruptions
Current Situation
Scientific Predictions
Preparations
Section 7.7
Section 7.8
Section 7.9
Section 7.10
Section 7.11
Section 7.12
Section 7.13
Section 7.14
Section 7.15
Understanding Extreme Earth
Section 8.1
Section 8.2
Section 8.3
Section 8.4
Section 8.5
Section 8.6
Section 8.7
Section 8.8
Section 8.9
Section 8.10
Section 8.11
Section 8.12
Section 8.13
Section 8.14
Section 8.15
Famous Earth
Section 9.1
Section 9.2
Section 9.3
Section 9.4
Section 9.5
Section 9.6
Section 9.7
Section 9.8
Section 9.9
Section 9.10
Section 9.11
Section 9.12
Section 9.13
Section 9.14
Section 9.15
Extreme Earth in the Movies
Section 10.1
Section 10.2
Section 10.3
Section 10.4
Section 10.5
Section 10.6
Section 10.7
Section 10.8
Section 10.9
Section 10.10
Section 10.11
Section 10.12
Section 10.13
Section 10.14
Section 10.15
Year Without Summer
Introduction
Mount Tambora Pre-Eruption
The Blast
Indonesia's Devastation
The Unseen Link
Facts
Section 11.7
Section 11.8
Section 11.9
Section 11.10
Section 11.11
Section 11.12
Section 11.13
Section 11.14
Section 11.15
Dangerman
Dangerman
Earth
Fire
Water
Air
Section 12.6
Section 12.7
Section 12.8
Section 12.9
Section 12.10
Section 12.11
Section 12.12
Section 12.13
Section 12.14
Section 12.15
Future Storm
Global Warming
Section 13.4
Section 13.5
Section 13.6
Section 13.7
Section 13.8
Section 13.9
Section 13.10
Section 13.11
Section 13.12
Section 13.13
Section 13.14
Section 13.15
Extreme Weather: Tornadoes
Tornado Terror
Prediction and Safety
Twister Safety
Section 14.4
Section 14.5
Section 14.6
Section 14.7
Section 14.8
Section 14.9
Section 14.10
Section 14.11
Section 14.12
Section 14.13
Section 14.14
Section 14.15
Krakatau
Section 15.5
Section 15.6
Section 15.7
Section 15.8
Section 15.9
Section 15.10
Section 15.11
Section 15.12
Section 15.13
Section 15.14
Section 15.15
Play: Extreme Earth
section 16.1
section 16.2
section 16.3
section 16.4
section 16.5
section 16.6
section 16.7
section 16.8
section 16.9
section 16.10
section 16.11
section 16.12
section 16.13
section 16.14
section 16.15
Understanding Extreme Earth
Sun behind dark clouds
UNDERSTANDING EXTREME EARTH

The current outlook for Earth with the rise in global warming is not good and unfortunately it's going to get far worse - the world's population is expected to increase from six billion to more than eight billion in the next 50 years, putting great strain on the planet's already very stretched resources.

Understanding how the global carbon cycle works is essential for experts to predict how our climate may behave in the future. It will help us figure out exactly what measures we need to take to reverse the world's destruction. It's not a simple process - but then predicting the future never is.

The launch of a recent joint report from the Hadley Centre and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research made some worrying predictions. By the 2080s, annual average temperatures across the UK may rise by between 2°C and 3.5°C. Our summers will become more frequent and very cold winters will become increasingly rare.

Scientists also estimate farming and agriculture will undergo serious difficulties, as soil moisture across England falls by as much as 40%. Sea levels around the UK are set to rise by between 26 and 86 cm, meaning that places like southeast England will become more susceptible to storm surges and serious flooding.

To reverse the effects of global warming most scientists and governments agree that we need to take drastic action. We must reduce the world's carbon emissions, cut back on the production of CFCs, and other ozone-destroying chemicals, and halt deforestation.

 

Photos: Corbis