Climate change is one of the biggest factors and concerns facing the modern world today. From carbon emissions to global warming , to melting ice sheets, climate change affects the planet in many ways, and there are a lot of side effects that are far more profound than we think. One of these side effects is the effect on water circulation .
01
What is water circulation?
Water cycle is the continuous movement of all water on the earth. The amount of water never changes, but circulates in various regions and is transported around the world through weather patterns and flowing water. From rain to oceans to rivers, groundwater and glaciers, everything is part of the Earth's water cycle.
water cycle process diagram
water cycle is usually divided into various stages or processes, and all water will eventually go through these stages or processes. It includes three categories: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, as well as interception, infiltration, percolation, transpiration, runoff and accumulation. Together, these stages form a cycle on which humans, plants and animals depend for survival and prosperity on the planet.
02
The impact of climate change on water cycle
It has been found that climate change has had an increasingly greater impact on the earth's water cycle. Carbon emissions, agriculture and industry lead to an overall increase in the Earth's average temperature. This average growth has had some direct impact on the water cycle, especially in terms of evaporation and precipitation and the flow of water around the world.
What impact does climate change have on water circulation?
01
Evaporation
Evaporation is the process in which water (usually in the ground or body of water on the surface of the earth) becomes water vapor. This process requires heat, turning liquid water into gas and rising into the atmosphere. As the global average temperature increases, the evaporation also increases. Since evaporation is closely related to precipitation, the increase in evaporation also directly leads to a large amount of precipitation around the world.
working principle: If you think of a puddle that dries in the sun, the water in the puddle will evaporate on it by the warmth of the sun. So that puddle will dry up and the water in it will be converted into water vapor in the air. The hotter the weather, the faster the process happens. On a larger scale, the same thing is happening in more important waters in the world. As global warming causes temperatures to rise, while reduction in ozone causes increased heat from the sun, which affects lakes, ponds and oceans, causing water to evaporate at a faster rate.
Precipitation
Because they are so closely linked in the water cycle, the increase in evaporation rate caused by drought and climate change leads to increased precipitation. Not only does water evaporate faster, but it can keep more moisture as the atmosphere warms, thus creating more rain.
When water from the Earth's surface becomes gaseous and becomes water vapor in the atmosphere, it rises and forms clouds. As the clouds gather, more and more water vapor gathers together. Once the water vapor in the cloud becomes too heavy—that is, the proportion of water vapor in the atmosphere is too high—the water begins to form a liquid again, in a process called condensation, and drips from the clouds in the form of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, etc.).
This seems to offset the increased evaporation, but in reality it won't - at least not directly. Due to the airflow and weather patterns on Earth, evaporated water rarely falls in the same place. It gathers, forms clouds, and is blown through plains or mountains before landing again.
Due to this process, the weather patterns in the world have undergone significant changes in the past few years.Although some areas have experienced extreme droughts, flooding has increased in others. In essence, this is due to the rapid evaporation rate. As the water evaporates very quickly, it also condenses and precipitates faster. This can lead to extreme rainstorms and flash floods.
03
Floods caused by climate change
Due to climate change and its impact on water cycle, there are four major types of floods that are increasing. The first is a flash flood, where the water volume in any specific area is too large.
The second type is urban flooding, which happens when sudden heavy rains flood the urban drainage system. Rain drains, etc. can only absorb a certain amount of rainwater at a time, and heavy rain can sometimes overfille these systems, causing flooding in major cities. This happened in 2014 Detroit , which has been happening in various states and cities around the world as city streets, subway systems or major park roads are flooded.
The third and fourth categories are similar, both of which are flooded by river banks and flooded along the coast. In both cases, increased precipitation floods the banks of the water body, and rivers, lakes or seas overflow into the surrounding areas, causing massive flooding. In Toronto , Canada, in the spring of 2017, the increase in precipitation caused the overflow of Lake Ontario . Towns on the shore of the lake – including the City of Toronto and Toronto Island – were flooded, putting families in trouble and causing significant damage to roads and homes.
04
Extreme weather
This kind of flood belongs to the extreme weather category and is one of the biggest side effects of climate change. While in the past, referring only to the old term “global warming,” scientists now realize that this warming affects every aspect of climate and weather and leads to a sharp increase in the number of dangerous extreme weather events around the world. The intensity of
tropical storms, hurricane and monsoon has increased significantly recently. Hurricanes are the most harmful of all natural disasters and can be extremely destructive. While the average number of hurricanes remains the same, studies show that storms that do occur are increasing intensities. Level 4 and Level 5 storms increased in the area. We saw the same storm in hurricane-prone areas, but increased intensity, which may be due to increased precipitation in the atmosphere and increased ocean temperatures, as warm water is the main factor in the formation of hurricanes tropical storms.
05
Sea level rise
In addition to all these changes, seawater temperatures are also rising, and rising global temperatures mean that glaciers and polar ice sheets are shrinking and melting. This leads to two major problems.
First, melting of ice leads to the loss of glacial landscapes and polar animal habitats. Furthermore, as the ice melts, it produces more open water that reflects the sun more strongly than the ice, further accelerating the process. The second major problem is that as the ice melts, it replaces the surrounding water, causing the ocean to rise and sea levels to rise. The ocean plays a key role in the water cycle, and this shift in turn can disrupt the cautious balance of this cycle.
06
The impact of persistence
Overall, the water cycle is crucial to life on Earth and is greatly affected by slight changes in the climate. As climate change continues, in fact it seems to be increasing every year, global temperatures continue to rise. This affects the global water cycle in various ways, from massive droughts to flash floods to more intensely destructive weather and storms.
As the temperature rises and the water circulation accelerates, the weather becomes increasingly difficult to predict and the conditions become more and more extreme. Not only will the drought not be balanced, it will become worse, while other areas will be flooded and the storm will likely cause more and more damage. If not changed, the water cycle that maintains all life on Earth will face increasing risks. Therefore, changes must be made to correct these climate problems, thereby restoring the natural balance of water circulation and the entire Earth's ecosystem.
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