Why Heat Waves on Earth Increase Day by Day
Globally, heat waves have become more frequent, intense, and longer, battering millions of people. Increasing intensity in heat waves is a clear indication of the changing climate and its toll on our planet. But what is really making heat waves more frequent and dangerous? Here, we look at those reasons and the consequences of a surge in heat waves on our future.
- Global Warming and Climate Change
There’s just this one factor that climatically induced heat waves have been highly frequent and intense, and that is global warming—an absolute implication of climate change. Here is how that is realized:
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, results in the emission of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. These gases trap heat that comes from the sun, therefore increasing the temperature of the earth. In this way, the greenhouse effect raises the temperature of the earth; this is the main reason for global warming.
Global warming: The more the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rises, so does the average Earth’s temperature. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global temperatures have increased by about 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. For any part of the world, this raises the likelihood of extreme heat conditions.
Heat Waves Intensified: Higher mean temperatures create space for increased frequency and intensity in heat waves. Warmer air has a higher holding capacity of moisture, thus leading to an increase in humidity levels during a wave, which can make them feel even hotter and unbearable.
- Urbanization and the Urban Heat Island Effect
Urbanization highly boosts the intensification brought about by heat waves for cities. This is termed the Urban Heat Island effect.
Concrete and Asphalt: The concrete and asphalt that constitute cities, aside from other materials, are much better at absorbing and keeping heat than natural landscapes. During the day, the materials absorb a great deal of heat and very slowly release it during the night, thus keeping the urban areas warmer compared to the surrounding rural areas.
Without the vegetation, that is, the trees and green spaces, it would be providing some form of cooling through shading and evapotranspiration. Consequently, the natural cooling becomes lacking and the cities turn out to be so much hot.
More Energy Consumption: High use of air conditioning and other cooling systems during heat waves contributes to further energy consumption. The waste heat from these could further enhance temperatures within urban areas, thereby increasing the UHI effect.
- Changes in Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
Atmospheric circulation patterns are the ones prescribing weather systems all over the globe; they too are undergoing a change in view of climate change. These changes could allow more frequent and longer-lasting heat waves.
Changes in Jet Stream: The jet stream is an upper-atmospheric-located, fast-moving ribbon of air, instrumental to various weather conditions. Due to the warming of the Arctic region, there has been a weakening in this stream, which has also meandered more than it used to. This meandering can result in “blocking patterns” where, many times, the weather systems continue to stay above one region, causing prolonged heat waves.
High-Pressure Systems: Associated with heat waves, high-pressure systems can become more persistent in a changing climate. Such systems trap heat near the Earth’s surface, thereby prohibiting the formation and build-up of clouds for precipitation, thus causing prolonged periods of hot, dry weather.
- Deforestation and Land Use Changes
Such human activities, for instance, deforestation and land use changes, add to the exacerbation of heat waves.
Deforestation: Forests are like natural air conditioners. Forest spaces provide shading and evaporate moisture, as evapotranspiration takes place. By deforestation, these cooling effects are lost, and high temperatures cause heat waves.
Agricultural Practices: Some agricultural practices may exacerbate conditions for heat waves. Irrigation, for example, increases the local humidity levels, thereby enhancing the apparent temperature. Moreover, the conversion of the natural landscape into agricultural land often involves removing trees and clearing vegetation: such activities reduce the land’s natural ability to cool itself.
- Rising Humidity Levels
The humidity in the atmosphere is a crucial factor that helps to determine the severity of heat waves. For example, due to higher humidity, temperatures can feel much warmer than in reality through a heat index or feels-like temperature.
Warmer Oceans: The world’s oceans are absorbing much of the extra heat being added to the atmosphere by global warming. This can lead to an increase in the evaporation rate of oceans, thereby contributing to more moisture in the atmosphere and increasing United States humidity, especially during heat waves.
Feedback Loops: Increased humidity also gives birth to feedback loops. As an instance, with increased temperatures, there is more water evaporating or being absorbed; this traps heat in the air, thus leading to the raising of temperature.
- Global Feedback Mechanisms
There are various global feedback mechanisms that further the rate at which heat waves rise. These include:
Permafrost Melting: As the Earth’s temperature increases, the permafrost in the Arctic regions begins to melt, releasing methane into the atmosphere—an extremely potent greenhouse gas. This subsequently hastens the process of global warming, further enriching the factor that creates more frequent and intense heat waves.
Ice-Albedo Feedback: The melting of polar ice decreases albedo on Earth, its general reflectivity of sunlight. Dark ocean water and land absorb heat more than ice does; hence, the more intensive warming causes more frequent heat waves.
Implication of Increased Heat Waves
The increase in heat waves poses serious health and environmental risks.
Health Risks: Continuous exposure to high temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and sometimes death. Some of the more vulnerable groups include the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing health conditions or illnesses.
Economic Impact: Heat waves dramatically interfere with each person’s daily life and productivity at work, with affected agriculture, energy supply, and the need for air conditioning, which increases demand for energy, moreover, leading to power outages and higher electricity rates.
Environmental Impact: Such extremely long heat waves can result in the occurrence of droughts that may completely affect water supply and agriculture. They also escalate the danger of fire, which destroys the forests more, as well as homes and animal habitats.
Conclusion
Climate change underlies this increase in frequency and intensity of heat waves. Although there is an element of natural variability, the main reason is human undertakings leading to global warming, the growth of cities, and land use changes. Heat waves can only be contained if the forces causing them are reduced. This can be achieved by cutting back on GHG emissions, advocating for sustainable urban plans, and intensifying global efforts aimed at lessening climate change. Knowing why the increase in number of heat waves can help us to take measures appropriate to protect our world and future generations.READ MORE BLOGS
