Global Warming

The Earth is not a planet, since the ages similar climatic conditions have prevailed. After their formation prevailed for millions of years, conditions which apply to any life form would have been immediately fatal. Only time formed external circumstances, the favorable for the spread of the first unicellular organisms were. Since the blue planet is subject to constant change. In addition to large-scale fluctuations of the global climate, such as ice ages are also in smaller intervals of a few centuries, significant changes detectable. Indeed, the “little ice age” between the 14th and 19 Century, a previously unknown cold wave over Europe.

The reasons for climate variations are endless. The most prominent external perpetrators of radical climate change was the impact of an asteroid in the territory of today’s Mexican Yucatan peninsula, probably also for the extinction of the dinosaurs was responsible. When 65 million years before the impact took place almost abruptly disappeared, the largest share of country living and over 70 percent of all life on earth.

Further increasing the indications today that the sun is a crucial influence on the climate of the earth. It undergoes a cycle of eleven years in which they are of the highest to the lowest activity changes. If the particles of solar wind to penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere, they can also influence the weather.

The man and the climate
The exciting question now: What is the role of humans in climate change? Since 1976 there is a significant warming of the climate. In the entire 20th Century the average temperature rose by about 0.6 degrees Celsius. By the year 2100, as current calculations, the earth could be the continuation of current trends for further 1.4 to 5.8 ° C have. This would have unpleasant consequences: The polar caps would be a partial melting and global sea level rise, which increases for floods would provide.

In addition, increased but also the evaporation rate and thus the formation of clouds, with the number of strong low pressure zones would increase. This would reduce the increase in extreme weather events such as storms, hurricanes, droughts and floods will benefit. With stronger winds and storms would increase soil erosion and thus the desertification, the growth of deserts, encourage and valuable agriculturally usable land and settlements destroyed.

The effects of global warming would be so devastating. The extent to which trends in the 20th Century as the beginning of global warming are good, depends above all on a complete and accurate measurement. This satellite will play a key role, as they trouble us a global view of our blue planet can provide.

As time is pressing, earth observation satellites are currently among the most important projects within the civil aerospace. In addition to NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) is currently in the process with its Living Planet Program, a new chapter of Erderforschung einzuläuten. Already in 2002, launched large-scale satellite ENVISAT is in a position, a large part of the earth’s weather and climate features in almost real time to measure.

The first time in history, the surface temperature of the Earth with the help of NASA satellites over 18 years measured (1981 to 1998). The detailed record showed that within this period the surface temperature of the snow-free regions has increased. The overall metrics are important elements for future climate analysis and computer models. However, those temperature values that are measured by ground stations have been very helpful. Because of these values could complement the satellite measurements. For the measurements on the ground, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is responsible. For all measurements of the WMO has been measured the same principle. Not the soil temperature was recorded, but the temperature is two to three meters above the ground. The satellite, however, had the task of the soil temperature to be measured.

With the help of other satellite measurements of sea could also be regions or dense cloud regions, the average temperature to be measured. These data give the scientists particularly about information which meteorological influences the demonstrated temperature increases have caused. However, not all regions in the world equally affected. In the central regions of Asia and North America have been slight cooling observed. A major problem for the satellite was the winter. Because of the snowy regions could be so far no clear results. Only for the long snow-free regions such as Africa could be used exact values.

Up to the impact of emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is clearly linked to global warming related, it is probably still some time. However, even without a clear and substantiated evidence that human activities have a major influence on the climate and therefore on the lives of the world.