Weather and Climate

Precipitation
Relief rainfall
Warm moist maritime air is forced to rise when it hits a coastal mountain barrier.
As air rises, it cools. When it cools to dew point temperature, condensation
occurs, forming water droplets that condense around microscopic nuclei. The
water droplets merge and grow in size to form clouds. When the clouds become
too heavy, relief rain falls on the windward slope. As air descends on the leeward
side of a mountain range, it becomes compressed and warmed. Condensation
ceases, creating a rain shadow area where little rain falls, and also bringing
warm, dry wind with it.

Convectional Rainfall
On a hot day, the air in contact with the warm ground is heated through
conduction. This warm air has a higher temperature than the surrounding air and
rises. It is said to be unstable. This unstable moist warm air rises as a convection
current. As it rises, it cools. The air reaches dew point temperature, causing
water vapour to condense into water droplets around particles such as dust and
smoke. The water droplets form towering cumulonimbus clouds. When the
clouds get too heavy, convectional rain falls.

Frontal Rainfall
When two air masses, the warm air and the cold air, meet, the less dense warm
front advances and rises over cold air, which is denser and heavier. As warm air
rises it is cooled and condensation takes place. Continued condensation leads to
the growth of water droplets and when heavy enough these fall as rain.

Monsoons
Southwest monsoon
SW monsoon occurs during June and September, when it is summer in the
northern hemisphere. The air over Central Asia heats up expands and rises,
forming a region of low pressure over the area. During the same period, the
southern hemisphere is experiencing winter. The low temperature causes the air
to be cold and dense, exerting a greater force on the earths surface. This results
in an area of high pressure over Australia. Due to the difference in pressure
between Central Asia and Australia, air from Australia moves to the Indian
subcontinent and Central Asia as the southeast monsoon winds. As soon as the
winds cross the Equator, the Coriolis Effect deflects the winds to the right. These
winds become the southwest monsoon winds and warms up as they head for
Central Asia. The warm air picks up moisture as it travels over the Indian Ocean
and brings heavy rain to the Indian sub-continent.

Northeast monsoon
NE monsoon occurs during October and February, when it is summer in the
southern hemisphere. The air over Australia heats up expands and rises, forming
a region of low pressure over the area. During the same period, the northern
hemisphere is experiencing winter. The low temperature causes the air to be cold
and dense, exerting a greater force on the earths surface. This results in an area
of high pressure over the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia. Due to the
difference in pressure between Central Asia and Australia, air from the Indian
subcontinent and Central Asia moves to Australia as the northeast monsoon
winds. As soon as the winds cross the Equator, the Coriolis Effect deflects the
winds to the left. These winds become the northwest monsoon winds and warms
up as they head for Australia. The warm air picks up moisture as it travels over
the Indian Ocean and brings heavy rain to Australia.

Climate Change
Reasons
Natural
Volcanic eruptions
When a volcano erupts, large volumes of carbon dioxide, water vapour sulphur
dioxide and ash are released into the atmosphere. Sulphur dioxide reacts with
water to form sulphur-based particles in the atmosphere. Together with dust and
ash, these particles reflect solar energy back into pace. This results in global
dimming, which is the gradual reduction in the amount of sunlight reaching the
earths surface. For example, when Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, 17 million
tonnes of sulphur dioxide was released into the atmosphere. This formed sulphur
based particles that spread around the earth and reflected solar energy back into
space and lowered temperatures in the northern hemisphere by as much as
0.6oC.
However, volcanoes rarely have long-lasting consequences on the climate. This
is because the temporary global cooling effect will cease once the volcanic dust
and ash settle. For example, two years after Mt Pinatubo erupted, the global
climate returned to its original state.
Manmade
Burning fossil fuels
Fossil fuels are formed from dead organic matter that has decomposed over
many millions of years. The major fossil fuels are oil, coal and natural gas. The
burning of fossil fuels produces a large count of energy that I important for
human activities. The energy produced in then used in various industries such as
transportation. Fossil fuels are so important that it is estimated that it produced
80% of global energy. Due to their high carbon content, fossil fuels contribute to
the increase in greenhouse gases by producing large amounts of carbon dioxide

when burnt. The burning of fossil fuels is the highest contributor of greenhouse
gases. For example, in 2010, the global carbon emissions totalled 30.6 billion
tonnes, which was a 5.6% increase from 2009.

Deforestation
Deforestation is the loss of forests due to the removal or clearance of trees in
forested areas. Trees are felled for their wood to make products such as paper
and building materials. Trees are also removed to clear the areas for mining
activities, the grazing of animals, the planting of crops and the construction of
infrastructure. For example, near to 750,000 km2 of the Amazon rainforest was
destroyed to make way for cattle ranching. Forests absorb billions of tonnes of
carbon dioxide every year via photosynthesis, thus taking in a significant amount
of global greenhouse gas emissions. With deforestation, there are fewer trees
and other plants to absorb carbon dioxide leading to an increase in carbon
dioxide levels in the atmosphere
Agriculture
Agricultural activities can often contribute to global warming. The use of
machinery, cultivation of plants and the rearing of animals can emit greenhouse
gases that contribute to global warming. For example, in rice cultivation, tractors
that run on fossil fuels release carbon dioxide. The use of inorganic fertilisers
increases the amount of nitrous oxide in the soil. Organic matte such as dead
leaves releases methane during decomposition. Decomposition is rapid in the
rice fields due to the high level of moisture in the soil. Cattle ranching also
contribute to global warming. A study in 2008 showed that every cow produces
1000-800 litres of methane emissions every day.
Industries
Industries refer to the production of foods and services within a country.
Secondary industries, which are industrial economic activities such as
manufacturing, involve the burning of fossil fuels that result in greenhouse gas
emissions. For example, the manufacturing of a computer and a monitor
produces 250 kg of CO2 equivalent.
Urbanisation
Urbanisation is the process by which an increasing number of people live in
urban area such as cities or towns. Large amounts of fossil fuels are burnt to
provide energy for household activities in urban areas such as cooking and
lighting. The high concentration of cars in the areas also contributes to the
emissions of greenhouse gases.

Impacts
Sea level rise
Sea level rise is the increase in the mean height of the seas surface between
high tide and low tide relative to land. The main cause of sea level rise is higher
global temperatures that result from global warming. The rising sea levels have a
negative impact on places where humans live, especially low lying or coastal
areas. Over 600 million people worldwide live in areas less than 10m above sea

levels. Two thirds of the worlds largest cities located in coastal areas are also at
risk due to rising sea levels. According to IPCC, 33% coastal land and wetland
habitats are likely to be lost in the next hundred years if the sea levels continue
to rise at current rates

Spread of some infectious insect-borne diseases

Climate change could result in increased temperatures and rainfall in various
parts of the world, which in turn may lead to the spread of malaria and dengue
fever. Heavy rainfall provide favourable conditions for mosquitoes to grow in
numbers in aquatic habitats, resulting in the spread of malaria and dengue fever.
The distribution of the occurrence of infectious insect-borne diseases is also
changing. Regions with moderate temperatures, such as Europe and North
America are facing diseases once confined to the tropics. For example, dengue
fever was reported I the cool climate areas of Nepal and Bhutan for the first time
in 2004
Lengthening the growing season
Higher temperatures may result in longer growing seasons in some regions. The
growing season refers to the period during which crops can be grown. For
example there can be an increase in the types of crops grown in the United
Kingdom, including the blackberries and maize. The production of fruit, soya
bens and potatoes are also expected to increase in Canada. Germany, once
considered to be too cold for wine-making, now is able to due to the increase in
global temperatures resulting from climate change.