Climate ChangeScience

Hottest Day In 120,000 Years Of History Recorded, Scientists Issue Warnings

Earth has been heating up every year, and global warming has brought with it many dangerous effects on the climate. Ice caps of the Arctic and Antarctica have started to melt, the rising heat has reduced the crop yields of wheat and potato, it has caused two dangerous wildfires in the last year – remember Amazon and Australia?

While there are people who don’t believe in global warming, there are also scientists who just recorded the hottest day in the last 120,000 years!

Siberia is now as warm as Florida

Image Credit: National Geographic

The small Siberian town of Verkhoyansk recorded a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degree Celsius) which breaks the all-time record for the Arctic zone. It was later confirmed by Russian authorities and then the World Meteorological Organization.

While a new study was released which said that the Earth today is the hottest that it has ever been in the last 12,000 years. But remember that the Ice Age was ending 12,000 years ago and before that we had most of the Earth covered in ice. Which means that the hottest day compared to today was more than 120,000 years ago – before Ice Age even started.

How do they know what was the temperature in the history?

Image Credit: HBGT

This study used geological clues, fossil and pollen studies to determine the average temperature estimate of the entire history.

They observed that just the month of May had more temperature fluctuations than the last 50,000 years in the Arctic circle.

In 2020, we have seen a 9 degree higher average temperature as compared to the last 30 years.

Melting ice creates more heat which melts more ice, this is how

Image Credit: National Geographic

The scientists have also warned about a dangerous heat wave in the Arctic which is further melting the ice and increasing the temperature. As more ice is removed, the ground gets darker and it absorbs more heat from the sunlight. And the higher temperatures create more heat waves which melt more ice, and it keeps going on in a self-feedback loop.

Gavin Schmidt, the director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies said:

People in Norway are skiing in swimsuits

Image Credit: NBC

And the rising heat is a concern in all corners of the world. Just in 2020, Miami has experienced 121 warmest days in the history. In Norway, people are skiing on glaciers while wearing bathing suits.

 

Featured Image Courtesy: Telegraph

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