Lauren Arkell, Hailey Holck
Faculty Sponsor: A. Malcolm Campbell
Extreme Weather Comes From Climate Change
Extreme rainfall can destroy homes, induce flooding, and put lives at risk. Climate change affects the intensity and frequency of rainfall and many other global phenomena. An extreme rainstorm is a two-day event where the measured rainfall occurs once every 5 years on average. The amount of rainfall needed to classified a storm as an extreme event depends on location. A team of over 300 experts recorded the number of heavy precipitation events in the US and published their 2013 findings in the National Climate Assessment. The percent of extreme rainstorms from 1900 to 2010 has increased since the 1960’s, and the largest number of extreme rainstorms was recorded in the 2000’s.
Climate Change Is Changing Our Oceans
Oceanic pH has been dropping in recent years as a result of increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations. But what are the implications for ocean acidification on ocean life? Today, the Great Barrier Reef has been in the news because it is dying. Coral death has resulted from increased bleaching—a process wherein coral release vital algae. Without algae, coral die. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that a lower pH causes coral bleaching.