The reasons mentioned and taught to us for global warming and climate change are mostly human activities related, but ever wondered that there can be natural causes for it as well?
A study by Dr Indrani Roy at the University of Exeter, suggests that some natural phenomena such as solar eleven-year cycles and strong volcanic explosions, play important roles in the recent climate change and have been underestimated.
All existing studies focus on the consequences of human activities and the rise in CO2 in the atmosphere as the main reasons behind the rise of the global temperature.
However, as suggested by Dr Roy, the role of the natural factors in climate change should be given more prominence.
“So what factors are missing? It is a puzzle of recent slowdown of global warming trend or Hiatus and this study addresses that issue”, said Dr Roy in the research that was published in the leading journal Frontiers.
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Dr Roy looked specifically at the data between the years 1976 and 1996, which not only covered two full strong solar cycles and two explosive volcanic eruptions during active phases of those cycles, but also matched a period of abrupt global warming. These data were compared with other periods.
The research highlighted the important roles that El Nino and its associated water vapour feedback played in the global warming within the chosen period.
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The study suggests that the explosive volcanoes seen during this phase changed the sea level pressure around the North Atlantic and kick-started a ‘chain mechanism’ that played a crucial role.
Dr Roy added that the change in Indian Summer Monsoons and El Nino connection during that abrupt warming period, and a subsequent recovery thereafter, can also be explained by this ‘chain mechanism’.