Ecology in the news tasksheet - Essay Example

Ecology in the News Tasksheet Lightning Expected To Increase By 50 Percent with Global Warming Modern climate models are predicting an increase in the lightning strikes due to global warming (Romps et al., 2014). The issue is of great importance owing to the relevance of climate change in the modern world. Scientists collected findings from various climate models where they look at cloud buoyancy and precipitation. The combined effects of cloud buoyancy, and precipitation increase electrical discharges that reach the ground (University of California, 2014).

Therefore, global warming is going to cause more harm to the environment than previous predictions. The underlying assumption is that warming makes thunderstorms more explosive. The increased water vapour as one of the greenhouse gases fuels the explosion that causes lightning (Romps et al., 2014).. Anthropogenic activities on the environment are the main reason as to why the world is recording increased atmospheric temperatures. On the other hand, the issue qualifies to be of great importance since lightning is one of the environmental problems.

Though lightning injuries and accidents are natural calamities, destructive human activities on the environment are increasing the intensity of thunderstorms and lightning the (University of California, 2014). Therefore, an increase in lightning intensity and frequency mean more harm in the form of human injuries. Annually, thousands of people succumb to lightning injuries. The implication is that many will lose their lives if the trend continues in the future. A significant environmental impact of lightning is the increase in wildfires (Romps et al., 2014)..

Lighting ignited forest fires are always hard to fight, and they are more destructive to the natural vegetation. However, one advantage of lightning strikes is the additional nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere thus controlling the chemistry of the atmosphere. Alternatively, it is possible to argue that seasonal temperature variations are the reason behind increased lightning. Though this journal ascertains that the projected increase in lightning strikes is due to precipitation and cloud buoyancy, scientists, and meteorologists have not done reliable analyses to predict what the future holds for humanity.

However, studying atmospheric properties like the cloud buoyancy and precipitation may give a clue on what thunderstorm and lightning intensities may look like in future (Romps et al., 2014). Nonetheless, it necessary to understand that charge separation that occurs within the clouds causes lightning. Therefore, it takes a good amount of water vapour as well as ice particles to ignite the process. In this case, more vapour draughts and precipitation translates to increases in lightning intensity.

The scientists behind this assumption presumed that the speed of convective clouds depends on CAPE (convective available potential energy) which measures the potential explosiveness of the atmosphere (University of California, 2014). Therefore, the scientists concluded that CAPE and precipitation could help them predict future lightning. The issue of lighting is of great importance to ecology owing to destructive effects of lightning on the environment. Increased lighting strikes will be destructive to natural environments especially from wildfires (University of California, 2014).

On the other hand, wildfires imply that there will be destruction to habitats and loss to biodiversity. Moreover, human injuries and deaths bring more suffering to humanity. In this case, humankind will be paying the price for destroying the environment. Increased water vapour into the atmosphere is because of anthropogenic activities like industrialisation and urbanisation. Nonetheless, one of the indicators of climate change is a change in precipitation patterns. The intensity of precipitation has increased significant with global warming.

According to scientific research, lighting depends on precipitation but climate change has changed the pattern, and the implication is that there will be increased lighting strikes in the future.ReferencesRomps, D. M., Seeley, J. T., Vollaro, D. & Molinari, J. (2014). Projected increase in lightning strikes in the United States due to global warming. Science, 346(1), 6211.University of California, (November 13, 2014). Lighting expected to increase by 50 percent with global warming. Retrieved on 14th November 2014 from http://www.

sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141113142112.htm