4.12 Extreme Weather

A colorless, odorless gas naturally produced by living organisms and is also the result of the burning of fossil fuels.

A rapidly rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground and are often associated with supercell thunderstorms.

A rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rains and flooding.

Unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather conditions, such as extreme heat, intense rain or snow, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

A long-term increase in Earth’s average surface temperature primarily due to human activities.

The concentration has risen by more than 30% since preindustrial times and continues to grow by around 1 to 3 ppm per year.

Warmer temperatures allow for more evaporation, intensifying rain and snow, with precipitation being difficult to measure and varying greatly over small distances.

Even a small rise in average temperature can substantially boost the odds of extreme heat and reduce the odds of extreme cold.

Warmer temperatures allow more evaporation from bodies of water and help draw moisture from already-dry soils, which strengthens the effects of drought.

The carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuels mixes throughout Earth’s atmosphere, and its effect is most noticeable on temperatures averaged worldwide.