Climate technology interesting facts. How climate is studied: interesting facts about climatology. Extreme weather

Climate is a complex, complex phenomenon therefore, its study requires knowledge from different fields of science. Investigating the climate, scientists consider various interconnected systems: the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere (snow and ice, also one of the shells of the Earth) and the biosphere. In order to competently analyze the interactions of all the forces that affect the climate of our planet, climatologists must be strong in physics, mathematics, chemistry, geology, biology and other scientific disciplines. Most often, climatologists work in interdisciplinary teams, where everyone is responsible for a specific area, but at the same time they are well versed in the specifics and subtleties of the scientific field of their colleagues. Even 20 years ago, scientists from other fields of science were engaged in climatology: meteorologists, oceanographers, ecologists, geologists, biologists and chemists. But over time, it became clear that all this is closely related. Processes in the ocean cannot be independent of what happens to forests and how this all affects the weather.

Climate and weather are not the same thing. If on Deribasovskaya good weather out of season, they often say “the climate is changing”, but these are still not climatic changes, but weather ones. But if we are talking about systematic changes in the weather that are observed over many years, then we are really talking about the climate. So, for climatologists, it is important how average temperatures and other indicators change over decades, whether this is a global trend or is characteristic only for a particular region. But air temperature is just a drop in the sea of ​​climatology. How will ocean warming in the tropics affect Arctic ice? How quickly is methane released into the atmosphere due to melting permafrost? How are droughts and hurricanes related to climate change? Climate reveals the interrelationship of various processes on Earth, which makes climatology a multifaceted, complex, very interesting and important science.

Climate change. The climate system is in a state of constant change, which is normal. The ice age was replaced by an interglacial, during which the Earth warmed up again for thousands of years. Today, however, the Earth is undergoing a unique climatic phase. Due to human efforts, the level of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere beats all records for the last 800 thousand years, and the rate of warming since the last century is 10 times higher than in all previous interglacial periods. Yes, scientists know that elevated greenhouse gas concentrations lead to global change. But no one has yet experienced the unprecedented rate at which greenhouse gases are now being released into the atmosphere. And the main question for today: what and how quickly should change on Earth?

Oceans of CO 2 . At least a quarter of the carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels is dissolved in the ocean. On the one hand, this smooths out fluctuations in the concentration of atmospheric CO 2 . On the other hand, it leads to ocean acidification, which affects its inhabitants. The process of ocean acidification (again, due to abnormally large emissions of carbon dioxide) affects the ecosystem of the underwater world so rapidly that many living organisms die before they have time to evolve.

Field work: risk and romance. Of course, climate scientists spend most of their working time in front of their computer monitors, studying data, communicating with colleagues, and making regular applications for scientific grants. But the situation changes dramatically when the time comes for field research. The “office” of a climatologist is transferred aboard a tiny ship that storms rough seas and oceans, or in a mosquito-besieged tent in a sultry tropical forest. A seconded climatologist must be able to handle a snowmobile, be ready to fly a “corner” and ride a mule. Fieldwork romance includes polar bears and poisonous snakes, sandstorms and treacherous thin ice. They say that strong family alliances are born among climate scientists: of course, having survived at least one joint research trip, you can confidently rely on a person and assume that you have gone through fire, water and copper pipes together.

Climate Modeling- one of the most important areas of climatology, in which super-computers play the main role. Using mathematical equations, taking into account the laws of physics and chemistry, scientists use computer technology to process huge amounts of data. As a result, a model is born that sheds light on the interaction of terrestrial systems and their influence on climate. You are likely underestimating the amount of information required to build a climate model. Absolutely everything is important in this matter: and how sunlight reflected off the ice, and how fast a cloud forms under certain conditions, and how water passes through leaves. The climate model can predict a lot - how certain external forces will affect temperature changes or other natural phenomena. But do not forget: the real world is still more complicated than any of the most cunning models.

Greenhouse effect. Emissions of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere have a strong impact on climate change, lead to the greenhouse effect and, as a result, to the ice age - so much is said about this today that it seems that it has always been known. However, the greenhouse effect itself was discovered in late XIX century, and data that the concentration of CO 2 in the Earth's atmosphere is constantly growing, were obtained only in the second half of the 20th century. It turns out that the greenhouse effect as a scientific object is only a little over a hundred years old.

A look into the past: paleoclimatology. High-tech instruments such as satellites and sensors track information about the Earth's climate for only a few decades, while climatology as a science is not interested in data that is hundreds or even millennia old, but how the climate has changed over millions of years. Paleoclimatology deals with this issue, which finds out the secrets of the past from nature itself, studying corals, tree rings, and fossils. The main tool of the paleoclimatologist is the bottom sediments of lakes and oceans. They contain particles that can tell about air temperature, winds and chemical composition water at different points in geological time. The same "archive" for paleoclimatologists is ice.

Science at the end of the world. Paleoclimatology consists entirely of field work. It's funny, but climate scientists themselves are incredibly dependent on weather conditions - being above the Arctic Circle, in extreme conditions, it is impossible to plan anything. Studying the elements, you have to be completely in its power.

Time climatologists think differently: in order to succeed in their profession, they need to operate not with some observable periods of time, but with tens of thousands of years. When studying global phenomena, one has to go beyond short-term thinking. It is good, of course, to live "here and now", but a climate scientist must consider any situation in the context of hundreds and hundreds of thousands of years.

Which is used to maintain the desired air temperature, both indoors and in transport and other equipment.

Most often, the air conditioner is used in the heat to maintain a lower temperature than in the open air, as well as in places where all year round the temperature is kept high.

When did the first air conditioner appear? Who made this invention popular? When did they start using air conditioning in cars? You will find answers to these and many other questions in our article:

Facts from the history of the air conditioner

1. The concept of "air conditioning", which implies maintaining a predetermined temperature, has existed for a long time.

The name of the device comes from the English phrase air conditioner(air = air, condition = condition). For the first time this word became known to the public in 1815, when the French Jeanne Chabannes became the owner of a patent for a method of air conditioning, as well as temperature control in dwellings and other premises.

2. The first industrial refrigeration machine was created in 1902 by the inventor Willis Carrier. He created his apparatus for the Brooklyn printing house.

However, this device was not created in order to create coolness in hot weather, but todeal with moisture, which adversely affected print quality.

3. The first building where an air conditioning system was installed was the building New York stock exchange . It happened in 1903.

4. In 1929, the General Electric Company released the first room air conditioner from which all modern split systems. Since ammonia was used in the device (its vapors are dangerous for humans), the company decided to install the compressor and condenser on the street.

5. In 1931, a safe for humans was synthesized freon. This helped create first window air conditioners, since all the necessary components were assembled in one package.

6. Until the early 1960s, american companies have led the way in innovative ventilation and air conditioning products. Then the championship passed to Japanese, which a little later determined the development vector of the modern climate industry.

7. The first air conditioner that could supply not only cold, but also hot air, was established in 1958 by a Japanese company Daikin who invented the first heat pump.

8. In 1961, a Japanese firm Toshiba became the first company to launch mass production air conditioning, which was divided into 2 blocks. Such a device quickly became popular, and its sales did not stop growing, since the noisier part of the device was installed on the street, which made split systems much quieter than windows.

9. In 1981, the same Toshiba company created a split system that made it possible to smoothly regulate power, and after 17 years such split systems occupied 95% of the entire Japanese market.

The first air conditioner in the car and other facts

10. Packard was the first automaker who started installing air conditioners in cars. At that time, the average cost of a car in the United States was $700, and an air conditioner for a car could cost as much as $250 (nearly a third of the cost of a car).

11. AT USSR air conditioners began to be produced in the early 1960s. But they were not used in houses or factories, but in missiles and ships. Only 10 years later they began to produce air conditioners for ordinary people.

12. Developments in the field of air conditioning have influenced development of medical technologies, extension medium duration life, reduction in the spread of diseases, which are common in hot climates. In addition, air conditioners have increased the productivity of employees.

13. Schoolchildren should thank air conditioners for summer vacation. Before the invention of air conditioning, it was too hot to have lessons at school, so the children were given a break. This tradition lives on to this day.

14. Movie theaters were among the first buildings to use air conditioners. In order to attract more people during the summer, they showed big budget films in summer. This is where the term "summer blockbuster" comes from - a blockbuster that launches in the midst of the highest-grossing summer season, which begins in April and ends in August.

Air conditioning and its impact on health

15. There would be no air conditioning many medicines- some medicines can only be examined in a cool room.

16. Every spring, air conditioners save millions of allergy sufferers creating clean, filtered air.

17. Before the invention of air conditioners, people kept some things in large ice cubes. When air conditioners were introduced, their cooling rating was based on the amount of ice it would take to create the same level of coolness.

18. Research scientists have shown that the invention of air conditioners reduced the level of natural heat tolerance in humans.

19. In the USA they created the smallest, and the largest air conditioner in the world. The large one is used for greenhouses where it is supported optimal humidity and temperature, and a small one is used in prison VIP cells.

20. Before the invention of air conditioners, houses were built with high ceilings, covered walkways between buildings and landscaping to keep you cool.

The diversity of Russia's climate in its different parts is explained by the vast expanses occupied by our country. We have everything - cold arctic zones, hot deserts, impassable forest jungles, endless plains, high mountains, deep lakes and mighty rivers. That is why the climatic diversity of our vast Motherland is so great.

1. The warmest winter on record was recorded in Moscow in 2014-2015. It was so warm that mushrooms and grass began to grow, and buds blossomed on the trees.
2. Judging by archival data, over the past 100 years, the average temperature in Russia has risen by one degree.
3. One of the most unpleasant things about the Russian climate is freezing rain. So, in 2010, he deprived the power supply of more than 400 thousand residents of the capital, caused the fall of thousands of trees and caused a lot of other damage.
4. In St. Petersburg, floods occur on average once a year. Over the past three centuries there have been slightly more than 300.
5. The Russian climate is not particularly dangerous. For example, destructive tornadoes, or tornadoes, like those that devastate the southern United States, we almost never have. But in 1904, a powerful tornado hit Moscow, destroying many houses.
6. In the south of Russia, the climate is rather mild. However, sometimes (on average three times in a hundred years) there are such cold winters that the Black Sea freezes for a short time (see).
7. The windiest place in Russia is Cape Taigonos in the Magadan Region. Wind gusts here reach 200 km / h, which, according to the standard classification, corresponds to a destructive hurricane.
8. The climate of Russia is also unique in that our country is the only one in the world through which eight climatic zones pass at once.
9. The harsh climate does not scare the Russians. Thus, Murmansk is the largest city in the world beyond the Arctic Circle.
10. The sunniest cities in Russia are Ulan-Ude and Khabarovsk.
11. The city of Verkhoyansk (Yakutia) is a settlement with the smallest number rainfall in Russia. But the winter here is long, and the snow always lasts more than six months (see).
12. The climate of Russia in the northwestern part of the country is often called rainy. However, in St. Petersburg, on average, not so much precipitation falls annually. In Severo-Kurilsk, for example, there are about 3 times more of them.
13. The hottest region of Russia is Kalmykia. Once a temperature record of +45.6 degrees Celsius was recorded here.
14. Mount Ai-Petri in the Crimea is the most foggy part of Russia, fog can be observed on it for about 260 days a year.
15. In Karelia, the average annual temperatures by months are completely identical to those in Finland (see).
16. Climate on Black Sea coast almost indistinguishable from the climate of the Greek or Bulgarian coast.
17. The village of Oymyakon in northern Russia is the coldest settlement in the world. The record negative temperature here is -71.2 degrees.
18. The climate of Russia is characterized by significant seasonal fluctuations, the difference between the average daily temperature in winter and summer reaches 36 degrees. According to this parameter, Russia ranks third among all countries of the world, second only to Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

Climate is the average weather conditions that can be observed in a certain area over a long period of time. In Africa hot climate, in Northern Russia - cold. Introducing Interesting Facts about the climate.

Temperature

The coldest inhabited place on Earth is the village of Oymyakon (Yakutia). The average temperature in January is 50 degrees below zero. The most low temperature was recorded in 1926 - minus 71 degrees.

The highest temperature in Russia was recorded in Kalmykia at the Utta weather station. In 2010, 45 degrees Celsius was recorded here in the shade.

There are two cities in Russia with a Mediterranean climate - Yalta and Sochi. It is interesting that in Yalta there is practically no rain in summer, all the clouds that come from the north stop at the line of the Crimean Mountains.

Winter in Russia in 2014-2015 was the warmest in the history of meteorological observations. The temperature was 4-7 degrees higher than usual.

In 1759-1760 the winter was very cold. Severe frosts, which reached 40 degrees, made it possible to make a scientific discovery - mercury froze in thermometers and scientists realized that it was metal. Prior to this, it was believed that mercury was not a metal.

In 2012, the Black Sea froze near Odessa. The last time such a phenomenon was observed was in 1977.

The hottest summer in Moscow was in 2010. The temperature was almost 8 degrees higher than the usual summer temperature. Fires broke out in the Moscow region. The rivers became so shallow that ships stopped sailing on them.

In 2012, in the Moscow region, the summer heat lasted from April to September.

In 1708, there were severe frosts in the winter, it is believed that there had not been such a cold winter for the previous 500 years. Severe frosts helped the Russians - the Northern War was on, the Russian army was retreating, but the Swedes stopped the offensive, as their army was left without supplies.

The highest temperature - almost 59 degrees Celsius was recorded in 1922 in the vicinity of the city of El Azizia (Libya). The lowest temperature was at the Soviet Antarctic station Vostok (1983), here it was almost 90 degrees below zero.

The absolute minimum in Moscow was recorded in 1940 - more than 40 degrees below zero, the hottest temperature was in 2010 - more than 38 degrees Celsius.

In 2010, the temperature in Kyiv was over 35 degrees, last time such heat was in 1881. In 2018, the meteorological summer in Kyiv lasted almost 7 months - from the beginning of April to the end of October. October 16 was 23 degrees, the previous record was recorded in 1916 - 22 degrees. Minimum temperature, which was recorded in the entire history of meteorological observations in Kyiv - 32 degrees below zero.

Precipitation

The foggiest place in Russia is Mount Ai-Petri, in 1970 there were 215 foggy days.

The foggiest place in the world is Newfoundland. More than 200 foggy days are observed here every year.

Severo-Kurilsk is the city with the highest rainfall in Russia (1844 millimeters). This is one of the least contrasting places in Russia in terms of the difference between winter and summer temperatures (the difference between the warmest and the most cold weather in a year - about 16 degrees). Average annual temperature- 3 degrees Celsius. There are many foggy days here, so this city can be considered the most foggy in Russia.

The smallest amount of precipitation falls in Verkhoyansk (Yakutia) (178 millimeters per year). There is little snow, but it lasts more than 200 days a year. In 1911, 45 millimeters of precipitation fell here, which is a record low amount of precipitation in the history of meteorological observations in Russia.

The most popular ski resort in Russia is Sheregesh (Kemerovo region), in the season 2014-2015 there were more than one million tourists. The average winter temperature is 17 degrees below zero. The thickness of the snow reaches four meters.

In 1908, a record level of the Moscow River was recorded - the water rose by 9 meters and flooded more than 15 square kilometers of the city.

For three hundred years of observations in St. Petersburg there were more than 300 floods. In 1824, the Neva rose more than 4 meters. Given that the city is located on a flat area with a small elevation difference, such a seemingly insignificant rise in the water level in the river led to the largest flood in the Northern Capital.

In 2010, it rained in Moscow in frosty weather (the so-called freezing rain). Ice sticking to the wires led to the fact that almost half a million Muscovites were left without electricity. Domodedovo airport was without electricity. Almost 5,000 trees could not withstand the ice load and fell.

The most thunderous city in Russia is Sochi, where up to 50 thunderstorms occur a year. The most thunderous area in Russia is the Medveditskaya ridge in the Volga region. The most thunderous place in the world is the Indonesian city of Bagor on the island of Java, where more than 300 thunderstorms occur a year (the record is 322 thunderstorm days). The most thunderous country is Uganda, there are about 250 thunderstorm days a year.

In 1944, snowflakes about 10 centimeters in diameter fell in Moscow.

The most high altitude snow was recorded in 1911 in the mountains of California (USA). The thickness of the snow cover exceeded 11 meters.

The largest hailstone fell in 1970 in the city of Coffeyville (Kansas, USA). Its weight is 750 grams.

On the island of Kauai (Hawaii, USA) there are up to 350 rainy days a year.

The largest amount of precipitation during one day was recorded on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. On March 15-16, 1952, 1870 millimeters of rain fell here. For Russia, the record amount of precipitation in one year is 1844 millimeters (Yuzhno-Kurilsk).

The largest amount of precipitation per month (9299 millimeters) was recorded in 1861 in the Indian city of Cherrapunji.

Weather

The sunniest cities in Russia are Ulan-Ude (Buryatia) (2797 hours per year) and Khabarovsk (2449 hours per year). The coast is one of the sunniest places in the world. Dead Sea(about 330 sunny days per year). The least sunny place is the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. Clear skies here about 12 days a year.

Eight passes through Russia climatic zones, is a world record.

In the 16th-17th centuries, a small glacial period. In 1600 in South America Huaynaputin volcano erupted, which led to an even greater cooling of the climate. In 1601, the Moscow River froze over on August 15. In 1601-1603, a significant amount of the crop died in Russia from a cold snap, up to 500 thousand people died of starvation. This led to the Bolotnikov uprising, the campaigns of False Dmitry I and False Dmitry II became possible due to unrest and political crisis, which were largely caused by climate change.

1816 was called the year without a summer. In the northeastern United States, snow fell all year round (of course, there were occasional snowfalls in the summer). In Europe, too, the summer was very cold. These were the consequences of the Tambora volcano eruption (Indonesia), which happened in 1815 and was the largest in the history of mankind.

The first newspaper in the world to publish a weather forecast (1861) was The Times (published in London). The author of the first forecast was Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy Robert Fitzroy ( known for who led a scientific expedition in which Charles Darwin took part). Since 1875, the weather forecast has been published on an ongoing basis. For the first time the weather forecast was shown on TV in 1936 (BBC TV channel, England).

Climate often affects human health. For example, asthmatics are more likely to endure asthmatic attacks in a dry, warm climate. Asthmatics feel better at salt lakes in Solotvyno (Transcarpathia, Ukraine), on the southern coast of Crimea (in summer), in Northern California, on the Red Sea coast in Egypt.

Wind

The windiest place in Russian Federation- Cape Taigonos (Magadan region). It often blows wind at a speed of 50 to 200 kilometers per hour. More than 100 kilometers per hour is already a hurricane.

In 1904, a tornado destroyed many buildings in Moscow. Karacharovo, Lyublino, Lefortovo, Sokolniki and other areas of the Russian capital suffered. During the tornado hail fell, individual ice floes reached a weight of 600 grams.

During the fire of 1812 in Moscow, several fires merged into one and a fiery tornado arose, the temperature inside which can reach 1000 degrees.

The tornado was first mentioned in Russian sources in 1406. The Trinity Chronicle reports that in Nizhny Novgorod a tornado carried a cart drawn across the Volga.

Waterspouts are rare in the Black Sea, but they are not too unusual. In 2010, a waterspout appeared on the Volga River.

In 1934, Mount Washington (USA) recorded a record wind that reached 104 meters per second (374 kilometers per hour), which is three times the minimum speed for a hurricane wind.

The climate on our planet is constantly changing, and in recent times the rate of these changes is accelerating. The global temperature is rising and this is having a negative impact on the world as a whole. In this review, there are "ten" facts that will give an understanding of how dangerous the changes taking place on the planet are.

1. Greenhouse effect

Heat waves are on the rise, both in number and duration, as well as the associated heatstroke and deaths. As cities around the planet experience the greenhouse effect during the summer, they are especially vulnerable.

2. Dengue fever

It would seem that developed countries have long forgotten about a number of diseases. But American scientists have begun to sound the alarm: the people of the United States are becoming more susceptible to dengue fever and malaria.

3. Fresh water

Although sea levels are rising, the presence fresh water decreases all the time. This happens due to the melting of ice fields, as well as drought.

4. Extreme weather

The frequency of extreme weather events is expected to increase every year. For example, tropical storms will occur more frequently and be more destructive. If the climate continues to change at the current rate, by 2050 the number of coral reefs in the ocean will be significantly reduced.

5. Ground smog

Warm stale air in cities increases the formation of ground smog. Half of the population in developed countries already lives in cities that do not meet generally accepted air quality standards, and in China this has already become a nationwide disaster.

6. Agreement between Tuvalu and New Zealand

Some island countries are already considering evacuation plans. For example, Tuvalu also concluded an agreement with New Zealand regarding resettlement in this country in the event of a complete flooding of the islands of Tuvalu, which are more and more submerged every year.

7. $700 billion down the drain

Climate change is hitting hard on many countries. By 2030 world economy, is projected to lose $700 billion due to costs associated with climate change.

8. Allergy season

Allergy season is getting longer. This has an adverse effect on the respiratory health of people suffering from allergies (which are almost half the population).

9. Food problem

Food problems may soon begin. First, more high temperatures increase the spread of foodborne diseases such as salmonellosis. And secondly, crop production around the world is heavily affected by droughts. Global harvests of wheat and corn are already declining around the world.

10. Demographics

Extreme weather and declining agricultural production in developing countries will start causing more conflict and migration. A discovery sea ​​routes in the Arctic due to receding ice could lead to issues of sovereignty and international conflicts. Desert expansion and rising sea levels will also lead to demographic and political problems due to higher levels of migration.

11. Flora and fauna

Many of the changes the planet is undergoing are irreversible. For example, completely disappear different kinds flora and fauna.

12. Arctic

By 2050, the Arctic will be almost completely ice-free in summer period. Already now, due to the melting of the ice, polar bears cannot hunt for food. This leads to their starvation and habitat reduction,

13. CO2

The acidity level of ocean water is rising due to rising sea levels. carbonic acid(due to CO2 in the atmosphere). This will have negative consequences for many species. marine life and fauna.

14. Polarization of society

The worst impacts of climate change will be on children, the elderly and the poor, as they will not be able to cope with drastic changes in food availability and drastic changes in living conditions. Climate change is likely to polarize society between those who will be able to cope with it (richer countries) and those who will not be able to do so (poor countries).

15. The death of 30% of plant and animal species

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has published a rather dire forecast. If their temperature predictions turn out to be correct, then end of XXI centuries, up to 30% of plant and animal species will completely die out.