Hallie Young
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The general trend in hot weather extremes, heavy precipitation, and drought with an increase in global temperatures
No region with decrease in hot weather extremes since 1950
Many hot weather regions confident it is anthropogenic
Pretty much everywhere getting hotter
We’re already at about ~1.0c 1.2c hotter 28 times more likely
Extreme events: x-year events, happen every x years on average. When just 1.2c hotter, 10 year event 2.8 times more likely to occur! Frequency increase and intensity increase. Bith will happen more and be more extreme when occur
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Which areas in the US have so far seen the biggest changes in hot extremes, heavy precipitation, and drought, respectively?
Hot places getting hotter, wetter wetter, dry drier
hot extremes: western us
drought: north(???) western us
precipitation: eastern/northern us
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How are vegetation biomes expected to shift in a warmer climate?
Prediction of poleward shift of biomes; biomes move further and further upward
Tundra will be replaced with taiga
Species in higher latitudes now might be replaced by lower lat species later as they move up
Overall greening but also increase in respiration
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How will species living at high latitudes or high altitudes likely be affected in a warmer climate?
High lat being replaced with low lat animals
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How is the occurrence of wildfires likely to change in a warmer climate?
More occurrence of wildfires
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What is coral bleaching?
Rising temperature->coral bleaching. Colored symbiotic zooxanthellae are expelled from coral polyps. Can mean coral dies because eject zoo at certain temp threshold
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What is ocean acidification, why is it increasing, how does it affect marine organis
As more carbon enters the ocean, it chemically changes ocean composition and makes it more difficult for calcifying organisms (like crustaceans, corals, etc) to make their calcified shells or secrete calcium carbonate (caco3). Also makes it more likely for this carbonate to dissolve. This hurts not only the animals who need it, but the larger ecosystem that feeds on these smaller organisms
