This article contains too many or overly lengthy quotations for an encyclopedic entry.(May 2022) |
Climate change in Guam encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. territory of Guam.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that "[i]n the coming decades, changes in the earth’s atmosphere are likely to alter several aspects of life in Guam. The air and ocean are warming, sea level is rising, and the ocean is becoming more acidic. These changes are likely to damage or destroy much of Guam's coral reef ecosystems, increase damages from flooding and typhoons, reduce the availability of fresh water during the dry season, and make air temperatures uncomfortably hot more often than they are today". [1]
"Warming waters are likely to damage much of the coral around Guam. Average water temperatures around Guam have risen more than one degree over the last century, in addition to the year-to-year changes associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation ("El Niño"). Rising water temperatures harm the algae that live inside corals and provide food for them. The loss of algae weakens corals and can eventually kill them. This process is commonly known as "coral bleaching" because the loss of the algae also causes the corals to turn white. Coral bleaching is becoming more common around Guam, including record-breaking bleaching that has occurred throughout the western Pacific since 2013. Elevated water temperatures also cause outbreaks of diseases that can harm or kill corals. Increasing ocean acidity also damages corals. By changing the balance of minerals in sea water, higher acidity decreases the ability of corals to produce calcium carbonate, which is the primary component of their skeletons. The Pacific Ocean has become about 25 percent more acidic in the past three centuries, and acidity is likely to increase another 40 to 50 percent by 2100. Over the next 50 to 60 years, warming and acidification are likely to harm coral reefs around Guam and throughout the world, and widespread loss of coral is likely". [1]
"Warming and acidification could result in widespread damage to marine ecosystems. Guam is home to a diverse array of fish species. Sharks, rays, grouper, snapper, and hundreds of other fish species rely on healthy coral reefs for habitat. Reefs also protect nearshore fish nurseries and feeding grounds. A significant fraction of reef-dwelling fish are likely to lose their habitats by 2100. Increasing acidity would also reduce populations of shellfish and other organisms that depend on minerals in the water to build their skeletons and shells". [1]
As the climate changes, typhoons may cause more damage. Guam lies in one of the world's most active regions for tropical storms. In 2002, Typhoon Pongsona caused $700 million in damages, destroyed 1,300 homes, and left the island without power. In just the last few years, neighboring islands have suffered from some of the strongest and most damaging tropical cyclones ever recorded, including Super Typhoons Haiyan (2013), Maysak (2015), and Soudelor (2015). Although warming oceans provide typhoons with more potential energy, scientists are not yet sure whether typhoons have become stronger or more frequent. Nevertheless, wind speeds and rainfall rates during typhoons are likely to increase as the climate continues to warm. Higher wind speeds and the resulting damages can make insurance for wind damage more expensive or difficult to obtain.
Sea level has risen by about four inches relative to Guam's shoreline since 1993. If the oceans and atmosphere continue to warm, sea level around Guam is likely to rise one to three feet in the next century. Sea level rise submerges low-lying areas, erodes beaches, and exacerbates coastal flooding from typhoons and tsunamis. Coastal homes and infrastructure will flood more often as sea level rises because storm surges will become higher as well. Homes, businesses, roads, and the Port of Guam are vulnerable to the impacts of storms and sea level rise. The loss of coral reefs compounds this problem because reefs help protect the shore from waves and storm damage. As reefs die, they lose their structural integrity and provide less protection to the shore. If larger waves strike the shore, beaches will erode more rapidly.
"Average rainfall in Guam has increased slightly since 1950, but scientists are not sure whether total rainfall here will increase in the future. Nevertheless, Guam’s wet season may become wetter, while dry periods may become drier. Warmer temperatures tend to make both rainstorms and droughts more intense. Moreover, Guam’s climate tends to be dry during El Niño years and wet during La Niña years, and scientists generally expect the differences between El Niño and La Niña years to become greater in most places". [1]
"Inland flooding in Guam may increase as the climate changes. Heavy rainstorms occasionally overwhelm Guam’s rivers, streams, and urban storm drains, leading to damaging floods. Flooding is most common in the southern part of Guam, where the local bedrock is less permeable than the limestone in the north. This means that rainfall in the south runs off into rivers and streams instead of filtering into the ground. Flooding during the wet season could become worse as rainstorms become more intense. Conversely, water may be less available in the dry season. Less rainfall occurs during El Niño years, such as during the drought that affected the island in 2015–2016. Thus, if the El Niño cycle becomes more intense, less rain might fall during the dry season. Moreover, rising temperatures increase the rate at which water evaporates (or transpires) into the air from soils, plants, and reservoirs, which would further exacerbate drought conditions". [1]
"During droughts, rising sea level could make fresh water less available—particularly groundwater, which provides 80 percent of Guam's water supply. Most of Guam's fresh water comes from the northern part of the island, which has a "lens" of fresh groundwater floating on top of the heavier, saltier water. Some wells already produce salty water during dry periods when the freshwater lens becomes thinner; prolonged drought could make more of Guam's wells salty. Rising sea level could also cause salt water to infiltrate farther into the island's groundwater". [1]
"Warmer temperatures and changes in rainfall could expand, shrink, or shift the ranges of various plants and animals in Guam's forests, depending on the conditions that each species requires. Many tropical plants and animals could be threatened by warming, as they are accustomed to the temperatures that currently prevail in Guam, which are fairly steady year-round. It is unclear whether species could tolerate the weather often being warmer than it ever is today. Some native species could be crowded out by invasive species better adapted to the changing climate, and some could face extinction". [1]
The current and potential damage to reefs could affect Guam's tourist industry. A 2007 study estimated that reefs' economic value may be $2 million per square mile, both on account of tourism and their role as natural breakwaters. Bleaching of reefs may lead to declines in tourist revenue, a direct economic impact. [2]
Climate change could also affect the military bases on Guam. A 2012 study of American military installations found that Guam's were in the top five most vulnerable to climate change, due to coastal flooding, erosion, and extreme weather events. [2]
In 2019, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero created a resiliency commission on climate change via executive order. The commission was given a broad mandate, intended to lead on both the issues of sustainability and emissions as well as issues of adaptation, conservation, and land use. The order followed protests at the Guam legislature the week prior, with protestors including the general public and members of the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance. [3]
As of 2017, two studies were in progress to evaluate the effect of climate change adaptation in Guam. One involves adaptation of coastal infrastructure for tourist areas, while another is led by the Pentagon to better understand the effect of climate change on freshwater sources on the island. [2]
El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, including the area off the Pacific coast of South America. The ENSO is the cycle of warm and cold sea surface temperature (SST) of the tropical central and eastern Pacific Ocean. El Niño is accompanied by high air pressure in the western Pacific and low air pressure in the eastern Pacific. El Niño phases are known to last close to four years; however, records demonstrate that the cycles have lasted between two and seven years. During the development of El Niño, rainfall develops between September–November. The cool phase of ENSO is Spanish: La Niña, lit. 'The Girl', with SSTs in the eastern Pacific below average, and air pressure high in the eastern Pacific and low in the western Pacific. The ENSO cycle, including both El Niño and La Niña, causes global changes in temperature and rainfall.
The demographics of Guam details an array of demographic statistics relating to the territory of Guam. This includes statistics on population, including the Indigenous population; religious affiliations; language; and immigration. Furthermore, The Demographics of Guam provides an overview of the history of Guam, as well as a depiction of the villages in the United States territory and its populace. The population of Guam, as of July 2021 was 168,801, based on data procured from the CIA World Factbook. While there are no large cities in Guam, however the populace resides in villages. The most populated village in Guam is Dededo, with a population of 44,943 in 2010. The Indigenous people of Guam are known as the Chamorro people, and are the largest ethnic group in Guam, however this group is categorised as a minority in the United States territory. The mean age in the territory of Guam is 31.4 years. Guam is in the Mariana Islands, and is the largest and most populated of the territories in this location.
Coral bleaching is the process when corals become white due to various stressors, such as changes in temperature, light, or nutrients. Bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel the algae (zooxanthellae) that live inside their tissue, causing the coral to turn white. The zooxanthellae are photosynthetic, and as the water temperature rises, they begin to produce reactive oxygen species. This is toxic to the coral, so the coral expels the zooxanthellae. Since the zooxanthellae produce the majority of coral pigmentation, the coral tissue becomes transparent, revealing the coral skeleton made of calcium carbonate. Most bleached corals appear bright white, but some are pastel blue, yellow, or pink due to proteins in the coral.
The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), also known as the Indian Niño, is an irregular oscillation of sea surface temperatures in which the western Indian Ocean becomes alternately warmer and then colder than the eastern part of the ocean.
Natural catastrophe in India, many of them related to the climate of India, cause massive losses of life and property. Droughts, flash floods, cyclones, avalanches, landslides brought by torrential rains, and snowstorms pose the greatest threats. A natural disaster might be caused by earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruption, landslides, hurricanes etc. In order to be classified as a disaster, it will need to have a profound environmental effect and/or human loss and frequently incurs a financial loss. Other dangers include frequent summer dust storms, which usually track from north to south; they cause extensive property damage in North India and deposit large amounts of dust and dirt from arid regions. Hail is also common in parts of India, causing severe damage to standing crops such as rice and wheat and many more crops.
The 2014–2016 El Niño was a warming of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean that resulted in unusually warm waters developing between the coast of South America and the International Date Line. These unusually warm waters influenced the world's weather in a number of ways, which in turn significantly affected various parts of the world. These included drought conditions in Venezuela, Australia and a number of Pacific islands while significant flooding was also recorded. During the event, more tropical cyclones than normal occurred within the Pacific Ocean, while fewer than normal occurred in the Atlantic Ocean.
Ocean acidification threatens the Great Barrier Reef by reducing the viability and strength of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef, considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a biodiversity hotspot, is located in Australia. Similar to other coral reefs, it is experiencing degradation due to ocean acidification. Ocean acidification results from a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is taken up by the ocean. This process can increase sea surface temperature, decrease aragonite, and lower the pH of the ocean. The more humanity consumes fossil fuels, the more the ocean absorbs released CO₂, furthering ocean acidification.
Climate change in Delaware encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Delaware.
Climate change in Georgia encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Georgia.
Climate change in Louisiana encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Louisiana.
Climate change in Maine encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Maine.
Climate change in Mississippi encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Mississippi.
Climate change in Puerto Rico encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
Climate change in South Carolina encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of South Carolina.
Climate changein the Caribbean poses major risks to the islands in the Caribbean. The main environmental changes expected to affect the Caribbean are a rise in sea level, stronger hurricanes, longer dry seasons and shorter wet seasons. As a result, climate change is expected to lead to changes in the economy, environment and population of the Caribbean. Temperature rise of 2 °C above preindustrial levels can increase the likelihood of extreme hurricane rainfall by four to five times in the Bahamas and three times in Cuba and Dominican Republic. Rise in sea level could impact coastal communities of the Caribbean if they are less than 3 metres (10 ft) above the sea. In Latin America and the Caribbean, it is expected that 29 – 32 million people may be affected by the sea level rise because they live below this threshold. The Bahamas is expected to be the most affected because at least 80% of the total land is below 10 meters elevation.
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Climate change in Taiwan has caused temperatures in Taiwan to rise by 1.4 degrees Celsius the last 100 years. The sea around Taiwan is to rise at twice the rate of the global sea level rise. The government pledged to reduce emissions by 20% in 2030 and 50% in 2050, compared to 2005 levels.
The poleward migration of coral species refers to the phenomenon brought on by rising sea temperatures, wherein corals are colonising cooler climates in an attempt to circumvent coral bleaching, rising sea levels and ocean acidification. In the age of Anthropocene, the changing global climate has disrupted fundamental natural processes and brought about observable changes in the submarine sphere. Whilst coral reefs are bleaching in tropical areas like the Great Barrier Reef, even more striking, and perhaps more alarming; is the growth of tropical coral species in temperate regions, which has taken place over the past decade. Coral reefs are frequently compared to the "canaries in the coal mine," who were used by miners as an indicator of air quality. In much the same way, "coral reefs are sensitive to environmental changes that could damage other habitats in the future," meaning they will be the first to visually exhibit the true implications of global warming on the natural world.
Climate change in Fiji is an exceptionally pressing issue for the country - as an island nation, Fiji is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, coastal erosion and extreme weather. These changes, along with temperature rise, will displace Fijian communities and will prove disruptive to the national economy - tourism, agriculture and fisheries, the largest contributors to the nation's GDP, will be severely impacted by climate change causing increases in poverty and food insecurity. As a party to both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Climate Agreement, Fiji hopes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 which, along with national policies, will help to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Climate change in Pennsylvania encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.