'Climate Change – an overview of the current state of knowledge'

Part of the School Seminar Series

Speaker: Professor Ulrich Cubasch, Institut für Meteorologie, Freie Universität Berlin

Ulrich is Coordinating Lead Author of
Chapter 1: Introduction - Underlying Scientific-Technical Assessment
WORKING GROUP I CONTRIBUTION TO THE IPCC FIFTH ASSESSMENT REPORT CLIMATE CHANGE 2013: THE PHYSICAL SCIENCE BASIS

Host: Gregor Leckebusch

In September 2013 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved a document, which gives an assessment of the current state of knowledge of climate change. In fourteen chapters, the report gives an overview of the observed climate change, and of the processes involved. It presents projections for the near-term and long-term future. The report states that the global warming since 1950 is unequivocal and that it is caused by the anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases. The effect of the warming can be seen in the ocean heat content, the snow- and sea ice cover and in the sea level. Model calculations suggest that a continued emission of greenhouse gases will cause further warming. Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Under a low emission scenario, it is possible that the global warming will stay below 2 0C. However, for the highest scenario, the temperature change might reach 6 0C at the end of this century. In the high demission scenario the Arctic will become almost ice free during the summer months by the year 2100.