An increasingly large amount of scientific research, published since the IPCC 4th Assessment Report was released in 2007, shows that climate change is occurring right now, and that it is much faster than predicted only two years ago.
The evidence for this statement comes from many areas. The most important ecosystems currently undergoing change include:
-Multiple ecosystems, in multiple locations, now show the effects of global warming. Examples include the timing of plant flowering, animal breeding, and lake thawing.
-Warmer ocean surface temperatures in Pacific & Atlantic hurricane-formation zones leading to stronger storms are significantly linked to human-induced warming.
-Ocean acidification is happening rapidly, as a result of CO2 in large amounts being dissolved in sea water. This will have massive changes on marine ecosystems and also food security for many nations.
-Expected sea-level elevation over the next few decades will be greater than that predicted in 2007. It will probably increase a metre or more, according to recently published research.
-The increased melting of the Greenland ice sheet which began in the summer of 2004 has been definitely related to global warming.
-West Antarctica has melted at an accelerated rate since 1999 and has suffered 10 major ice shelf collapses since then. After an ice shelf collapses there is a rapid and marked acceleration of glacial flows, contributing to sea level increases.
-Sea-ice in the Arctic is disappearing much quicker than previously estimated, and it is almost a given that this area will be ice-free in summer within a few decades.
-Permafrost in the Arctic Circle is thawing much quicker than recently thought, and is releasing larger amounts of greenhouse gases than predicted.
The warming that is now taking place is expected to go on for many centuries, after all human-sourced CO2 escape ceases. This is due to the significant delays that exist in the climate-ocean system, as well as the long half-life of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
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