Climate change has caused many debates the world over in the last few decades. And there is now very little doubt that climate change is caused by human action.
Climate change has always been something I am interested in. After all, we only have one Earth. There is hardly a place on Earth now that is not affected by the pollution made by man. One of the biggest effects of climate change is obviously warmer temperatures. As the newspapers this week confirmed, January has broken records in New Zealand (NZ) with an extremely sunny and dry month. The fifth of January saw a 35.1 degree Celsius high recorded in Clyde near central Otago. That far down south is saying something!!
And again hitting the papers this week is record-sized fish being caught in NZ's warm waters. Scientists are saying that NZ is lurching into a drought on the back of a likely El Nino global weather system. Because of this, there are countless marlin, kingfish, tuna, and what was once considered rare, tropical fish swimming in NZ waters.
But what is an El Nino global weather system. An El Nino happens when the ocean and atmosphere change their regular patterns. When the ocean currents shift, areas of warm water slosh back and forth. This sloshing influences low-pressure in the atmosphere, and the consequence of this is a change in wind and rain patterns.
The name El Nino came about by Peruvian fishermen, who were the first to notice these irregular cycles of rising ocean temperatures as this determined the size of their catch. They named these irregular cycles El Nino, which is spanish for 'the Christ child' because they most often occur around Christmas. El Nino can cause intense storms and heavy rain, but more likely in NZ, warm, sunny weather, or droughts.
The world is getting warmer each year, and 2014 was the hottest recorded in 135 years. The water in the North Island this week touched on 24 degrees Celsius. This is 6 degrees higher than normal. Ocean environmentalists believe the warmth explains the unusually large marlin, and the return of tropical fish. An Aucklander is waiting for confirmation that she now holds the women's world record for catching the largest kingfish at 48.6kg. This was caught in the Bay of Islands.
While catching big fish, being able to swim longer over summer, and enjoying the intense summer may be a bonus for us all, but what does it actually mean for climate change?
Next week I will address the consequences of climate change itself on NZ and the world in more depth. Enjoy the warmth, as there is still more to come!
Rochelle Potter from Auckland is claiming a world record for this kingfish.
Hi Jaimi,
ReplyDeleteClimate change is certainly a huge debate! One that is hard to ignore. I have been hearing reports of a very hot summer all over NZ. I used to live in Central Otago and it can have very hot summers (along with cold winters), its not unusual for it to reach the early 30's but 35 degrees, thats pretty hot! And a harsh sun with that too. There is a lot about the climate change debate I still need to learn but it is scary to think about how it is is affecting the environment. You might remember a few years ago the two huge chunks of iceberg that floated up past the coast of Dunedin? It was very impressive to see but not so fun thinking about how that part of the world below NZ could be being affected by climate change....I look forward to reading your post next week!