Global Warming Along the Gulf of Maine

This graph shows how the temperature in The Gulf of Maine has been increasing over the last 33 years due to global warming.

Have you ever thought about everything that is being affected by global warming? Have you ever wondered about the effect it is having on all nearby industries? Well, Maine is one of the largest affected, and quickest places warming in the world, due to global warming. Over the last 35 years. Since 2004 the Yarmouth sand bar has been warming faster than any other place on the planet. In 2012 the water temperature has been the highest average for over 150 yearrs, it hasn't ever been this warm since humans started recording it. For two years the shrimp industry has been down due to the warming temperatures that are making a shortage of shrimp.

Back in the late 1900’s, global warming has been starting to take place. It has been melting the icebergs in the North Pole have been melting. Polar bears have been losing their natural habitat. From all of this melting, it is making the water levels higher. And the whole world is being affected by it. The gulf of maine, is becoming one of the most highly affected places of global warming since 2004. The water temperatures have been rising higher than any other place in the world. If there weren't two very cold recent winters, there would be a very small chance of many native species still in survival. Not to mention, the depth of the water.

This has put an effect on all of the native water species. It has been attracting invasives. Once they come over on bats, or cargo. Now that the waters are warmer, invasive species can live and have a higher chance of survival. In 2012- 2013 the green crab population erupted all along the gulf of maine. They wiped out the entire soft shell clam population. Blue crabs have been appearing in lobster traps along the Chesapeake bay. Now, Asian shore crabs have been dominating the shores along the coast of New Hampshire. All of these invasives have been able to survive, due to the global warming.

The Gulf of Maine is also one of the very few places in the world that are fitting and able to sustain marine life. The Gulf has many great features such as:  geography, oceanography, climate, and geology. On a standard map, the Gulf looks like a little more than a section of the atlantic ocean. But on an ocean chart, the true identity is unfolded. Hidden under the waves, at the southern entrance to the gulf are to monstrous islands that have submerged into the gulf. The islands separate the gulf from the rest of the ocean. This has changed and shaped the oceans currents. It is like a semi enclosed sea, it has a mind and current of it’s own.There are only two deep water channels that connect the gulf to the Atlantic Ocean. The larger channel is twenty two miles wide. The channels usually flow cold water through that keeps the gulf with some cold water from the outside, to keep the water temperature from becoming too warm.

Because the Gulf was known for the frosty temperatures, due to the water being put into the gulf is coming from the arctic. Species like cod: salmon, herring, mackerel, lobster, and  a type of zooplankton called Calanus finmarchicus. None of these species could live anywhere south of Cape Cod. The climate further away is too warm for them to survive. The cold climate keeps away other species like jellyfish and Green crabs. Now that the gulf is warming, they are able to thrive in the gulf.

Works Cited

“Mayday.” Portland Press Herald. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. <http://www.pressherald.com/2015/10/25/mayday-gulf-maine-distress-six-part-series-from-colin-woodard/>.

Fatal Heat in the Persian Gulf

     1/19/15

Article Written by:                                                                                                                      Brandon Miller, CNN Meteorologist on CNN Space and Science

Date article was written: Wed October 20, 2015

Too Hot to Live?

Brandon Miller came upon a study which grimly predicts fatal temperatures in the Middle Persian Gulf and Middle East. According to the study, temperatures will continue to rise because of global warming. As it gets hotter, something bad happens to humans who are outside for six hours, If the temperature reaches 30 degrees celsius (95 degrees fahrenheit). After six hours of being outside, that temperature is fatal because when human sweat evaporates, it will no longer cool your body off. This might happen by 2100 because of rising global temperatures. However, there is still hope to reduce greenhouse gasses and possibly save the Middle East.

I chose this article because people continue to drive and generally don’t bike in my town. This is bad because it releases lots of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The people who are most likely to be affected are companies that produce high greenhouse gas emissions, like oil companies. Oils companies are very concentrated in the Middle East areas Many of these companies are based in the Middle East. But what is ironic is that these companies actually the reason that the Persian Gulf is ‘overheating’.This is bad for the companies, but is good because it will force them to lower their emissions: people are going to probably start shutting down their operation as global temperatures rise due to greenhouse gas emissions. This article affects me because I ride a bus or car almost every day. Overall, this will really make people stop and think about global warming.

My personal reaction to this is shock. People are trying to reduce greenhouse gasses, but I didn’t realize it would be too hot to live in the Middle East/Persian gulf area by 2100! I think this article might be a bit too exaggerated. I find it hard to believe that the Persian Gulf will be unlivable in 84 years. I think that most people around the world will start to stop and think about global warming, scientists and activists will rally and stop greenhouse gas emissions. I don't think that temperatures will possibly reach unlivable temperatures in 84 years. I think that there is an 90% chance that people will stop greenhouse gas emissions. I think that this article is in between pessimistic and optimistic, but mostly pessimistic. The author has the feeling that there is hope, but he is really negative opinion about the heat. He says things like, “it will literally become unlivable” and  ”and the most extreme days could exceed the lethal value of 35°C.”-Brandon Miller. Also, he said things like “All is not doom and gloom in the study, however.” I still think he is more pessimistic about the subject, but I am still optimistic. All of this news is bad, but the one pro is that it will make people all over the world think about global warming. Another thing that I noticed about Brandon’s writing is that he used the word climate change and global temperatures more often than the commonly used term global warming. I also noticed that Brandon wrote the article by describing the study, not writing the article as a study,so he didn’t use many scientific terms. Also, Brandon Miller wrote in a highly interesting way, and made me more concerned about “global temperatures.”

In all, I really think we should stop and think about what Brandon Miller has to say about global warming, and maybe even do something about it.

-Camden Olson

Here is a picture from the study that Miller based his thoughts around. See how the Persian Gulf gets hotter and hotter? The panels show how time progresses, and the hotter it gets, it gets more green, than orange, than red, then purple. The report is all in celsius.

http://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2833.epdf?referrer_access_token=ztQMuus6_kb8LU495zPFEdRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OZpZnipSID05z1sMtFpyQJIBXPEiHECZySbcPV-XkFfvyUJFaVkA-_XeKAl_M6N-1c9duFqg728Peji-5DQl_D3YgzlcKsAqKpfVWh1-6XfS378-kctc5W5bajbX3Wh9k8qwzU3x6vivYJRcJGu8jSoBxxu7x1pjfC3ndimcKxc4vqpetdBe8p9ioxG6eMNUz54BeWBxmMUXOW1c20Bx2V&tracking_referrer=www.scientificamerican.com

Link to the article

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/world/persian-gulf-heat-climate-change/index.html