A new study eventually resolved a long -term dispute in the scientific environment on the effect of increasing temperature on extreme precipitation. Its results not only confirm the theoretical expectations, but also exacerbate the anxiety about the increased sudden floods in the context of the global climatic crisis. About it reports Scitechdaily .
The key issue for many years has been how much the rainy intensity increases with fever. According to the classic ratio of Clausius-Clapeyron, each additional degree of heat allows the air to keep approximately 7% more water vapor. It is this moisture that becomes a source of heavy rains.
However, the study of 2008 on the basis of data from the Netherlands caused surprise - scientists recorded an increase in rainfall intensity up to 14% per degree, twice as much as the theoretical indicator. This gave rise to hypotheses about additional factors of influence, including thunderstorms or atmospheric instability.
The latest study conducted by an international team under the guidance of scientists from Potsdam University found that the key to understanding this paradox is the separation of precipitation types. They analyzed separately stratified (prolonged, uniform) and convective (thunderstorms, showers).
The results were clear: in each case the intensity of precipitation increases almost perfectly according to the theory of Clausius-Clapeine. Excessive growth recorded in previous studies is simply explained by the mixing of two different types of rains in statistics.
Thus, a dispute that lasted 17 years has been exhausted. However, the findings of scientists also give an alarm: in the future, given the projected warming, extreme rainfall will become more frequent and stronger. This is especially threatened by cities where storm infrastructure often does not withstand the load - it increases the risks of sudden floods.
