Essay Sample on New Zealand's History of Climate Change

Introduction

The change in the global climate impacts the change in climate in individual countries. The global change in climate is however detrimental to the future generations and the overall climatic conditions. Global warming has attracted the attention of many leaders in the world trying to address the possible means of curbing the issue. New Zealand is among the global countries with a highly diverse climatic condition. However, various changes have been witnessed over time with significant changes in the snow on the mountainous regions noted. Greenhouse emissions are associated with the notable low depreciation of the New Zealand glaciers which serve as a huge tourist attraction site. The prediction of the increase in the global temperature sends a threat to the New Zealand glaciers and the potential change in the New Zealand climate at large (Hendrikx et al. 967). A comprehensive review of the New Zealand climate based on climatic changes will be evaluated in this paper with an observation of the changes in the precipitation.

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New Zealand records one of the complex climatic conditions. It exhibits the warm subtropical climate in the far north and the south experiences the cool temperate climates (Manning et al. 592). The mountainous areas have severe alpine conditions. The prevailing westerly winds are barred by a chain of extending mountains which result into the dramatic different climatic conditions in the region. The west coast of the South Island harbors the wettest area in the country while the areas that lie to the east of the mountains averagely 100km away form the driest part of the country. Rainfall distribution in the various regions of the country range from 600mm to 1600mm of rainfall distributed along the year. The summers provide for a dry period with the winters recording more rainfall in the central and northern areas of New Zealand (Manning et al. 592). On the contrary, the southern part of the country records the least rainfall over the winter period.

Mean temperature across the country varies form one part to the other. The south records a mean temperature of 100C and the north records a mean temperature of 160C. July is usually the coldest month and either January or February making up the hottest month (Manning et al. 592). However, the variations in temperature between summer and winter are very dismal with the highest temperature range recorded going up to 140C. Rise in altitude reflects into a significant decline in temperature up to 140C of 100m results in a drop of temperature to about 0.7 0 in every 100 meters of altitude.

Different areas in New Zealand experience different sunshine hours with the areas sheltered from the west experiencing high sunshine hours. The summer solar radiation index is high in some areas and can be extreme in the northern part of New Zealand as well as in the mountainous areas. New Zealand experiences snow fall, and most of it is prevalent in the mountainous areas. The coastal regions of the North Island rarely experience the snow as well as the west of the South Island. The South Island experiences snow on the east and south. However, the regions may experience some snow in the winter. Clear skies with little winds are common in New Zealand forming for snows which form anytime.

The global climate change over the years is likely to impact further on the snow quality in New Zealand. Snow formation along the mountainous region of New Zealand is on the lapse increase in the greenhouse gases increasing the melting level of the snow as well as impacting on the sea levels. The detrimental factor in the increase in the sea level is pandemics such as flooding and hurricanes. The large deposits of water moisture in the atmosphere accounts for large and heavy rain. The formation of relief rain is on the rise and expected to due to the melting of the snow from mountain tops to the falling of rainfall to water bodies.

According to Change, Intergovernmental Panel On Climate, the west of the country is expected to have increased precipitation with the entire country also expected to experience more precipitation. The increase in global warming due to greenhouse gases is anticipated to result in the rise of sea levels, melting of glaciers and an increase or decline in the amount of rainfall with regards to the location of the place in the country.

Heavy rainfalls and dry days are creeping in due to the evident changes in the temperatures in the country. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture is increasing the potential of intense rainfall. The glaciation and the significant increase in the amount of sea water increase the potential rainfall experienced (Pawson et al.1216). The significant rise in sea water as well as the increase in the temperatures increases the vaporization rates and therefore increase the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere due to the cooling effects of the air in the atmosphere as well as the huge amount of moisture, huge rainfall (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.). However, the circulation of water in the atmosphere through the process of evaporation from water sources, cooling in the atmosphere and ultimate precipitation is believed to accelerate the rate of global warming by averagely 3%. Recharge of atmospheric moisture takes a longer period which impacts on long dry days. The wind that occurs on the coastal line aids in accelerating the water loss levels to the atmosphere. Temperature and precipitation serve strongly intercooled. High temperatures facilitate the absorption of more moisture in the air which increases the chances of high rainfall recorded (Pawson et al.1216). However, more heat in the atmosphere may not guarantee rainfall but result in some cases; the local weather turns onto hurricanes.

The climatic changes in New Zealand pose more changes with the west of Waikato. There is an expectation of extreme climatic phenomena with limited attention directed towards the deteriorating stability of climatic conditions. Hurricanes and heavy rainfalls are the most anticipated with the increase in glaciation, sea level, water surface temperature and the winds which carry the hot moist winds (Pawson et al.1216). The increase in population has led to an increase in the consumption of fossil fuel. The fossil fuels increase the greenhouse emissions which significant increase the temperatures in the country. The large forest areas also influence the respiration rate and increase the water content in the atmosphere. The frequent release of moisture in the air heated by the temperature increases the variations of the climate on a daily basis and therefore destabilizing the climatic condition of the region.

Conclusion

In conclusion, regardless of the increase in global warming resulting in greenhouse gases, a higher percentage of the effects of the global warming impact on the precipitation rate in the country. The destabilized rainfall content and pattern can be exhibited across the different areas of the country. Melting of the snow through glaciation, and vaporizations from the water bodies as well as transpiration from trees increase the amount of water content in the atmosphere. The continued change in climate poses a threat to the tourism sector who rely on the beautiful scenery of glaciers. Therefore, it is recommended that the world countries check on the gas emission rates to curb the advances of greenhouse gases in raising on the environment.

Works Cited

Change, Intergovernmental Panel On Climate. "IPCC." Climate change (2014).

Hendrikx, J., et al. "A comparative assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the ski industry in New Zealand and Australia." Climatic Change 119.3-4 (2013): 965-978.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate change 2014: Mitigation of climate change. Vol. 3. Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Manning, Martin, et al. "Dealing with changing risks: a New Zealand perspective on climate change adaptation." Regional Environmental Change 15.4 (2015): 581-594.

Pawson, S. M., et al. "Plantation forests, climate change and biodiversity." Biodiversity and Conservation 22.5 (2013): 1203-1227.