Researchers warn us about an alarming increase in Australia's temperature

May 22, 2012 13:36 GMT  ·  By

Using various natural indicators, such as corals, ice cores and tree rings, the scientists working at the University of Melbourne managed to pin down the changes that have occurred in Australian temperatures over the course of the centuries.

The researchers’ decision to resort to these means of investigating the evolution of the Australian climate is due to the fact that direct temperature records have only been around since 1910.

To avoid all doubts and suspicions regarding their findings, the researchers used a total of 27 natural climate recorders and combined them in well over 3000 ways, their goal being to avoid having anyone argue against their results.

The discoveries they made whilst investigating this issue are quite alarming: since 1950 up until now, the Australian climate has been affected in unprecedented ways.

According to ScienceDaily, Dr. Joelle Gergis, one of the leading scientists who took part in this investigation, has argued that no other such warm periods are to be found in the last 1000 years of Australia's existence.

The rapid increase in temperatures registered over the past few decades is like no other climate change ever registered in this particular geographical region.

Thus, one can't help but wonder whether this is due to the influence of human activities carried out not just in Australia, but also on a global scale.

In the near future, similar studies are to be carried out across all other regions of the world so as to be able to build a general picture of what is happening to our planet climate-wise.

Once this is accomplished, it is expected that researchers will be able to say once and for all whether we are to blame for the hectic temperature fluctuations registered over the past few years, or if these are natural phenomena that have also occurred at other times during the course of our planet's evolution.