According to a new study, we have gone too far on the road to climate change. Even if we drastically reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it will not be enough to restore the world’s weather system to its previous mode.

Through a series of advanced climate model simulations, the researchers observed the impact of increasing the carbon dioxide level to 1468ppm in the next 140 years-1468ppm is four times the current level; at the same time, in another model, they observed the reduction of all of them in 140 years. The impact to today's level.

The study found that as carbon dioxide levels start to fall, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), responsible for 32% of the global rainfall, moves southward, which may cause permanent changes in the El Niño phenomenon.

The team behind the model pointed out that these irreversible changes in the weather system need to be incorporated into climate change planning, together with global temperature and rainfall.

Environmental scientist Jong-Seong Kug from Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea said: “If only global average temperature and precipitation levels are considered when formulating mitigation policies to prevent climate change, such as carbon neutrality or carbon emission reduction, it will not be possible to accurately reflect complexities. Climate system."

Previous studies have shown that although it takes hundreds of years, temperature and precipitation may eventually return to their current state. New research shows that the chain reaction of climate change transformation is not so obvious.

In some parts of the world, even if carbon dioxide levels drop, climate change will be permanent. The latest models show that precipitation in North and South America has increased by 15%, and even after a significant drop in carbon dioxide levels, there will be more floods. At the same time, in the Sahel region (including southern Europe and the Sahara Desert), even after the reduction of carbon dioxide, the annual precipitation has also dropped by 20%, which may lead to further desertification.

Kug said: "The greenhouse gases that have been emitted have a lasting impact on the planet, so we need to recognize their long-term impact and their direct impact on climate change."

As the intertropical convergence zone moves, it can have a major and far-reaching impact. For example, it can change the Hadley circulation, which is the basis of the entire earth’s atmospheric circulation.

The researchers found that after the amount of carbon dioxide rises, even if the level of carbon dioxide subsequently drops, the intertropical convergence zone is likely to remain in the southern hemisphere. Although the northern hemisphere will cool as the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere drops, the southern hemisphere is predicted to be still warm, similar to the weather patterns we experience in El Niño years.

Simulating climate change is very complicated, but the more data we have, the better our preparations and mitigation measures will be. Of course, this is another warning to minimize carbon dioxide emissions.

The researchers wrote in their published paper: "Our research shows that the impact of carbon dioxide that has occurred will last longer than expected, and future carbon dioxide emissions will have an irreversible impact."