Global Warming in New Zealand

For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting warmer. As the nearest
country of South Polar Region, New Zealand has maintained an upward trend in its
average temperature in the past few years. However, the temperature in New Zealand
will go up 4oC in the next century while the polar region will go up more than 6oC. The
different pictures of temperature stem from its surrounding ocean which acts like the air
conditioner. Thus New Zealand is comparatively fortunate.
Scientifically speaking, this temperature phenomenon in New Zealand originated from
what researchers call “SAM” (Southern Annular Mode), which refers to the wind belt that
circles the Southern Oceans including New Zealand and Antarctica. Yet recent work
has revealed that changes in SAM in New Zealand have resulted in a weakening of
moisture during the summer, and more rainfall in other seasons. A bigger problem may
turn out to be heavier droughts for agricultural activities because of more water loss
from soil, resulting in poorer harvest before winter when the rainfall arrive too late to
rescue.
Among all the calamities posed be drought, moisture deficit ranks the first. Moisture
deficit is the gap between the water plants need during the growing season and the
water the earth can offer. Measures of moisture deficit were at their highest since the
1970s in New Zealand. Meanwhile, ecological analyses clearly show moisture deficit is
imposed at different growth stage of crops. If moisture deficit occurs around a crucial
growth stage, it will cause about 22% reduction in grain yield as opposed to moisture
deficit at vegetative phase.
Global warming is not only affecting agriculture production. When scientists say the
country’s snow pack and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate due to global warming,
the climate is putting another strain on the local places. For example, when the
development of global warming is accompanied by the falling snow line, the local skiing
industry comes into a crisis. The snow line may move up as the temperature goes up,
and then the snow at the bottom will melt earlier. Fortunately, it is going to be favorable
for the local skiing industry to tide over tough periods since the quantities of snowfall in
some areas are more likely to increase.
What is the reaction of glacier region? The climate change can be reflected in the
glacier region in southern New Zealand or land covered by ice and snow. The reaction
of a glacier to a climatic change involves a complex chain of processes. Over time
periods of years to several decades, cumulative changes in mass balance
cause volume and thickness changes, which will affect the flow of ice via altered internal
deformation and basal sliding. This dynamic reaction finally leads to glacier length
changes, the advance or retreat of glacier tongues. Undoubtedly, glacier mass balance
is a more direct signal of annual atmospheric conditions.
The latest research result of National Institute of Water and Atmospheric (NIWA)
Research shows that glaciers line keeps moving up because of the impacts of global
warming. Further losses of ice can be reflected in Mt. Cook Region. By 1996, a 14 km
long sector of the glacier had melted down forming a melt lake (Hooker Lake) with a
volume. Melting of the glacier front at a rate of 40 m/yr will cause the glacier to retreat at
a rather uniform rate. Therefore, the lake will continue to grow until it reaches the glacier
bed.
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A direct result of the melting glaciers is the change of high tides the serves the main
factor for sea level rise. The trend of sea level rise will bring a threat to the groundwater
system for its hyper-saline groundwater and then pose a possibility to decrease the
agricultural production. Many experts believe that the best way to counter this trend is to
give a longer-term view of sea level change in New Zealand. Indeed, the coastal
boundaries need to be upgraded and redefined.
There is no doubt that global warming has affected New Zealand in many aspects. The
emphasis on the global warming should be based on the joints efforts of local people
and experts who conquer the tough period. For instance, farmers are taking a long term,
multi-generational approach to adjust the breeds and species according to the
temperature. Agriculturists also find ways to tackle the problems that may bring to the
soil. In broad terms, going forward, the systemic resilience that’s been going on a long
time in the ecosystem will continue.
How about animals’ reaction? Experts have surprisingly realized that animals have
unconventional adaptation to global warming. A study has looked at sea turtles on a few
northern beaches in New Zealand and it is very interesting to find that sea turtles can
become male or female according to the temperature. Further researches will try to find
out how rising temperatures would affect the ratio of sex reversal in their growth.
Clearly, the temperature of the nest plays a vital role in the sexes of the baby turtles.
Tackling the problems of global warming is never easy in New Zealand, because
records show the slow process of global warming may have a different impact on
various regions. For New Zealand, the emission of carbon dioxide only accounts for
0.5% of the world’s total, which has met the governmental standard.
However, New Zealand’s effort counts only a tip of the iceberg. So far, global warming
has been a world issue that still hangs in an ambiguous future.