By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
August 13,2014; 9:29PM,EDT
Completed by two NPS researchers out of Colorado, the study logs various data spread across 1901 to 2012. Factors such as rising temperatures, widespread drought concerns and sea levels were all cited as reasons to spark better treatment of national parks.
"This report shows that climate change continues to be the most far-reaching and consequential challenge ever faced by our national parks," National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in a press release. "Our national parks can serve as places where we can monitor and document ecosystem change without many of the stressors that are found on other public lands."
Popular
parks like the Grand Canyon could be threatened by heightened extreme
weather as a result of climate change, a new study reported. (Flickr/Moyan Brenn)The study claimed that a large majority of parks experienced extremely high temperatures while a minority of parks experienced extremely low temperatures.
The temperature increases most widely occurred during night. The study reported a greater warming of nighttime low temperatures than of daytime highs.
A major concern for parks across the South and Northwest were high drought levels. The study said that one of the most famous national parks, the Grand Canyon, suffered greatly as drought gripped the area and prohibited vegetation. Limited water supply could pose a threat to local wildlife as well as drinking water availability.
"This goes in line with current research which shows that climate change is causing an increase in extremes such as drought, heat waves and heavy precipitation events," AccuWeather Climate Expert Brett Anderson said.
The study claims that the changing climate variables have been and will continue to spark changes in growing seasons.
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"The increased extremes in our national parks is also causing more stress on animals and plants making them more susceptible to things like starvation, disease and large wildfires," Anderson said.
The goal of the study was to increase awareness for park managers as well as visitors of the natural threats being brought to the historic sites. As more information comes to light, park managers were urged to evaluate current structures as well as upkeep procedures in order to keep the parks in the condition tourists have come to expect even as evolving climate factors could challenge the current settings.
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Study maps potential for climate-change disruption in National Parks wp.me/pJ91e-h6r via @bberwyn
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- Don Bales · Hattiesburg, MississippiI read widely on both sides of the issue for whether climate change is caused by man and to what degree and what could or should be done. I am constantly amazed by the number of times that the following words are used in climate change articles "may". "could cause" "may lead to". Just FYI for anyone who wants to look around and be familiar with climate and extreme events such as drought, storms etc. here is one example. In 1861-62 Sacramento was so badly flooded the Capitol of CA had to be moved to San Francisco for 6 month. In 1863-64 over half of the livestock in CA died from drought. Taken in that context do you think the current drought in the West is all that unusual and caused by burning fossil fuels? Folks, extremes in climate have been occurring for thousands of years and they will continue. I grow weary of this type of scare and fear mongering that tries to convince us all that we must stop using fossil fuels or pay the consequences. Just use your head people. All of the government grants are issued to study man caused climate variation and not much goes to study natural variations which are and have been far more powerful in how and when climate changes.
Jacob Peter Hovius · Technological Products and Sales Representative at Rolf C HagenThere is no argument severity of past weather events match or exceed much of what we currently experience. The difference is the scale over which such events occur. The current rate of global warming is unprecedented and extreme weather events are happening at a higher frequency. The natural systems cannot adapt fast enough to climate change caused by rapid global warming which places our current environment at risk. Reducing fossil fuel use may or may not help as much of the damage is already done. However it is our responsibility as the dominant species on the planet to do what we can.
John Piotrowski · Top CommenterOMG really? There has constantly been events that exceed the scale of anything happening now. This planet has been here billions of years and has experienced extreme drought, floods, heat, cold, meteor impacts, volcanos and so on. Nothing about what is happening now is new or different than in the past. Just people here to scare you into thinking its all your fault.
Cameron L. Spitzer · Follow · Top Commenter · Walt Whitman High School"Both sides of the issue." On one side, we have all the world's scientific institutions, and a body of research that goes back 180 years. On the other, we have a handful of top-tier public relations firms, funded by billionaire crackpots and coal industry executives, making stuff up. Who should we take seriously?
- John Piotrowski · Top CommenterWow, the forces of nature are altering the National Parks! The very thing that created what you see today is now evil and we need to protect the parks from it? WTF?
Rick Wood · Top Commenter · Massachusetts School of Law at AndoverThe sky is falling! However, even if it was, it is not man made. There is nothing man can do about, it other than try to gin up articles to justify tax increases to fund more study by academics who want to make sure they still get their pay checks.
Greg Clites · WVUYes, the record icing of the Great Lakes, record breaking cold and snow in the East this past winter, and this summer which has been autumn like may have an impact on the National Parks. Are we headed into another Ice Age?
Ken Pereyda · Top Commenter · Delta College
Stephen Ryan · Top Commenter · Yale UniversityThe climate has always been changing, and always will. Why are the parks considered threatened by change now?
Jim Mangini · North Kingstown Senior HighI had no idea this was a religious website. I'll move along then...
Park ThrillersHeading to a national park this summer? Take this with you. bit.ly/coltershell
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