Agency Report Shows Global Climatic Changes in 2006

The Japan Metrological Agency released on June 6, 2007, on its website the "Climate Change Monitoring Report 2006," providing information on climatic changes in Japan and around the world, as well as the state of greenhouse gases and the ozone layer. According to the report, the ozone hole over Antarctica was the largest ever, while the total column ozone over Syowa Station (also spelled as Showa) in Antarctic was the lowest ever recorded. The report also indicated that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) continued rising around the world, while concentrations over Japan rose significantly in 2006 as they did the year before.

The report features an analysis of atmospheric activity around Japan during a period of continuous heavy rainfall in July 2006. The report concludes that the rainfall was caused by two factors: a strong meandering subtropical jet stream, which helped cold air to flow in over Japan, and a high atmospheric pressure system lying to the south of Japan, which kept a warm and humid wind flowing to Japan.

The average air temperatures both in Japan and worldwide in 2006 were higher than normal. The averages were 0.44 degrees Celsius higher in Japan, and 0.31 degrees Celsius higher worldwide. The global average temperature was the third highest in the past 120 years. As for the global sea surface temperature, the average was 0.21 degrees Celsius higher than the 120-year average. The mean sea level around Japan was two centimeters higher than the average.

The area of Arctic sea ice in 2006 was the lowest since records began in 1979. The cumulative area of sea ice (the sum of sea ice area measured every 5 days from December to May) in the Sea of Okhotsk has been decreasing for five consecutive years since 2002. In 2006, it reached the lowest level since 1971, at only 64 percent of average years.

http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html
- 2005 Records 2nd Warmest Year since 1891 (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1458-e
- Total Ozone Over Japanese Antarctic Station Hits New Low (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1600-e
- Japan Sees Higher Temperatures in 2006 (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1723-e

Posted: 2007/10/18 11:52:43 PM
Japanese version