Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

SoylentNews is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop. Only 17 submissions in the queue.

Persian Gulf may Soon be Too Hot to Support Human Life

posted by martyb on Thursday October 29 2015, @06:15AM   Printer-friendly
from the what-would-fill-our-place? dept.

VanderDecken writes:

The CBC reports:

If carbon dioxide emissions continue at their current pace, by the end of century parts of the Persian Gulf will sometimes be just too hot for the human body to tolerate, a new study says.

How hot? The heat index — which combines heat and humidity — may hit 74 to 77 C (165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least six hours, according to numerous computer simulations in the new study. That's so hot that the human body can't get rid of heat. The elderly and ill are hurt most by current heat waves, but the future is expected to be so hot that healthy, fit people would be endangered, health experts say.

Also covered at phys.org. An abstract (with figures) is available; full article is pay-walled.

Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Persian Gulf may Soon be Too Hot to Support Human Life | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 40 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 29 2015, @12:11PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 29 2015, @12:11PM (#255977)

    And that's unadulterated copy pasta from the fine article, no less. It should to be 77 °C instead.

  • (Score: 2) by fritsd on Thursday October 29 2015, @12:54PM

    by fritsd (4586) on Thursday October 29 2015, @12:54PM (#255987) Journal

    where do you get 77 °C? I read 35 °C in the fine abstract, and also in the Wiki definition of wet-bulb temperature.

    That also explains why we wanted to emigrate when it became 36°C in the Netherlands :-)

    Can someone knowledgeable explain what the difference is between the climate of Arabia and the climate of the part of Pakistan where Mohenjo-Daro used to be? I've never been in that region, partially because it's too bloody warm.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by FatPhil on Thursday October 29 2015, @02:39PM

      by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Thursday October 29 2015, @02:39PM (#256042) Homepage
      It mentions a *heat index* of up to 77C, not a temperature of 77C. heat index is probably even more bogus than wind chill factor as a way of making extremes sound more scary. Some jibberjabbber on it here (not sure this counts as "information", you won't hear any lightbulbs lighting up as you read it): http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ffc/pdf/ta_htindx.PDF . It contains the wonderful sentences: "For example, a common perception is that wind is not taken into account in the Heat Index. In actuality it is. It is assumed to be 5 knots." If that is "taking the temperature into account", I can probably agree that congress is held to account too, and other falsities.
      --
      Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves