Frigid temperatures this weekend prompt cold weather advisories

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Friday's much anticipated release of the latest 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report

 contains some eye opening findings and projections from the latest and best available climate science.

The report confirms overall trends observed and projected in previous reports. Global temps are rising. Glaciers and ice sheets are shedding ice mass. Global carbon dioxide (CO2)  levels are the highest in at least 800,000 years, and rising.

Please join Kerri Miller and me for a special hour long 

 Monday at 9 a.m. on MPR News stations for a deeper look at the latest IPCC report with University of St. Thomas climate expert 

There is a lot to process in the report, but here are a few key highlights from my early review.

 Global surface air temperature increase between 1901 and 2012

 We're already seeing some remarkable changes in the nature of our seasons, jet stream patterns and extreme weather events at just the +1.6F warming observed in the past century. Most of this warming has occurred in the past 40 years as the concentration of greenhouse gasses has accelerated.

 Most likely increase in global surface air temperature by 2081-2100

: The global climate models forecast global temp rise by 2100 ranges between 0.54°F to 8.64°F.  But the most likely global mean surface temperature change by 2100 is likely to push past 2.7°F when compared to 1850-1900 in all but one of the emissions scenarios.

Considering the effect we're already observing with a +1.6F rise in global temps the past 100 years, even a conservative rise close to +2F by 2100 will cause continued and probably dramatic climate shifts.

 the warmest 30 year period in the past 1,400 years globally.

 This is perhaps the most eye opening and convincing data on the recent, accelerated and sustained temperature rise of the past 30 years. We are now living in the warmest time on planet earth in modern civilization. Looking back to 1850, the rapidly rising temperature trends of the past 30 years are off the charts. If future rises mirror those of the past 30 years, the IPCC's future projections on global surface temperature and the effects will be significantly conservative.

The slight slowdown in the rate of warming the past 15 years is likely due to low solar activity, ocean absorption of heat and an increase in volcanic aerosols which reflect incoming sunlight. These effects are likely temporary,and are masking the rate of rise in global temps. It will take another 20 years to determine how the climate is responding.

 - Global sea level is most likely to increase between 10 and 32 inches by 2081-2100

 Global sea level rise projections seem to center around .5 meters, or 20" by 2100. Even a 20" rise in sea level over the next 85 years will pose major problems for cities like New York and Miami that straddle the coasts. Storm surges will be more dangerous than ever. And an increase in the severity of storm surge damage and costs with incoming hurricanes like Sandy will be a real risk. Many coastal cities will need to rethink the way they protect themselves from rising oceans, or relocate by choice...or by the force of nature.

global CO2 concentrations reached 400 ppm in 2013. Global CO2 is now at the highest level in at least 800,000 years, and possibly in 3 million years.

 A potential doubling of global CO2 by 2050-2100 is a frightening thought. The changes in oceans through increasing "acidification" are unknown. The changes in jet stream patterns and how it affects our weather could be extensive.

We're moving into uncharted territory in the earth's atmospheric system. Those of us who have studied and watched jet stream and "synoptic" weather patterns for the past 30 years know they are noticeably different that they were 30 year ago. What changes to jet stream patterns will another 30 years of increased CO2 and Arctic warming bring?

Here's the IPCC trends chart for the overall effects of climate change, and the likelihood of each effect.

A total of 209 lead authors and 50 review editors from 39 countries and more than 600 Contributing Authors from 32 countries contributed to the preparation of the research.

The coming days and weeks will bring a much deeper analysis of this vast report.

Earth in warmest period in 1,400 years, global climate panel says

Go Deeper.

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