A new study shows that even a small reduction in carbon dioxide levels won't be enough for the world's weather systems to return to their previous patterns.
The research shows that we can still have a big impact on how bad the change will be.
Researchers looked at a series of climate model simulations to see how raising CO2 levels by four times their current level would affect the climate over the next 140 years.
The Intertropical Convergence Zone, which is responsible for 32 percent of global precipitation, shifts southwards as CO2 levels fall.
Climate change planning should include irreversible changes in weather systems, as well as the more common predictions around temperatures and rainfall on a global scale, according to the team behind the modeling.
The Pohang University of Science and Technology's environmental scientist says that it is impossible to properly reflect the complex climate system if only the average global temperature and precipitation levels are considered.
The new research suggests that the effects of climate change aren't as clear as previous studies suggest.
The models show that climate change would be permanent even if CO2 levels dropped. Even after CO2 levels dropped, the North and South America were shown to have a 15 percent increase in precipitation.
The Sahel zone, which includes southern Europe and the Sahara Desert, experienced a 20 percent decrease in precipitation even after a carbon dioxide reset, which is likely to lead to further desertification.
The effects of greenhouse gases on the planet are long-term and need to be recognized, says Kug.
The ITCZ can have significant and far-reaching effects when it shifts. It can alter the circulation of the warm air at the equator, which is the foundation for atmospheric circulation.
The ITCZ is likely to stay in the Southern Hemisphere even if CO2 levels go up. The Southern Hemisphere is predicted to remain warm even as atmospheric carbon dioxide falls, similar to the weather patterns we experience during El Nio years.
The more data we have, the better our preparations and mitigations can be, and it's another warning about keeping CO2 emissions down to a minimum.
The effects of CO2 that have already taken place will persist for longer than expected, and future CO2 emissions will bring about further delayed and irreversible effects, according to the researchers.
The research has been published.
