New research predicts that in the not-too-distant future, rainbows will be more abundant than they are now. But although it may seem a positive fact that will bring us more celestial perspectives full of iridescence, the truth is that it is rather a warning sign that does not represent good news.
Rainbows are part of the optical phenomena that nature gives us in which light is decomposed into all its colors. They are perhaps the most commonly observed phenomenon of this kind since every time drops of liquid fall and the sun shines overhead, a semicircle of colors appears covering the horizon.
And it is precisely this feature that researchers have taken to make estimates that show that by 2100 there will be 5% more days covered with rainbows. This stems from the fact that places that today are rather frigid with snow precipitation will have more rain in the future due to climate change.
The current man-made climate crisis is changing planetary dynamics in more ways than we thought. Ecosystems are already suffering the ravages of global warming, and even natural processes such as ocean currents are changing as a result.
However, little research has been done on how the climate crisis will affect such everyday events for us. The intangible parts of our environment will also change, as they all live within the atmosphere that keeps us safe from space and will also undergo transformations. The propagation of sound and light is part of these changes, which also require the attention of researchers, explains Kimberly Carlson, of New York University’s Department of Environmental Studies program.
More rainbows in polar regions
Evidence suggests that the northern latitudes and very high elevations will no longer experience snowfall, which will be replaced by rainfall precipitation due to global warming. It will be precisely in these areas where there will be the greatest gain in the occurrence of rainbows.
On the other hand, it is expected that places with little precipitation, such as the Mediterranean, will be affected by drought and lose the ability to experience rainbows in the sky. Despite the loss of the phenomenon of light decay in the sky, more regions will replace snow with rain and it is estimated that in general, the possibility of observing rainbows around the world will increase by up to 5%.
“Islands are the best places to see rainbows,” according to Steven Businger, professor of Atmospheric Sciences at SOEST. “This is because the island terrain lifts the air during daily sea breezes, producing localized showers surrounded by clear skies that let in the sun to produce majestic rainbows.” And it will be the islands that, along with the polar regions, will see an increase in the occurrence of rainbows in their skies.
“Our results underscore the fact that climate change will alter not only the tangible dynamics of the Earth system with clear socioeconomic implications but also parts of the Earth system that we cannot touch and that may affect us in more subtle ways,” the authors write. This is a conclusion that invites us to reflect on the more visible consequences of climate change, but also the more subtle losses that will come with it.
Story originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera
