The continental United States will face more extreme
temperatures during the next century and worse rainfall along its Gulf Coast
which has been ravaged by hurricanes this year, according to a climate study.
The study warned that (36) gases will likely swell to twice
their (37) levels by the century’s end.
"Imagine the weather during the hottest two weeks of the year," lead
(38) Noah Diffenbaugh said, referring to northeast United
States. "The area could experience temperatures in that range (39)
for periods of up to two months by century’s end," he said.
Researchers claimed the study, run on supercomputers, is the most
comprehensive (40) model to date. It (41)
the southwest United States could endure a 500 percent increase in hot
events, leaving less water for the growing population, that the Gulf Coast
region would (42) more rainfall in a shorter time span and
that summers in the northeast would be shorter and hotter. Overall, the United
States would experience a warming (43) , the study predicts.
"The changes our model predicts are large enough to substantially disrupt our
economy and infrastructure," said Diffenbaugh. (44)
. The model considered circumstances not fully
included in previous models, such as snow which reflects energy from the sun
back into space, and mountain peaks, which can stand in the way of traveling
weather fronts. (45) . "The model performed
admirably," Diffenbaugh said. (46) .