Scientific Understanding of Climate Change in the Mediterranean Region

In this session, Prof. Dr. Şükrü Turan Beşiktepe establishes the physical and oceanographic science behind global climate change, demystifying complex concepts through everyday analogies and empirical data. The session begins by distinguishing between short-term weather and long-term climate, using regional climate definitions (such as the Mediterranean climate shared by areas like California and South Australia) to ground the discussion.

Prof. Beşiktepe explains the mechanics of the greenhouse effect by comparing trapped greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide) to an increasingly thick blanket around the Earth. He presents historical dataset trends showing that global mean temperatures have risen nearly 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, with computer modeling confirming that anthropogenic fossil fuel combustion rather than solar variance or natural cycles like El Niño is driving this acceleration. The lecture emphasizes the vital role of oceans as carbon sinks, highlighting how marine phytoplankton (Emiliania huxleyi) transport atmospheric carbon to the ocean floor. By presenting physical proof from atmospheric layer dynamics (a warming troposphere alongside a cooling stratosphere), he illustrates how trapped heat operates. Finally, he draws a hopeful parallel to the international success in fixing the ozone layer in the 1980s, framing the Mediterranean as a critical global warming hotspot that requires science-based policy intervention before reaching irreversible tipping points.