The relation between butterflies and climate change

Butterflies are delicate creatures and they are affected by climate change. A large population of butterflies indicates a healthy ecosystem and a dearth of butterflies indicates that the ecosystem is under stress. Butterflies are unable to fly if their body temperatures drop below 30 degrees Celcius.

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Invention of the thermometer

In about 1607, Galileo invented an instrument that could measure the rise of water in a glass tube with the rise in temperature. This instrument is called a thermoscope. Later, scientists modified it to add a scale to mark the rise of water. Subsequently, water was replaced with alcohol and mercury.

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Fluctuations in the boiling point of water on Mount Everest

The boiling point of water decreases with the reduction of atmospheric pressure. Since the pressure at an altitude of 8,848 m gets highly reduced, the boiling point of water also gets drastically reduced. With every 285 m of elevation, the boiling point decreases by 1 °C. The boiling point of water on Mount Everest (8,848 m) is 71.0°C.

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