Global Climate Change: Whats Ahead

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Global Climate ChangeWhats Ahead

• PowerPoint By Rosa Jaime

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Focusing On

• Polar change and sea level
• Whats ahead in the united states
• And especially the western U.S.

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Basic Facts

• 2005 was the warmest year on record for the globe
• By about 2ºC
• Greenhouse effect has accelerated since the
  1970s
• Humans are causing most of the warming

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Clues From the Arctic

• Greatest warming in the planet
• Arctic ice thinned by 40 in the last 50 years
• Melting of ice is accelerating

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Greenland Ice Sheet

• 16 increase in melting was between 1979-2002
• The melting is still increasing
• Less than 8ºF of Arctic warming caused the
  Greenland ice sheet to lose enough water to
  increase sea level by 12 ft.

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Sea Level

• Sea level rise will destroy sovereign nations
• 3 feet raising sea level in Florida
• Increase in hurricane peak wind intensities
• 2005 was a record breaking year in hurricanes
• Large sea level changes will occur if major co2
  reductions are not made

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West U.S.

• Parts of the west have already warmed more than
  2ºF

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What is Ahead for U.S.

• Mid century
• 3-4ºF increase in temp.
• There will be from a 5 decrease to a 5 increase
  in precipitation

• Century End
• 5-7ºF increase in temp.
• There will be from a 10 decrease to a 10
  increase in precipitation

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For the West

• Less precipitation (more drought)
• Temperature increase
• Snow runoff season will be significantly
  earlier
• Evaporation will be significantly higher
• Stream flow will be significantly lower
• 30-40 decrease in upper Colorado flow
• Droughts And floods will be more likely

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Conclusion

• Global warming is very real
• Humans are causing the problem
• More climate change is coming so we must develop
  adaptations

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Adaptations

• Energy efficiency
• Renewables like wind and solar
• Advanced biofuels
• Clean coal

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Pictures taken fromwww.geo.arizona.edu