Global Climate Change

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Global Climate Change
http//www.msss.com/earth/earth.gif
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(No Transcript)
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Global Climate Change

• Pictures taken from same location during same
  time of year over a number of years

Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National
Park, http//www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/repeatphoto/Pairs/
Grinnell/Grinnell_Mt_Gould/Grinnellquad_frMtGould_
c-t.jpg
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The Greenhouse Effect

• The greenhouse effect is the process by which the
  atmosphere warms the Earth.
• First discovered in the early 1800s, the
  greenhouse effect describes both the natural
  process of heating Earth and the added effect of
  human action.

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The Science Behind the Greenhouse Effect

• Solar radiation from the Sun passes through
  Earths atmosphere.
• This light is absorbed by land and water and
  heats Earths surface.
• Some of that heat is emitted back into space as
  radiant heat.
• Some of this radiant heat is absorbed by gases in
  the atmosphere.
• These greenhouse gases re-emit the heat to lower
  parts of the atmosphere and to the surface of
  Earth.

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The Greenhouse Effecthttp//www.crystali
nks.com/greenhouse2.gif
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Another Diagram showing the Greenhouse
Effecthttp//www.umich.edu/gs265/society/gree
nhouse.htm
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Greenhouse Gases

• The gases found in the atmosphere that can
  absorb the radiant heat from Earths surface are
  called greenhouse gases
• These are produced naturally and by human
  activities
• Carbon Dioxide, CO2
• Nitrous Oxide, N2O
• Methane, CH4
• Ground-level Ozone, O3
• Water Vapor, H2O

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Greenhouse Gases Continued

• These greenhouse gases are produced solely by
  human-activity
• Halocarbons
• Chlorine and Bromine containing substances
  (examples chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs)
• Sulfur hexafluoride, SF6
• Hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs
• Perfluorocarbons, PFCs

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Human Influence on Greenhouse Gases

• Burning fossil fuels
• Gasoline in vehicles and natural gas and coal in
  electricity generation
• THIS GENERATES THE MOST GREENHOUSE GASES!
  (primarily CO2, some CH4 from mining and natural
  gas)

http//longislandnn.org/images/smog.jpg
http//www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/2004120
8/a610_3857.jpg
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Human Influence on Greenhouse Gases Continued

1. Removing and burning vegetation

• Leads to fewer plants so that means less CO2 can
  be pulled from the air.

http//www.plu.edu/hoodbs/img/deforestation-2.jpg
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Human Influence on Greenhouse Gases Continued

• 3. Industrial actions

- Release CO2 directly (coolants, combustion,
etc.) or use LOTS of energy (which is primarily
generated by burning fossil fuels).
http//www.reliablebiopharm.com/images/manufacturi
ng-biotech-center.gif
http//www.workforceboardsmetrochicago.org/upload/
manufacturing_pic.jpg
http//www.speedrack.net/mill.jpg
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How do scientists gather data about CO2 levels?

• Current and recent data collection occurs
  worldwide on land, in oceans and via satellite.

Map showing locations of current LAND
measurements
http//oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-
book/evidenceforwarming.htm
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How do scientists determine the temperature and
CO2 levels of the past?
For information before 150 years ago, scientists
gather indirect data from many climatic
indicators

• 1. Ice cores from thick ice sheets in Greenland,
  Antarctica, and mountain glaciers worldwide.

http//oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-
book/evidenceforwarming.htm
Air bubbles trapped in the ice give atmospheric
gas content (concentration of CO2)
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Gathering Past CO2 Data
http//www.whackyscience.co.uk/bbs/WScms/WScms.nsf
/0/A0B10BA0CBA71640C1257230004FBBE2/file/dendroch
ronology.jpg?OpenElement

1. Mud cores of ocean floor showing climate
   variability over millions of years
2. Dendrochronology (using measurements of tree
   rings) showing climate variability over
   hundreds of years
3. Pollen analysis (deposited in sediments)
   showing climate variability over thousands of
   years

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Modeling our Future Climate
http//www.google.com/imgres?qglobalclimatechan
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mischtbnidd_N11S3yjNKiBMimgrefurlhttp//www.
nasa.gov/vision/earth/everydaylife/climate_class.h
tmldocid_wOGkbfm3AUTcMimgurlhttp//www.nasa.go
v/images/content/105582main_GlobalWarming_2060_lg.
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Greenhouse Gas Levels(Last 1000 years)
http//www.research.noaa.gov/climate/images/observ
ing3.gif
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Worldwide Temperature(Over the same time period)
http//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graph
ic/2006/06/23/GR2006062300505.html?referreremaill
ink
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How long does CO2 remain in the atmosphere?

• CO2 remains in the atmosphere for 50-200 years.

Compare that with how long other greenhouse gases
remain in the atmosphere

• CH4 remains in the atmosphere for 10-15 years.
• H2O remains in the atmosphere for days.
• CFCs and HFCs remain in the atmosphere for 100
  years.

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Evidence of Climate Change
Pasterze, Austrias longest glacier (lost 2 km in
the last century)

• 1. Glacier reduction!

Locations of Glaciers Worldwide (in white)
1875
2004
Video Clip of North Pole Ice Breaking Up
Video Clip of Effects of Glacier Reduction
http//www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/pages/glac
iers.html
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Evidence of Climate Change

1. Sea Level Rising!

- Over the past 100 years, the global sea level
has risen by about 10-25 cm.
Coastal erosion is even faster than sea level
rise which can destroy near-ocean structures.
http//news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/04
/sci_nat_climate_change___evidence_and_predictions
/img/3.jpg
Video Clip showing effects of rising sea level in
an Indian coastal village
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
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Evidence of Climate Change

1. Spread of Tropical Diseases into new territory!

http//www.idph.state.il.us/images/wnv_spread_time
.jpg
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Evidence of Climate Change

• 4. Coral Reef Bleaching!

• Coral Reefs are some of the most productive
  ecosystems on Earth.
• Higher water temperature causes coral to lose its
  symbiotic algae (which provide nutrition and
  color to the coral)
• When the algae die, coral appears white or
  bleached

http//www.reeffutures.org
Coral Reef Bleaching Video Clip
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Evidence of Climate Change

• 5. Changing ranges of worlds species!

Polar bears have a decreasing range
Mosquitoes have an increasing range
http//www.michigan.gov/images/mosquito_65147_7.jp
g
Hawksbill turtles have a decreasing range
http//www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_
change/problems/impacts/species/polar_bears/index.
cfm
- Ranges may be increasing or decreasing
depending on the environmental needs of the
species!
http//www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_
change/problems/impacts/species/turtles/index.cfm