Global Warming: Consequence of Fossil Fuel Use

Do Now: Please copy the following definitions into your notes:

Greenhouse Effect: The trapping of heat by gasses in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Radiative forcing: A measurement of the amount of heat trapped by a certain factor. Units: Watts / m2

PPM: Parts Per Million. Used to measure the concentration of solute in solution (i.e. CO2 in the atmosphere)

Greenhouse Effect: The atmosphere retains heat.

How much depends on the

chemical properties of the

atmosphere

Anthropogenic Climate Change• Anthropogenic: human-caused

• The Earth’s climate changes frequently due to many factors:– Solar iradience– Volcanic eruptions– Periodic oscillations (like El Nino)

• Anthropogenic Climate Change is the portion of climate change due to human behavior.

Industrialization increases CO2 output

In 1712, humans discovered how to use coal to do massive amounts of work.

Before long, designs were upgraded, and coal locomotives revolutionized transportation.

Humans have used ever-increasing amounts of fossil fuels since around 1850.

Combustion: The Oxidation of Carbon

Organic Carbon

(like fossil fuels and biomass)

Inorganic Carbon

CO2

ENERGY AND CO2 RELEASED(burning, or respiration)

ENERGY AND CO2 REQUIRED(photosynthesis)

CO2 is the biggest cause of observed global warming

CO2 And Global Temperature: a Direct Proportion

How do we know? Ice Cores:

A History of Earth’s Climate

and Atmosphere

Collecting and Dating

Analysis of Trapped Air Bubbles

CONCLUSIONS

• The CO2 produced by the burning of fossil fuels is a primary cause of global warming.

• The Earth has not had CO2 levels this high in the last 650,000 years or more.

Analyzing the Situation

• Temperature trend video

Computer Modeling: Digitizing the Atmosphere

W/m2 map: Clouds over Europe

The key point of the methodology is a cloud-detection and a cloud-clearing

algorithms, which will get estimates of clear sky radiances at any location so to allow us to obtain cloud radiative forcing in the longwave region.

Computer Modeling

• Uses known rules about how Earth systems work.– how grid cells interact, change

• Can run many (109 ?) simulations and compare outcomes.

• Similar to daily weather forecasting in many ways.

Consequences

• Increased extreme weather (floods, droughts, storms, heat waves, cold snaps)

Arctic Ice Melt

Glacial Ice Melt

• Glaciers across the world have been melting at an increasing rate for decades.

• Recent studies indicate the speed is accelerating

• Video tells the story…

Sea Level Rise

• Sea level rise by 2100 will be at least 20 to 60 cm.

• However, the last time the Earth was as warm as it will be by 2100, sea level was 6 – 7 meters higher than it is now.

• High degree of uncertainty.

The Future: Yours to Make