The oceans play an important role in determining the atmospheric concentration of CO2. Changes in ocean circulation may affect the climate through the movement of CO2 into or out of the atmosphere. Earth orbital changes - The earth makes one full orbit around the sun each year. It is tilted at an angle of 23.5° to the perpendicular plane of its orbital path. Changes in the tilt of the earth can lead to small but climatically important changes in the strength of the seasons, more tilt means warmer summers
Approaching the eastern seaboard of the United States it is deflected toward the northeast flowing towards the north Atlantic and Europe. After crossing the Atlantic it turns into the North Atlantic Current (Drift). The Gulf Stream enhances instability and the likelihood for precipitation as air passes over it. The warmth of the North Atlantic Drift moderates the climate of The British Isles. As air circulates around the eastern sides of the subtropical highs it blows over cold pools of water dragging them equatorward creating cold ocean currents.
Why are deserts so dry? Three rules of atmospheric aerodynamics: First, hot air rises and cool air sinks. Second, rising air expands and cools, while sinking air compresses and becomes warmer. Third, warmer air can hold more water vapour than cooler air. These three things plus the sun's heat determine where rain falls on the planet.
As Williams E. Rees states in his book “Our Ecological Footprint”. This is shown in the Climate Change view because our pollution results in temperatures rising. Due to this increase of temperatures the Arctic sea ice is melting, glaciers are retreating and sea levels are rising. At the top of the food chain are the producers. In society’s case the producers are the natural resources.
Although the issue did not start to gain national attention until the early 2000s, scientists have been studying atmospheric gases and the effect that human consumption of fossil fuels has on the atmosphere and climate since the early nineteenth century (Rich). The overwhelming consensus among scientists today is that the climate is changing drastically and humans are causing it through specific, preventable actions (Rich). Global warming is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases, which, under normal conditions, it (the greenhouse effect) is what makes life sustainable by keeping the earth within a constant range of temperatures (Gore). About 30 percent of the light and the heat of the sun is reflected back into space, either by clouds, or by the earth’s surface (especially ice, which is particularly reflective.) About 20 percent of the light and heat from the sun is
The sun radiates solar energy towards earth. Some of this energy gets absorbed by the earth’s surface and some energy is radiated back into space as long wave energy. Certain gases in the atmosphere prevent this reflected energy to pass; they trap the energy and thereby warm the atmosphere and the surface of the earth just like in a greenhouse. Therefore, those gases are known as greenhouse gases (GHG). The main GHGs within the atmosphere are Carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O).
1. Introduction The significance of this topic is to show the relationship between monitoring the Polar Regions using remote sensing techniques and the effects of climate change. The effect of climate change does not occur evenly around the world; some places warm faster than others. The Arctic and other Polar Regions are good examples of areas that are warming faster than other areas. The Earth’s average temperature has risen 0.6°C, while areas in the Arctic have risen up to 3.0°C in the last 20th century (Gardiner, 2008).
“The increase in the mean temperature of the earth due to excessive emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen.” ( Green) These extra gases are making it hard for heat to escape the Earth’s atmosphere resulting in warmer temperatures. Here is a model of the Greenhouse Effect retrieved from http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/greenhouse.html. Ethical Issues on Global Warming There are many causes of Global Warming to include Carbon Dioxide from power plants, cars, airplanes, and from buildings. “In 2002 about 40% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions stem from the burning of fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation.”(Ayres) 93% of electricity generations is produced by coal. 33% of the carbon dioxide comes from vehicles.
Lee Thé outlines the geological records which suggest that climate change is a natural phenomenon. The forces which caused those geological records are still in play. For example sunspot activity is presently low (you can search this on the internet e.g. Sun's Current Solar Activity Cycle Is Weakest in a Century) with some researchers suggesting that it may be reducing to the level of the Maunder Minimum which persisted at the time of the Little Ice Age, 300-400 years ago. Another geological record, the cycling of ice age/inter glacial periods, suggest that the earth is approaching the end of the present interglacial, the Holocene.
This essay clarifies several parts: how human activity influences the climate change, the role of human activity, the impact of natural events. Human activity that is most likely to have a strong impact on the climate change is the burning of the fossil fuels and deforestation. An example of this is the carbon dioxide emissions. A recent report (UNEPWMO, 2004, P10) stated, a great number of carbon dioxide emissions are the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas which used for transportation, manufacture, industrial uses as well as electricity generation. Owing to the development of industry and the use of fossil fuels, the amount of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere has produced and the average global temperature seems to have risen.