GEOL

0860 (12)

Environmental Geology Climate and Global Change I

Reading: Chapters 13, 19-21

Dr. R. C. Capo Fall 2013

What controls global climate patterns? 1. Latitudinal control 2. Oceans: ocean currents moderate temperature 3. Altitude

4.Rainshadow Effect: Why the Gobi is a desert and not like Pennsylvania
6. Albedo = Surface reflectivity

GD vs PA reflectivity of the surface- high albedo (snow) same latitude GD behind the Himalaya light hits it and tends to reflect mountain range

5. Urban vs. rural: urban heat island

Airport temp colder than that in oakland- concrete tends to create warm area (microclimate zone)

7. Winds Coriolus force

The coriolus effect- because the earth is rotating, things get deflected Generates prevailing winds

<-- Hadley Cells with dry/wet (zones weather)deserts ^ ll l

Jet Stream: migrates up and down with the seasons (El nino versus el nina)
storms along boundary

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Global climate change: there have been numerous warm periods and at least six major Ice Ages Snowball Earth evidence for early, very long, deep ice ages What drives global climate change? Tectonics (moves plates toward poles or equator) Example: 350 million years ago:
Changes in Position of continents: tectonics cs

Ocean/atmosphere circulation Volcanic activity can cause: Example:

cooling

Southern Gondwanaland

Anthropogenic (thats us, folks) well talk about that later. Solar/orbital variations (Earths orbit around the sun is variable)

more volcanic eruptions- puts particles up into the air light reflects- cools Mt Pinatubo, Phillippines Global cooling of .5C in 1992 precession- wobbling of the earth, tilt changes as it goes around

Solar/orbital variations: Pleistocene Ice Age: ~ last 2 million years glacial-interglacials = ice advances and retreats

Last glacial maximum: LGM = 18,000 years ago

Why? Earths orbital variations

Tilt, precession and eccentricity - shape of the orbit in cycles

Temperature range between glacial and interglacials:

Glacier: massive, landbound mass of compacted, moving snow and ice ALPINE glaciers Only 3 to 6 C!

features about the orbit of the earth that vary and can cause climate chg

Form where?
Latitudes: ALL Elevation: High In mountains Examples: Alps
Rockies Cascades

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CONTINENTAL glaciers Where? Latitudes: HIGH (Polar- most at poles) Elevation: ALL (even sea level) Ice sheets Examples:

Antarctica--> has largest icebergs Greenland--> tallest bergs (icebergs) Crevasses- cracks that form in brittle upper 40m of a glacier

Glacial landscapes: a. Erosional features

Chattermarks and glacial striations

form from: glacier movement over rocks

Glacial valley shapes:

1. U-shaped valleys 2. Hanging valleys

Fjord:
deep, narrow inlet Cirque- circular basins (ski areas)

Horn: from cirques eroded on three sides Lakes - scoured out by glaciers
Alpine: tarns Continental: large lakes Two examples:
ex: finger lakes, NY Great lakes

b, Depositional features Till: unsorted sediments

carved out by glaciers!!!! example that's gone now: Glacial lake Missoula Channeled scablands formed where dam was breached

Loess: fine-grained wind-blown deposits of: Dust (silt)

As a glacier melts and retreats interglacial features

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Moraines (Terminal) Drumlins

(valley) (till)

Example: Adirondacks have both erosional and depositional features Alpine and continental glaciers are melting very rapidlywhy? Global climate change: the human factor. Recent unprecedented changes-- likely result of human activities Recent rapid temperature rise is correlated with a rapid rise in atmospheric CO2 (and other anthropogenic greenhouse gases) since the Industrial Age Human activities, especially the use of fossil fuels is increasing emission of CO2 and other gases

Global mean surface air temperature will likely increase This is larger and more rapid than any in human history
arctic sea ice decline,

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