Environmental Science 1

DMP111
Climate and Traditional
Architectural Design
Climate Science
is an understanding of
the climates influence
and your influence on

climate
By
Qaiss N. Khudeir
012 2157419

Elements of climate
Man and climate
Man-Building-Climate

The Sun is the primary source of

energy for Earths climate system

Elements of climate

Climate is regulated by complex interactions among

components of the Earth system involving
Sun,
ocean,
atmosphere,
clouds,
ice,
land, and life.
Climate varies by region as a result of local differences in these
interactions

The amount of solar energy

absorbed or radiated by Earth is
modulated by the atmosphere .

Complexity of Climate System

The climate system involves numerous, interrelated

components.

Climate varies over space and time through

both natural and man-made processes

 Greenhouse gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide,

and methane and release heat.
Small increases in carbon dioxide concentration have a
large effect on the climate system.

Human activities are

impacting the climate system

Human activities are impacting the climate system

Climate change will have

consequences for the Earth
system and human lives

Guiding Principle:

Humans can take actions to reduce

climate change and its impacts

Mitigation?

Adaptation?

 Shading of glass to reduce unwanted heat gain is critical.

Unprotected glass is often the greatest source of unwanted
heat gain in a home.
Radiant heat from the sun passes through glass and is
absorbed by building elements and furnishings, which then reradiate it.
Re-radiated heat has a different wavelength and cannot pass
back out through the glass as easily.
In most climates, 'trapping' radiant heat is desirable for winter
heating but must be avoided in summer.

10

RADIANT HEAT- GRE greenhouse effect

ENHOUSE EFFECT
The greenhouse effect results
from:
1) shortwave solar energy is
collected through glazing
2) absorbed by the opaque
or solid elements in the
building (walls, Furniture's)
3) re-emitted as long wave
radiation which is prevented
by the glazing from leaving
the building
As a result, part of the incoming
radiation is trapped and
increase the temperature the
greenhouse effect.
11

Greenhouse Gases

Water Vapor
Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Nitrous and Nitric Oxides
Ozone

Transparent to visible light but absorb infrared

Carbon Dioxide
Has doubled to 380 ppm since start of Industrial Revolution
Coupled to Temperature Rise?

More Cloud Cover?

Taken up by biomass?
Taken up by oceans?

Possible Effects of Global Warming

More Heat Extremes
Drought Dry weather

Rise in Sea Level

Temporary Severe Cold Spell? Flu
Rapid Migration of Ecological Zones
More Biomass but Lower Nutritional Value (Food resources)

Ozone

Stratosphere Good upper layer of Atmosphere

Absorbs solar ultraviolet (UV)
Troposphere Bad lower layer of Atmosphere
Toxic poisonous
Contributes to air pollution increase A.P

Smog

What are greenhouse gases?

Any gases that cause the greenhouse
effect!

Imagine a car on a cool but sunny

Observed
Changes and
Effects

Gigaton CO2 or equivalent /yr

There are several types of options

Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases

Attempt to develop alternatives energies

Reduce the emission, prepare to develop
alternatives energies and stop to use the fossil
fuel energy
Research continue to come up with new solution

Causes of Climate Change

Astronomical

Composition
Surface

Our changing climate:

Key Questions
Climate modelers have predicted the Earths
surface will warm because of manmade
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
So how much of the warming is manmade?
How serious are the problems this is creating?
What, if anything, can and should we do?

The Natural Greenhouse Effect: clear sky

O3

8%

Carbon
Dioxide
26%

CH4
N20

6%

Water Vapor

Water
Vapor
60%

Carbon Dioxide
Ozone
Methane,
Nitrous Oxide

Clouds also have a greenhouse effect

Our changing climate:

Increasing CO2 concentrations
2 most important greenhouse gases: H2O, CO2
Man is modifying the CO2 concentrations via burning
fossil fuels
CO2 concentrations are higher than any time in the last
400,000 years (NOAA site).

Amounts are now beyond the range of natural

variations experienced over the past 700,000 years
Predictions are for CO2 concentrations to continue
increasing to 1.5 to 3 times present values by 2100
(NOAA site)

Changing CO2 concentrations

CO2 concentrations have varied naturally by a factor of
2 over the past few hundred thousand years
Fossil fuel burning since the industrial revolution has
created a sharp increase in CO2 concentrations
CO2 concentrations are now higher than at any time in
past few hundred thousand years
And concentrations are increasing faster with time
Last 4 Ice Age cycles:
400,000 years

Man made

You are here

See http://epa.gov/climatechange/science/recentac.

Negative Feedbacks
The Earth is warming.
- Warming leads to more evaporation from oceans, which
increases water vapor in atmosphere.

-More water vapor increases absorption of IR, which

strengthens the greenhouse effect.

-This raises temperatures further, which leads to more

evaporation, more water vapor, warming

Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions per country

Total CO2 emissions
U.S.

Between 1950-2001 in billions of

tons

186.1
European
Union

127.8
Ukraine

Russia

68.4

21.7

China

Poland
Canada

14.4

14.9

Kazakhstan

10.1
India

Mexico

Japan

31.2

15.5

7.8

Kuwait

Trinidad and
Tobago

Australia
South Africa

8.5

TIME magazine, 2001

57.6

United
Arab
Emirat
es

7.6

Why we needs to think differently

buildings
(commercial)
7%

buildings
(residential)
6%

buildings
9%
agriculture
5%

agriculture
7%

electric
generation
15%

electric
generation
34%

industry
25%

industry
19%

transportation
46%
transportation
27%

U.S. GHGs
PCC slide no.

Washington GHGs
Source: U.S. EPA 2005; Washington State 2004

How cars generate CO2

CH2 + 1.5O2 CO2 + H2O

6.3 lb/gal/
6.3 gasoline
lb/gal
PCC slide no.

20
lb/gal
20 lb/gal
Source: Murray 2005

References
IPCC Summary Report for Policy Makers. November 2007
"About IPCC." IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change. 20 Apr. 2009 <http://www.ipcc.ch/about/index.htm>.
"Climate Change | U.S. EPA." U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. 20 Apr. 2009
<http://epa.gov/climatechange/index.html>.
Rischard, J. F. High noon twenty global problems, twenty years
to solve them. New York: Basic Books, 2002.
"SVS Animations." NASA Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio.
20 Apr. 2009
<http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003400/a003490/index
.html>.

Thank you