Causes, effects, and questions

Global warming is the increase in the average T of Earth's surface air and oceans Global surface temperature increased 0.74 0.18 C between the start and the end of the 20th century Very likely caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel, burning and deforestation. And also caused by natural phenomena such as solar radiation and volcanic eruptions

 Global warming is linked to the accumulation of a variety of gases in

the atmosphere
These gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,

and water vapor trap infrared radiation that would normally escape from the earths atmosphere into space

This increased gas serves to increase the capacity of the atmosphere to

absorb heat

o Greenhouse gases are the ingredients of the atmosphere that add to the greenhouse effect o Some greenhouse gases are present naturally in the atmosphere, whereas few green house gases a consequence of human activity. The greenhouse gases that are present in the atmosphere naturally include water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and ozone. By their percentage contribution to the greenhouse effect the four major gases are: water vapor 3670% carbon dioxide 926% methane 49% ozone 37%

The mechanism of the greenhouse effect

The radiant energy

reaching the Earth from the Sun includes visible light, infra-red radiation & ultra-violet warm up the sea & land
As is it warmed, the Earth

radiates infra-red radiation back towards space

Much of this heat does

not escape from atmosphere; some is reflected back by clouds & much is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere warmed

Without it, surface T would be too cold for life to exist on Earth

Greenhouse Gas

The heat from the Sun can go straight through glass windows. Once inside, it can become trapped and the inside of a greenhouse will get hotter and hotter

Greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere act like the glass in a greenhouse or car.

An enhanced greenhouse effect leading to global warming

Global warming is caused by green house gases, which trap in the suns infrared rays in the earths atmosphere, which in turn heat up the earths atmosphere. These green house effect warming is called as global warming. The effects of green house effect are visible more prominently in the recent years, with number of natural calamities on the rise in the whole world. The global warming has happened in the past few years and is evident from the rise in mean temperature of the earths atmosphere. The main causes for the global warming are attributed to release of green house gases by human activities. The main gases contributing to green house effect are carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and nitrous oxide. The largest producers of these gases are the thermal power plants, which burn the fossil fuels and produce these gases in large quantities. The second biggest sources of these green house gases are the road vehicles and industries.

The Greenhouse Effect is the natural phenomenon that warms the Earth, enabling it to support life. The sun's warmth passes easily through the blanket of gases around the Earth to reach the Earth's surface However, instead of this heat being lost back to space when it is reflected by the Earth's surface, certain gases in the atmosphere (called greenhouse gases) block this heat. Greenhouse gases are a natural part of the atmosphere and without them we could not live on Earth However, the problem we now face is that human actions, are increasing the concentration of these gases

This is believed to be raising the Earth's temperature, creating the prospect of global climate change. This is the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and over a period of 20 years has a 72 times greater effect on warming than CO2 Main source; from the decay of organic material by some kinds of bacteria It naturally breaks down high in atmosphere in a series of reactions; eventually form CO2 & H20 molecules Methane levels have risen by about 150% since 1750 for several reasons: 1. Levels of rice production have been increasing; rice paddy fields are waterlogged Bacteria in waterlogged soil release methane as they grow 2. As the human population grows, so animals (cattle) increased for food the amount from methane released from their digestion increases too

 Water vapor Does much to

keep planet warm. We have no control over water vapor CO2 is the most significant greenhouse gas. Levels increasing because of fossil fuel burning. We should be concerned about this one

 Methane

- from wetlands, ruminants and commercial production.

20-30 times more potent than CO2. Levels going up slowly. Nitrogen oxides (NOx or NxO) - formed during combustion from N2 thats in air. 200-300 times more potent than CO2. Chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) - Foam insulation, refrigeration gas, used to be an aerosol propellant. Being phased out. Ozone - formed from lightning, electrical arcs, and a reaction of gas vapors and sunlight.

Climate proxies are devices that suggest the climate patterns of the past The study of past climates is known as paleoclimatology Examples of proxies include ice cores, tree rings, boreholes, corals, and lake and ocean sediments

One widely used source of T proxies comes from Antarctic & Greenland ice cores Scientist drill deep down into the ice and then analyze the air trapped in the different layers This provides a record which goes back thousand of years

Presence of water molecule (melted ice) isotopic compositions of 16O and 18O in an ice core help determine past temperatures and snow accumulations
The heavier isotope (18O) condenses more readily as T decrease and falls as precipitation, while the lighter isotope (16O) can fall in even colder conditions. The farther north an 18O isotope is discovered means a warming over time

Air bubbles in the ice contain trapped gases, especially those of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, and are also helpful in determining past climate changes

From 1989-1992, the European Greenland Ice Core Drilling Project drilled in central Greenland at coordinates 72o 35' N, 37o 38' W. In their project, ice at a depth of 770 m were 3840 years old; 2521 m were 40,000 years old; and 3029 m at bedrock were 200,000 years old or more. However, ice cores can reveal the climate records for the past 650,000 years

Also known as dendroclimatology

Using this method to study climate change

Dendrochronology is the dating of past events (climatic changes) through study of tree ring growth Discovered by A.E. Douglass, who noted that the wide rings of certain species of trees were produced during wet years and, inversely, narrow rings during dry seasons. To better understand cycles of sunspot activity and reasoned that changes in solar activity would affect climate patterns on earth which would subsequently be recorded by tree-ring growth patterns (i.e., sunspots climate tree rings) The rings are more visible in temperate zones, where the seasons differ more markedly

Each year a tree adds a layer of wood to its trunk and branches thus creating the annual rings we see when viewing a cross section. In the spring, when moisture is plentiful, the tree devotes its energy to producing new growth cells. These first new cells are large, but as the summer progresses their size decreases until, in the fall, growth stops and cells die, with no new growth appearing until the next spring. The contrast between these smaller old cells and next year's larger new cells is enough to establish a ring, thus making counting possible.

Wood Morphology Bark, Phloem, Cambium, Xylem Late Wood: dense, dark; deposited in late summer/fall Early Wood: large cells and thin walls, spring

By knowing environmental conditions that operated in the past (by analyzing such conditions in tree rings), we can better predict or manage such environmental conditions in the future

Rates of plant processes can occur only as fast as allowed by the factor that is most limiting For example, if rainfall is the most limiting factor, then the amount of wood produced by a tree in any single year will reflect mostly the amount of rainfall that fell within that year.

Peat bogs are made of partly decomposed plant material, mainly Sphagnum mosses

The peat is very acidic, cool, anaerobic prevents bacteria from decomposing organic material pollen grains, moss spores & plant tissues are preserved in a peat
By sampling cores of peat, we can look back in time at the plant & mosses growing in and around that area from hundreds & even thousand years ago The pollen/moss record can give a clear reflection of how the climate has changed with time

Method of determining the age of once-living material. It depends on the decay of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 (radiocarbon) to nitrogen. All living plants and animals continually take in carbon: green plants absorb it in the form of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and it is passed to animals through the food chain When an organism dies it stops taking in carbon, so the amount of carbon14 in its tissues steadily decreases. Because carbon-14 decays at a constant rate, the time since an organism died can be estimated by measuring the amount of radiocarbon in its remains. The method is a useful technique for dating fossils and archaeological specimens from 500 to 50,000 years old and is widely used by geologists, anthropologists, and archaeologists.

Most famous evidence Mauna Loa curve The air is sampled continuously at the top of four 7-metre tall towers & an hourly average of CO2 concentration is taken The air in the area is relatively free from local pollutants Measurements started in 1958 & the monitoring methods & instruments used have remained similar throughout that time The records show that the level of atmospheric CO2 has increased from 315.98 ppmv (1959) to 381.74 ppmv (2006) The annual fluctuations in the levels of CO2 seem to be the result of seasonal differences in the fixation of CO2 by plants (temperate regions) Law Dome ice cores Ice core data also show clear changes in CO2 concentration
Please answer the questions in Pearson, pg 45 Answer ALL questions Time: 30minutes

 A lot of evidence from many studies a clear correlation between the increase T, increase CO2 levels There is a causal relationship how 1 factor changes the other From our understanding of the greenhouse effect : 1. Industrial revolution burnt increasing quantities of fossil fuels 2. Solar activity affects cloud formation; effect T The IPCC reached the conclusion: Sum of these activities over the past 50years would most likely have produced cooling rather than warming Now, increase in atmospheric CO2 , causes increase T Human CO2 emissions are responsible for at least current warming GW is multifactorial, with many different inputs, not just CO2 levels
From the fig 5.3.13, 5.3.14 & 5.3.15; Please answer all questions Pearson, pg 47 Answer All questions

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Polar ice melt Glacier retreats Rising sea levels Changing weather & ocean current patterns Coral bleaching Risk of flooding Climate change The effect on organisms Changes in species distribution

Global warming also lead to changes in metabolism & development: 1. T & Enzyme activity 2. T & sex determination in reptiles 3. T & plant growth & development

Polar ice melt

Changing weather & ocean current patterns

Rising sea levels

Coral bleaching

Surface Melt on Greenland

Melt descending into a moulin, a vertical shaft carrying water to ice sheet base.

Source: Roger Braithwaite, University of Manchester (UK)

In 2002, 500 billion tonnes of ice broke away from Antartic peninsula & eventually melted into the sea Antartic T have increased by average 2.5 C in the past 50 years Many scientist believe that the thinning ice is a clear indication of GW As the ice melts, the volume of water in seas will increase, sea levels also inrease Impact to human life; around 100 million people live less than 1 metre above current sea levels Eg: UK large areas of the east coast could be lost for good Netherlands might disappear completely

Rising T affect weather and rainfall patterns Statistical evidence suggests; there is an increase in extreme weather linked to the rise in global T Eg: Africa Trend of low rainfall; it has been predicted that by the year 2020 between 75 and 250 millions people will be short of water for their crops & to drink In contrast, in some areas rainfall has been both higher & extremely heavy leading to flooding; devastation & carries away the vital topsoil International group of scientist found that many changes correspond to global warming factor

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Enzyme activity
T has an effect on E activity; affects the whole organism The effect of T on organisms is direct; T influences the rate of all biochemical reactions As T rises molecules have increased active energy reactions go faster In chemical reactions, for every 10 C rise in T, the rate of reaction become doubles As a result, increasing T could have different effects on processes rate of growth and reproduction T may exceed the optimum for some E, the organisms will die

Sex determination in reptiles

In many species of reptiles (but not all) it is the T of incubation of fertilised eggs determines whether they are male or female Temperature Sex Determination (TSD) Eg: Alligators When the eggs of alligator were incubated at various T, this mechanism was confirmed Male alligators develop only if the eggs are incubated at 32-33 C If the eggs are cooler, females develop Lizards show the same pattern, turtles the reverse pattern

Growth & development

Plant growth will be effect by limiting factor Experimental data suggest that a change of just a couple degrees could be fatal to many species In higher latitudes, seasonal cycles affect life cycles GW appears to be affecting the onset of the seasons; affecting life cycles & distribution of species Eg: the breeding cycle of tits in Wytham Woods near Oxford in the UK
Pearson pg 50

Impact of heat on growth & development: Brine shrimp hatching rates

 A change in climate could affect the range of many different species Eg: Study by Parmesan et al. 1999 The distributions of parasites causing diseases may also effected by climate change Eg: Malaria Widespread in Europe & North America Climate change may establish conditions in which the mosquito can breed & complete their life cycles in the UK Some pest & disease organisms may benefit from climate change

Explanation of the effects of global warming

Explanation of the effects of global warming

 We must start putting less carbon dioxide into the

air. Most the CO2 in the air will be around for 100 years. We need to burn less gasoline in our cars. Burn less coal (or burn it cleaner) for our electricity. Use less gas to heat our homes. Use less gas and electricity in our factories and on our farms.
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 Solar Biofuels Wind Nuclear Power Geothermal

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 Higher mileage cars

Live and work closer to home

Walk, ride bikes Better insulated homes

Use more efficient lights (fluorescent/LED)

More efficient factories

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Explanation of the causes of global warming