news environment
TRANSCRIPT
News
• http://www.thefarmproduction.blogspot.com/• http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33357735/ns/us_news-envi
ronment/• http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-science/20091016/A
A.Antarctica.Global.Warming/• http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2009/10/20/
more_planets_discovered_outside_solar_system/• http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2009/10/2
0/carbon_cutting_projects_face_uncertainty_after_2012/• http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/
editorials/articles/2009/10/20/to_foster_green_energy_state_needs_to_make_bets/
Remaining Issues with Midterm 1
Support for Learning• Midterm II-Handed out Thursday, Nov. 12• Participation-30%• Extra Credit Paper (up to 2/3 of letter grade)
– 5-10 pages– Subject of your choice– 5-10 references (at least 3 not on the internet)– Discuss with Jason or Bob (email OK)
• Contact Jason or Bob• BlackBoard
– Powerpoints– Lecture Notes– Study Lists
• Reading– Notebooks, notes
The Greenhouse Effect
Image courtesy of scrappy annie, Flickr.com
Greenhouse Effect
Image courtesy of National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Energy Budget
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Model
• http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/models/ClimateChange
Greenhouse Effect
• Natural Greenhouse Effect– Raises earth’s average temperature 18C to 14C
• Anthropogenic Greenhouse Effect Enhancement– Due to additions of greenhouse gases– CO2, CH4, N20, O3, Freons
• CO2 and Temperature correlated over last 2 million years
• CO2 has never been as high as it is today
• Model predictions need historical data as well as a complete understanding of feedback systems and thresholds
Carbon Dioxide
Radiation is related to
Temperature
Different gasesAbsorb
different wavelengths
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
“Global Average
Temperature”Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
How do you measure “Global Average Temperature”?
6000 Temperature Stations
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Ice Cores
Image courtesy of Kevin_McMahon, www.arcus.org/
Feedbacks--Albedo
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Polar Ice Caps
Image courtesy of NASA
Glacial/Interglacial
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Other Feedback Systems
• Increased CO2increased Tice caps meltingdecreased albedoincreased T (POSITIVE feedback)
• Increased CO2increased photosynthesisdecreased CO2 (NEGATIVE feedback)
• Increased Tincreased evaporationincreased cloudsincreased albedodecreased T (NEGATIVE feedback)
• Increased CO2Increased Tincreased climate changedisruption of ecosytemsdecreased productivityincreased CO2 (POSITIVE feedback)
Thresholds
• Ocean Conveyor Belt stops– Temperatures rise, arctic ice melts, North Atlantic Deep Water not
salty enough to sink• Terrestrial carbon sink fills up
– Forest regrowth complete– ~1 gigaton C/yr atmospheric increase above current
• El Nino intensifies– Temperatures rise, cause greater gradients in pressure, disrupts
upwelling and therefore productivity• Hurricanes intensify
– Water temperatures increase– Allow many more hurricanes to develop– Disrupts ecosystems
What can we learn fromPast climate change?
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Global Temperatures-Ice AgesMilankovitch Cycles
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Carbon Dioxide
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Current Interglacial
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Sun Spots
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Source: The Low Carbon Partnership
Model Projections
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Temperature Changes So Far
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Uneven: 0-8C
Image courtesy of Robert A. Rohde, Wikipedia
Argentina
Upsala Glacier
Portage Lake/Glacier
You can observe a lot by watching…
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
PermafrostGreenland Ice Sheet
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
CoralBleaching
Image courtesy of NASA Earth ObservatorySource: The Green Lane
How will a 3C temperature increase affect your life?
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Global Conveyor Belt
Image courtesy of Avsa
Image courtesy of World Resources Institute
Effect on Species
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Effects of Climate Change
Agriculture•Shifts in food growing areas•Changes in crop yields •Increased pests crop diseases, and weeds in warmer areas
Biodiversity•Extinction of some plant and animal species•Loss of Habitats•Disruption of aquatic life
Weather Extremes•Prolonged heat waves and droughts•Increased flooding from more frequent, intense, and heavy rainfall in some areas
Water Resources•Changes in water supply•Decreased water quality•Increased drought•Increased flooding•Snowpack reduction•Melting of mountaintop glaciers
Human Population•Increased deaths from heat and disruption of food supplies•More environmental•Increased migration
Forests•Changes in forest composition and locations•Disappearance of some forests especially ones at high elevations•Increased fires from drying•Loss of wildlife habitat and species
Sea Level and coastal Areas•Rising sea levels•Flooding of low-lying islands and coastal cities•Flooding of coastal estuaries, wetlands, and coral reefs•Beach erosion•Disruption of coastal fisheries•Contamination of coastal aquifers with salt water
Human Health•Decreased deaths from cold weather•Increased deaths from heat and disease•Disruption of food and water supplies•Spread of tropical diseases to temperate areas•Increased respiratory disease and pollen allergies•Increased water pollution from coastal flooding•Increased formation of photochemical smog
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Methods to slow Possible Global Warming
Prevention•Cut fossil fuel use (especially coal) in half•Improve energy efficiency•Shift to renewable Energy•Reduce deforestation•Use sustainable agriculture•Slow population growth
Cleanup•Remove Co2 from smoke stack and vehicle emissions
•Plant and tend trees
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
CO2 Sequestration
Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy under public domain
Carbon Sequestration
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
130 Gt total U.S. sequestration potentialGlobal emissions 6 Gt/yr in 2002 Test sequestration projects 2002-2004
CO2 Burial: Saline Reservoirs
Study Areas
One FormationStudied
Two FormationsStudied
Power Plants (dot size proportionalto 1996 carbon emissions)
DOE Vision & Goal:1 Gt storage by 2025, 4 Gt by 2050
• Near sources (power plants, refineries, coal fields)
• Distribute only H2 or electricity
• Must not leak
•At 2 Gt/yr sequestration rate, surface of U.S. would rise 10 cm by 2100
Projected Carbon-Free Primary Power
2005 usage:14 TW