Climate Change

Sun’s raditation

30% of raditation reflected back into spave

70% is absorped by earth

Short wave radiation

Earth’s radiative forcing

50% goes into space

50% remains in earth

Earth’s atmosphere

Lets in more shortwave radiation in than longwave radiation back

Greenhouse effect

Shortwave radiation in from sun

Earth converts energy to longwave raditation out

Half of longwave radiation out goes can’t escape atmosphere

Evapotranspiration (ET)

turns heat into latent heat

causes local cooling

releases heat into atmosphere during condensation

Drives humidity and rainfall

Redistribution and regulator of heat and moisture

Carbon geologic cycle

slow flux

carbon biological

fast flux

carbon sink

stores more carbon than it releases

atmosphere

ocean

terrestrial systems

Biological pump

phytoplankton photosynthesize CO2

they sink to bottom of ocean

FINISH

Aerosols

soot, dust, sea salt, sulfates

wide redistribution

cooling effect

Forests ability to sequester carbon

large sink

have a limit on amount they can sequestor

International Pannel on Climate Change

Assesses science related to climate change for robustness

Hydrosphere

ocenas

precipitation

Surface waters

interact with atmosphere

driven by wind

Subsurface waters

driven by thermohaline circulation

Latent heat

phase change without altering temperature

Sensible heat

Temperature change without changing phase

Trade winds/ correolis

East to West Along the equator

Hot air rises at equator

New air comes in from sides to replace it

causes circulation and currents

East Australian Current

controls weather on east coast of Australia

Cyclones and global warming

more frequent**

Occuring more south

El Nino Souther Oscillation (ENSO)

Trade winds pile up water on west side of basin

3-6 year cycle

El Nino

higher temperatures

Less Rain

Relaxed tradewinds → less water piled up → less clouds → warmer and less rain

La Nina

Lower temperatures/ More rain

Stronger tradewinds → more water piled up → more clouds → cooler and more rain

Dense Water

Cold and salt

At poles

Sinks

Thermohaline Circulation

Water gets cold and salty at poles and sinks

travels towards equator from displacement

Warms and rises near equator

Pushed by wind towards poles on surface

Allows ocean to take up a lot of heat

Carbon in water

cold water holds more carbon

when carbon goes into ocean → acidification

Ocean carbon ABC’s

Air-sea exchange

Biological production (photosynthesis, biological pump)

Carbon Circulation

Carbon Biological Pump

Plankton take up CO2 through photosynthesis

Die and sink to bottom of ocean

Carbon goes back up through respiration

Carbon circulation in the ocean

transported through thermohaline circulation

Released at upwelling zones into atmosphere

Climate change and oceans

Increased frequency of marine heatwaves

acidification

warmer temps

Marine heatwaves

extreme sea surface temperatures for long periods of times

effects evaporation

kills ecosystems

Cryosphere (ice)

high albedo (reflects energy back into space)

holds large amount of earth’s water

Sea-level rise causes

Thermal expansion of warming water

melting ice sheets