CA Chem Inv 12

Page 1: Instructional Segment Overview

• Title: The Chemistry of Climate Change

• Key Questions:

  • Why are we seeing more extreme weather?

  • Define the context of the instructional content.

Page 2: Inquiry Launch

• Observation: Image of a pedestrian in a blizzard.

• Future Expectations:

  • Discuss how extreme weather events may differ in frequency and severity in the future.

  • Misconceptions: There's a common belief that cold weather events will reduce, but they're likely to increase.

  • Importance of understanding the factors leading to more extreme weather.

Page 3: Investigation Interaction

• Online Engagement: Suggested activities to explore real-world phenomena.

• Focus Topic: Investigate causes of drought in California through video content and worksheets.

Page 4: Investigative Phenomenon in California

• Context: Regular drought occurrences in California are increasing in frequency and severity.

• Reflection Questions:

  • Factors that may increase drought likelihood.

  • Causal connections between climate stability, feedback processes, and extreme event occurrences.

Page 5: Earth's Systems and Energy Flow

• Key Concepts:

  • Interaction of various components such as solar radiation, evaporation, and geological processes.

  • Energy Sources:

    • Solar energy drives water cycles and weather.

    • Internal heat generation from radioactive decay drives geologic activity.

Page 6: Water in the Hydrosphere

• Reservoirs of Water:

  • Different reservoirs with respective volumes and residence times.

  • Importance of freshwater in the context of human life and natural systems.

  • Overview of biogeochemical cycles, highlighting residence times and pathways for elements vital to life.

Page 7: The Water Cycle

• Processes Involved:

  • Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and transpiration.

• Driving Forces: Discuss sun’s energy and gravity in the water cycle.

• Cycle Interactions: How human activity and environmental factors impact the cycle.

Page 8: Carbon Cycle Overview

• Significance of Carbon: Central to life and Earth's ecosystems.

• Photosynthesis Role: Approximately 550 billion tons of carbon stored in the biosphere.

  • Fossil fuels as historical carbon stores.

• Carbon Reservoirs: Highlighting various forms (marine, atmosphere, vegetation, etc.) and their residence times.

Page 9: Carbon Cycle Dynamics

• Comparative Analysis:

  • Different carbon reservoirs and their unique characteristics.

  • Processes affecting speed and storage in the carbon cycle.

Page 10: The Rock Cycle

• Geologic Processes: Interaction between internal forces (tectonic movements) and external processes (erosion).

• Rock Formation and Transformation: Defining igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic processes within the cycle.

Page 11: Cycling of Material in the Rock Cycle

• Processes Explained: Melting, cooling, weathering, erosion, transportation, and lithification discussed.

• Transformation Mechanism: Insight into how one rock type can become another through various geological processes.

Page 12: Feedback Mechanisms in Earth Systems

• Positive vs. Negative Feedbacks: Explanation of reinforcing vs counterbalancing feedbacks.

• Example: Meandering rivers illustrated as a dynamic feedback example.

Page 13: Tipping Points

• Definition of Tipping Points: When usual feedback mechanisms fail, causing significant and rapid changes in Earth systems.

• Example: Disintegration of West Antarctic ice sheet.

Page 14: Land Use in the U.S.

• Statistics on Land Use: Breakdown into pasture, forests, cropland, urban, and miscellaneous uses.

• Human Impact: Significance of land use on ecological health, species diversity, and resource distribution.

Page 15: Human Impacts on Atmosphere

• Pollutants: Sources of atmospheric pollution and their environmental impacts.

• Mitigation Efforts: Discussing successful policies reducing air pollution levels.

Page 16: Energy Budget in Earth's Atmosphere

• Energy Flow: Understanding energy input from sunlight and radiation balance.

• Greenhouse Effect Dynamics: Explanation of how absorbed energy is re-radiated back.

Page 17: Earth's Energy Budget Components

• Understanding Energy Transfer: Quantifying energy absorption and reflection by Earth’s systems.

• Unbalanced Energy Budget: Effects of greenhouse gas emissions leading to warming trends.

Page 18: Atmospheric Structure

• Layer Definitions: Different atmospheric layers and their properties.

• Impact on Climate: Influences of atmospheric components on weather and climate.

Page 19: Evapotranspiration

• Initial Process of Water Cycle: Importance of evapotranspiration in regional climates.

• Feedback Mechanism: Interaction with atmospheric humidity and climate cycles.

Page 20: Atmospheric Convection

• Mechanism Explained: How warm air rises and cools, contributing to global weather patterns.

• Pressure Dynamics: Role of atmospheric differences in influencing wind patterns.

Page 21: Atmospheric Pressure & Wind Patterns

• Pressure Systems: How air flows from high to low-pressure areas, defining weather events.

• Impact of Pressure Changes: Detail effects on weather patterns and precipitation.

Page 22: Global Atmospheric Circulation

• Circulation Cells: Breakdown of major air circulation cells influencing climate zones.

• Implications for Weather Patterns: Explanation of trade winds and their importance.

Page 23: Relative Humidity and Temperature Interactions

• Concept Productions: Explore how warm air's capacity for moisture affects humidity levels.

• Condensation Dynamics: Relationship between temperature drops and condensation phenomena.

Page 24: Types of Precipitation

• Formation Mechanisms: How different temperature layers affect precipitation types.

• Conditions of Precipitation: Factors that influence whether precipitation falls as rain, sleet, or snow.

Page 25: Severe Weather Dynamics

• Impact of Extreme Weather: How severe weather forms from interacting air masses.

• Monitoring Systems: Current technology for predicting severe weather and protecting at-risk populations.

Page 26: Air Mass Interactions

• Cold and Warm Fronts: How they create severe weather conditions.

• Expectations Based on Maps: Task of predicting weather changes using prior data.

Page 27: Tropical Deforestation Effects

• Climate Forcings & Feedbacks: Dual impact of deforestation on climate warming and cooling.

• Sunlight Factors: Importance of solar energy variations in influencing climatic changes.

Page 28: Albedo and Climate Dynamics

• Surface Albedo: Understanding various surface types and their reflectivity influences on climate.

• Critical Role of Vegetation: How land use changes impact solar energy absorption and climate.

Page 29: Cloud Dynamics

• Cloud-Aerosol Interactions: Exploring the dual effect of clouds on Earth's energy balance, providing both cooling and warming feedback.

Page 30: Ocean Currents Influence on Climate

• Density Differences: Understanding how temperature and salinity differences affect global circulation.

• Impact of Glacial Melting: How additional freshwater affects deep current systems and carbon dynamics.

Page 31: Biospheric Contributions to CO2 Levels

• Carbon Cycling Dynamics: How biomass impacts carbon storage and sequestration through photosynthesis.

Page 32: Methane Hydrate Feedbacks

• Reinforcing Climate Feedbacks: Role of methane in global warming and its interactions with atmospheric conditions.

Page 33: Planetary Comparisons

• Atmospheric Differences: Analyze the environmental impacts of Venus, Earth, and Mars due to differing compositions.

Page 34: Radiative Forcing Principles

• Understanding Feedbacks: Exploration of surface radiation feedback and how it regulates Earth's temperature.

Page 35: Arctic Sea Ice Feedbacks

• Climate Feedback Cycle: Understanding how loss of ice leads to more absorption of sunlight, accelerating temperature rise.

Page 36: Glacier Dynamics

• Feedback Mechanisms Explained: Impacts of glacial melting on surrounding ecosystems and regional climates.

Page 37: Climate Zones & Their Variations

• Köppen Classification: Overview of Earth's climate zones based on geographic and atmospheric conditions.

Page 38: Solar Activity and Climate History

• Historical Changes: Discuss the sun’s influence over Earth's climate and geological periods.

Page 39: Proxy Data for Climate Understanding

• Historical Climate Records: Utilizing proxy data to infer historical climate conditions based on geological evidence.

Page 40: Atmosphere Evolution Over Time

• Evolution of Composition: Discuss the transition of Earth's atmosphere from high CO2 to current levels due to biological processes.

Page 41: CO2 and Biodiversity Relationships

• Correlation Analysis: The relationship between atmospheric CO2 levels and biodiversity trends in Earth's history.

Page 42: Volcanic Activity’s Impact on Climate

• Mechanisms of Earth’s History: How volcanic activity has both short-term and long-term atmospheric impacts through gas emissions.

Page 43: Chemical Weathering Effects

• Erosion and CO2 Dynamics: How geological and biological weathering processes contribute to climate regulation.

Page 44: Continental Margins and Climate Effects

• Impact of Geography: How the distribution of land masses affects regional climate patterns.

Page 45: Ocean Currents and Climate Interactions

• Energy Movement: Understanding how ocean currents distribute solar energy, affecting global climate stability.

Page 46: Climate Cycles and Variations

• Short-Term vs Long-Term: Analyze the influences of solar activity and natural climate variances.

Page 47: Milankovitch Cycles

• Earth's Orbital Variations: Explore the three key cycles that influence Earth’s long-term climate changes.

Page 48: Global Climate Interactions

• Threshold Effects: Observation of how climate changes correlate with solar variations through time.

Page 49: ENSO Phases and Climate Impacts

• El Niño and La Niña Effects: The differing atmospheric impacts caused by changes in ocean temperatures.

Page 50: Solar Output Variability

• Fluctuating Energy Input: Discuss how solar cycles influence Earth’s overall climate.

Page 51: Climate and Human Interaction

• Impact of Solar Activity on Human History: Evidence of how past climate changes influenced societal developments.

Page 52: Volcanic Cooling Effects

• Significance of Eruptions: Understand the cooling impacts of volcanic eruptions on short-term climate.

Page 53: Historical Climate Events

• Impact of Major Eruptions: Link volcanic activities to significant climatic changes through history.

Page 54: Effects of Sea Level Changes

• Historical Impact on Human Settlements: How changing coastlines have influenced early human cultures.

Page 55: Extreme Weather of the Past

• Historical Climate Changes: Explore how climate events affected civilizations like Rome.

Page 56: Short-Term Climate Forcing Factors

• Human Contributions: Discuss anthropogenic impacts on climate systems comparing natural and human-induced changes.

Page 57: Reassessing Climate Drought Causes

• California Drought Analysis: Suggested activities to evaluate arguments about climatic impacts on droughts in California.

Page 58: Assessment and Investigation Closure

• Reflection on Feedback Mechanisms: Review how interaction among Earth systems leads to extreme weather observations.