Climate is the long-term average conditions in particular regions throughout the year. It is described by trends in weather over 30+ years, including extreme events. Weather is the state of the atmosphere (temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation) caused by interactions between it and the hydrosphere and lithosphere. You can watch this video and/or work your way through this tutorial to learn about the different spheres and the different ways that they can interact with one another.
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What is the future of the Earth's climate?
Click on the image on the left to go to a tutorial from NASA on the Earth's Changing Climates. As you work through the tutorial, answer the questions and record any interesting facts or ideas about climate change.
Click on the image on the left to go to a tutorial from NASA on the Earth's Changing Climates. As you work through the tutorial, answer the questions and record any interesting facts or ideas about climate change.
The "Debate"
This video discusses what climate change and global warming is and some misconceptions that exist.
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Check out Tony Abbott's comments about Carbon Dioxide... what do you think?
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Positive Feedback
Positive feedback involves a process of cause and effect. If the effect results in an increase of the cause activity, then this process is one of positive feedback.There are a number of positive feedback loops relevant to climate change, that means when the climate begins to change, the process tends to accelerate:
Positive feedback involves a process of cause and effect. If the effect results in an increase of the cause activity, then this process is one of positive feedback.There are a number of positive feedback loops relevant to climate change, that means when the climate begins to change, the process tends to accelerate:
As ice melts, there is less reflection of solar radiation from the earth's surface (ice reflects much of this radiation back into space; while open land and in particular oceans, which take the place of ice on the surface when it melts, absorb solar radiation). This warms the Earth's surface, increasing the rate at which ice melts, which increases the rate at which the Earth's surface warms. Some ice stores, such as those in Siberia, also contain frozen peat bogs, which when melted release stored methane, another greenhouse gas.
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Warm water is less effective at absorbing carbon. As carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, temperature increases. This makes surface ocean temperatures rise and extract carbon from the atmosphere at a slower rate. The balance of carbon in the atmosphere is weighed more to carbon going in, leading to a continuing in the rise of global temperatures.
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Increased temperatures can lead to an increase in desert regions in some locations (desertification). Desert soils contain less humus; the organic layers where carbon is stored. As a result or less carbon being stored in the soil, more is released into the atmosphere (enhanced by the reduction in vegetation, which removes carbon through photosynthesis). The increased greenhouse effect leads to more widespread desertification, increasing the process.
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Increased temperatures mean the air can hold more water vapour before it condenses into a liquid and rains (coming out of the atmosphere). Water vapour is a greenhouse gas, so this increases the temperature of the Earth's surface. The increased temperature allows the air to hold more water vapour, leading to a continued rise of global temperatures. |