The Climate Lab Lesson 3
Signal vs. Noise Global vs. Local temperatures What’s happening in the local climate is often different from what’s happening in the global climate. Still, if there is a clear global trend in temperature, that should be reflected in most local temperatures around the world. Let’s see what Massachusetts looks like.
Global average temperatures (in degrees Celsius) from 1950 to 2013 What is the overall trend?
Massachusetts average temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) from 1950 to 2013 What’s different about this graph? How does Massachusetts compare to the planetary average temperature? How does the temperature trend in Massachusetts compare to the global temperature trend?
Activity 2: What’s causing the change? Reading review: Who discovered the evidence to support Fourier’s hypothesis, and what did he discover? Who calculated how much we would warm if CO 2 levels doubled, and how much was that? What is Charles David Keeling known for?
The “Keeling Curve” – atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over time
The black line represents atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 1970 to The pink and light blue lines show the decline in atmospheric oxygen levels from 1990 to NOTE: While oxygen levels are declining, the graph does NOT show them getting dangerously low. That’s not going to happen.
Which is warming faster? Days, or nights? Does this support the “jacket” hypothesis?
Stratospheric temperatures over time at different elevations Is the stratosphere (outer atmosphere) cooling, or warming? Is that change happening more in the inner layers (lower down) or the outer layers (higher up)? Do these data support the hypothesis that CO 2 is warming the Earth by insulating it, and trapping more heat?
Sea level and melting ice
Liquid water expands as its temperature increases!
Revisiting – Global average temperature
Where does the heat go? Some of it goes into melting ice, but most of it goes here – the Earth’s oceans
We’ve been studying Chemistry for a long time. (chemistry tools from the late 1700s)