New Core Curriculum Foundations of Scientific Process Current Environmental Problems

Global Trends Climate Change (global worming, sea-level rise, coastal flooding, extreme weather) HOW DO WE KNOW?

Climate Models as Evidence: Modern Climate Changes dominated by Human Influence Testing models against past climate: The last ~ 100 years “Natural” Influences Human Influences

IPCC Models The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to assess scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

The Nobel Peace Prize 2007 "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man- made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change" IPCC Albert Arnold Gore Jr.

(a) Monthly CO 2 concentration and its trend line at Mauna Loa, Hawaii (blue) up to January Rahmstorf et al. (2007) What have we learned? Changes in key global climate parameters since 1973, compared to the scenarios of the IPCC [shown as dashed lines (A1FI, light blue; A1B, purple; A1T, blue; A2, red; B1, yellow; and B2, green) and gray ranges in all panels].

(b) Annual global-mean land and ocean combined surface temperature from two different data sources (red and blue) up to 2006, with their trends. Rahmstorf et al. (2007) What have we learned? Changes in key global climate parameters since 1973, compared to the scenarios of the IPCC [shown as dashed lines (A1FI, light blue; A1B, purple; A1T, blue; A2, red; B1, yellow; and B2, green) and gray ranges in all panels].

(c) Sea-level data based primarily on tide gauges (annual, red) and from satellite altimeter (blue) and their trends. Rahmstorf et al. (2007) What have we learned? Changes in key global climate parameters since 1973, compared to the scenarios of the IPCC [shown as dashed lines (A1FI, light blue; A1B, purple; A1T, blue; A2, red; B1, yellow; and B2, green) and gray ranges in all panels].

Evolution of Arctic sea-ice extent in July and August from 1979 until

Is rapid sea level rise a concern?

World Glaciers Activity

Total volume of Ice = 2.6 x 10 6 km 3 in Greenland 29.3 x 10 6 km 3 in Antarctica Total Ocean Surface Area = 36.1 x 10 7 km 2 Density of Water = 1000 kg m -3, or = 1 x10 12 kg km -3 Density of Ice = 900 kg m -3, or = 9 x kg km -3 With the statistics given above, calculate the amount of sea level rise that would occur if all of the ice in these two ice sheets melted. Remember that no mass is lost as ice converts to water, however there is a density change. You'll need to first get a water equivalent volume that the ice would produce.

With the statistics given above, calculate the amount of sea level rise that would occur if all of the ice in these two ice sheets melted. Remember that no mass is lost as ice converts to water, however there is a density change. You'll need to first get a water equivalent volume that the ice would produce. Density conversions: d(ice)=m(ice)/vol(ice) substituting values gives mass of all ice as x kg Since mass remains the same, we subs this into d(H2O)=m(ice)/vol(H 2 O) to give volume of water 2.8 x 10 7 km 3 Sea level rise = volume H 2 O / surface area of ocean = km = 80 m (approx 260 ft) rise in sea level if both polar ice sheets melted.

What about sea ice? The relationship between sea ice and sea level is analogous to a drinking glass filled with ice cubes and water. If the ice in the glass melts, the amount of liquid in the glass increases but the total volume of water in the glass remains the same, since the glass does not overflow. Similarly, sea ice melting merely represents a change of state. No new water is created so there should be no increase in sea level. Melting of Glacial (land) ice contributes to the increase in sea-volume. polar-bears habitat

Climate Debate

1.Efficiency gains 2.Stop old coal 3.Capture CO 2 at point sources 4.Carbon sequestration 5.Biofuels 6.Nuclear 7.Wind 8.Solar 9.Geothermal 10.H - fuels WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING

New Core Curriculum Foundations of Scientific Process Week 6: Current Environmental Problems Based on what you have heard / read from the media: What are currently the worlds most pressing problems ?

Global Trends Climate Change (global worming, sea-level rise, coastal flooding, extreme weather) Land Degradation (decline in water quality and quantity) Decline in Species (loss of ecosystem services) Increased emergence of infections diseases

(CNN) -- Since March 11, the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been in various states of disrepair after being battered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Earthquakes  remnants of Earth’s internal heat Japan: Sea radiation 1,250 times normal

Life – Atmospheric Conditions – Climate Proxies- needed to infer past climate-related changes Time before present (billions of years) Atmospheric CO 2 Atmospheric O 2

Extinction rates are higher than we would expect from fossil evidence The History of Life on Earth