1. Wednesday 4/25/18 
Notebook Entry: Scientists monitor the health of our planet Similar to how a doctor would monitor the health of a patient. What types of “Vital signs” do you think a scientist would look at to determine the health of our planet?
If your Atacama Paragraph is ready to turn in, staple it to your graphic organizer and analysis questions before you turn it in!

2. Earth’s Vital Signs
Water – quality, availability precipitation amounts and types
Atmosphere – carbon dioxide, global temperatures, artic sea ice, ice sheets, sea level
Biosphere – biodiversity, survival of species, change in habitats
Geopshere

3. Natural Factors that Change Climate
Solar Energy Volcanic Eruptions
Movement of Continents
Earth’s Position
Movement of continents/plate tectonics: change position of continent in terms of relationship to the equator and therefore how much direct sunlight received, it can also change distance from large bodies of water, prevailing winds, and mountain ranges.
Earth’s Position- changes in angle of Earth’s tilt on its axis, changes in Earth’s orbit of the sun both influence the amount of sunlight that reaches Earth and/or the places on Earth. Linked with ice ages.
Volcanic Activity – extremely large amounts of ash and large particles released into the atmosphere. Can reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere and may lower temperatures.
Solar Energy – the amount of sunlight changes affecting how much sunlight reaches earth, the changes result from an increase in sunspots, which are darker, cooler regions of the sun

4. Changes in sun’s energy output linked to changes in climate
Solar Energy
Volcanic Eruptions
Changes in sun’s energy output linked to changes in climate
extremely large amounts of ash released into the atmosphere block sunlight and lower temperatures.

5. Movement of continents/plate tectonics
changes position of continent & therefore changes climate factors – latitude, distance from large body of water

6. Earth’s Position
changes in angle of Earth’s tilt & changes in Earth’s orbit of the sun linked with ice ages.

7. Studying Ancient Climates
Pollen
Tree rings
Ice cores
Sediments
Rock layers
Each plant has a pollen grain with a different shape- heart shape is a tiger lily, top right is a dandelion. Scientists can use these pollen grain to determine what kinds of plants existed in places long ago.
Tree rings- thin rings indicate a dry year or a short growing season, wide rings indicate a long growing season or a wet year.
Ice Cores – similar to tree rings. When water freezes things such as pollen, dust, and gases can be trapped inside. Show ice core video.

8. Pollen
Each plant has a pollen grain with a different shape- heart shape is a tiger lily, top right is a dandelion.
Scientists can use these pollen grain to determine what kinds of plants existed in places long ago.

9. Ice Cores
When water freezes things such as pollen, dust, and gases can be trapped inside.
These are clues to past climates.

10. Humans Affect on Climate
One of the most abundant greenhouse gases.
Humans release billions of tons of it into the atmosphere each year. Most through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and gasoline to generate electricity, heat homes and power cars.

11. What are the climate vital Signs?
carbon dioxide
global temperatures
artic sea ice
ice sheets
sea level
Let’s take a closer look at some of these vital signs with NASA Climate Time Machine