1. Climate Change
Earth’s climate has not always been the same as it is today – it’s always changing

2. Climate Change
Earth’s climate has not always been the same as it is today – it’s always changing
Global Warming

3. Finding Climatic Data Tree Core Sampling Pollen Profiles
Separated from sediment
Deep-Sea Sediment Cores
Analysis of fossils and oxygen isotope
Coral Rings
Method – 1. Tree Core Sampling 2. Pollen Profiles (will tell us vegetation which can infer to climate) 3. Deep-sea sediment cores (can show oxygen isotope which corresponds to changes in earths ice volume) 4. Coral rings (some corals require certain temps of water to live in, even smallest change in temp can threaten coral life) 5. Ice cores 6. Stratigraphy (can relatively date the rocks and certain minerals found in that time period can correspond to environment
Ice Cores
Stratigraphy
Rock salt = warm climate
Can be a book with missing pages

4. Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanic ash, dust, and tiny particles containing sulfur (aerosols)
Increase the amount of solar radiation that is reflected back into space
Causes Earth’s lower ATM to cool

5. Solar Activity When the sun is most active (~every 11 years): sunspots
Formation of sunspots = warmer
Less sunspots = colder

6. Earth Motions **closer to the sun = warmer than normal
Earth’s orbit and tilt
Over a 100,000 year period Earth’s path becomes less elliptical
Earth’s axis changes 2 degrees ever 41,000 years
**closer to the sun = warmer than normal

7. Ocean Circulation
El Nino – warm countercurrents replace the normally cold offshore waters with warm waters

8. Ocean Circulation
El Nino – warm countercurrents replace the normally cold offshore waters with warm waters

9. El Nino

10. Effects of El Nino Fishing Trade winds weaken Alters the Jet Stream
Influences temperature and precipitation

11. La Nina La Nina – opposite of El Nino
Occurs when surface temperatures in the Pacific are colder than average

12. Effects of La Nina A La Nina winter blows colder air over Pacific NW
NW has highest precipitation
While warming much of the rest of the US