1. The Atmosphere, Climate, and Global Warming
Chapter 23
The Atmosphere, Climate, and Global Warming

2. Videos
Layers of the atmosphere, sorry, a bit boring, but all the info you need here.
Greenhouse effect
Global Warming

3. The Atmosphere The thin layer of glass that envelops the Earth
Chemical reactions
Atmospheric circulation produces weather and climates

6. Climate Climate: Microclimate Urban Dust Dome
the representative or characteristic atmospheric conditions for a region on Earth
Microclimate
The climate of a very small local area
Urban Dust Dome
Polluted urban air produced by the combination of lingering air and abundance of particulates and other pollutants in the urban air mass

8. Climatic Change
Major climatic changes have occurred during the past 2 million years
Appearances and retreats of glaciers
During the past 100 years, the mean global annual temperature ahs increased by .5 degrees Celsius

17. Global Warming
A natural or human induced increase in the average global temperature of the atmosphere near the earth’s surface
4 factors
Amount of sunlight Earth receives
Amount of sunlight Earth reflects
Retention of heat by atmosphere
Evaporation and condensation of water vapor

18. Electromagnetic Radiation and Earth’s Energy Balance
Electromagnetic spectrum
The collection of all possible wavelengths of electromagnetic energy, considered a continuous range

19. The Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gasses
The process of trapping heat in the atmosphere
Water vapor and several other gases warm the Earth’s atmosphere because they absorb and emit radiation
Greenhouse Gasses
Gasses that have a greenhouse effect
Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, CFCs

24. Global Warming
Negative and Positive feedback cycles affect the atmosphere
Increase in emission of greenhouse gasses
Solar Forcing, Natural Cycles, Aerosols (global dimming), Volcanic Eruptions, El Nino

28. Effects of Global Warming
Changes in climatic patterns
Rise in sea level
Changes in biosphere

29. Global Climate Patterns
Earth’s global climate patterns
Are determined largely by the input of solar energy and the planet’s movement in space

30. LALITUDINAL VARIATION IN SUNLIGHT INTENSITY
Plays a major part in determining the Earth’s climate patterns
Figure 50.10
Low angle of incoming sunlight
Sunlight directly overhead
North Pole 60N
30N
Tropic of Cancer
0 (equator)
30S
60S
Atmosphere
LALITUDINAL VARIATION IN SUNLIGHT INTENSITY
Tropic of Capricorn
South pole

31. SEASONAL VARIATION IN SUNLIGHT INTENSITY
June solstice: Northern
Hemisphere tilts toward
sun; summer begins in
Northern Hemisphere;
winter begins in
Southern Hemisphere.
March equinox: Equator faces sun directly;
neither pole tilts toward sun; all regions on Earth
experience 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of
darkness.
60N
30N
0 (equator)
30S
Constant tilt
of 23.5
September equinox: Equator faces sun
directly; neither pole tilts toward sun; all
regions on Earth experience 12 hours of
daylight and 12 hours of darkness.
December solstice: Northern
Hemisphere tilts away from sun;
winter begins in Northern
Hemisphere; summer begins
in Southern Hemisphere.
SEASONAL VARIATION IN SUNLIGHT INTENSITY
Figure 50.10

32. GLOBAL AIR CIRCULATION AND PRECIPITATION PATTERNS
Air circulation and wind patterns
Play major parts in determining the Earth’s climate patterns
Descending
dry air
absorbs
moisture
Ascending
moist air
releases
30
23.5 0
Arid zone
Tropics
60N
30N
0 (equator)
30S
60S
GLOBAL AIR CIRCULATION AND PRECIPITATION PATTERNS
Figure 50.10

33. GLOBAL WIND PATTERNS Figure 50.10 Arctic Circle 60N Westerlies 30N
Northeast trades
Doldrums
Southeast trades
Antarctic Circle
60S
30S 0
(equator)
30N
60N
Arctic Circle
Figure 50.10

35. Adjustments to Global Warming
Evidence based decision-making???
Mitigate warming through reduction of greenhouse gasses
Energy conservation
Alternative energy sources
Danger: rapid climatic change

37. Antarctic Heat Sink

38. Not always that easy to understand…
Ice levels don’t always decrease neatly with AGW
Check this out as well.