1. Conversations with the Earth Tom Burbine tburbine@framingham.edu

2. Earth System

3. Exercise #2 Question #1 How is the Earth System different than the systems for other planets in the solar system?

4. Earth is changing Earth is changing faster today than it has throughout most of its 4.6 billion year history Why?

5. Human activity How is human activity changing the Earth? Question #2: Make a list of 5 human activities that is changing the Earth

6. Anthropogenic – Human-induced Why are these anthropogenic changes a cause for concern? Question #3 Explain whether each of the 5 human activities that is changing the Earth should or should not be a cause for concern

7. Global Warming An increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation

8. Keeling Curve

9. CO 2 – carbon dioxide ppmv – parts per million by volume A cubic centimeter of gas has about 2.7 x 10 19 molecules 1 ppmv of CO 2 = 2.7 x 10 13 molecules of CO 2 2.7 x 10 19 molecules of air

10. Question #4 Why were the observations done at Mauna Loa?

11. Question #5 Why is there a yearly variation in the CO 2 content of the atmosphere?

13. Question 6 What in the ice cores do you measure the CO 2 of?

14. Question 7 Why do you think the CO 2 is increasing?

17. Billion Metric Tons Carbon

19. Question 8 Why would a rise in CO 2 cause a rise in temperature?

20. Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that a planet experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere (H 2 O, CO 2, CH 4, O 3 ) trap energy emitted from the surface.

21. Question 9 What do all the greenhouse gases have in common?

22. Greenhouse Effect Visible light hits the surface Surface warms and emits thermal radiation in the infrared Atmospheric gases absorb some of the infrared radiation Surface and atmosphere heat up

26. Runaway Greenhouse Effect Runaway greenhouse effect to describe the effect as it occurs on Venus Venus is sufficiently strongly heated by the Sun that water is vaporized and so carbon dioxide is not reabsorbed by the planetary crust

27. Question 10 Does Venus or Earth have a higher concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere?

28. Any Questions?