Climate Change
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define climate change
any significant change in measurements of climate lasting for an extended period of time
what does climate change include? (3)
includes major changes in: 1. temperature 2. precipitation 3. wind patterns that occur over several decades or longer
define global change
refers to changes in global environment that may alter the capacity of the Earth to sustain life
global change alterations (6)
• climate • land productivity • oceans or other water resources • atmospheric chemistry • ecological systems • demographic and socioeconomic trends
most important GHG (4)
• carbon dioxide (CO2) • methane (CH4) • chloroflurocarbons (CFC5) • nitrous oxide (N2O)
sources of CO2 (2)
• burning fossil fuels 2. deforestation
sources of CH4 (2)
• bacteria in wetlands, rice fields, and guts of livestock 2. release of fossil fuels
sources of CFC5 (2)
• release from foams, aerosols, refrigerants, and solvents 2. burning of fossil fuels
sources of N2O (2)
• fertilizers 2. deforestation
intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) believes (2)
• warming of climate is unequivocal - global GHG emissions due to human activities have increased 70% for 1970-2004
Potential consequences of climate change (3)
• disruption of hydrologic cycle • increased evaporation will lead to changes in precipitation patterns • rising sea levels • thawing of glaciers • thermal expansion of water • sea levels expected to rise 6-35 in by 2100 • increase in severe weather events
human health effects of climate change (4)
• excessive heat • increase in air pollution • expansion of tropical diseases • insect vector borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis • increased algal blooms • cholera outbreaks
climate change impact of ecosystems (3)
• geographic distribution of organisms • animals: migration patterns, geographic range • plants: geographic range • timing of seasonal events • animals: hibernation, reproduction, migration • plants: bud set, flowering • changes in interdependent relationships of species in ecosystems
impacts of oceans (2)
• increase in water temp • many organisms are adapted to surviving in a very narrow range of temps • acidification of ocean water (CO2 + H20 = carbonic acid) • impacts organisms forming calcium carbonate skeletons/structures