Climate Change

Individuals will grow only up to the point it runs out of a vital resource, even if there are surpluses in other categories

Populations will grow only up to the point that they run out of a vital resource

The max size of a population that an ecosystem can sustain, based solely on the resources available and not by predators or competitors

Carrying capacity changes as the amount of resources changes (for better or worse)

Populations can also surpass carrying capacity but will return to it to maintain equilibrium (negative feedback loop)

examples: hole in the ozone layers, smog/pollution, acid rain, ocean acidification

Climate is long term averages (upward trend of ~30 years, intensity/frequency) while weather is an individualistic, singular event

A natural process that warms the Earth’s surface by trapping heat from the sun in the atmosphere

1) Sunlight reaches the Earth’s atmosphere. 2) Some of the sunlight is reflected back into space. 3) The remaining sunlight is absorbed by the Earth’s land and oceans, heating them up. 4) The Earth radiates heat back into space. 5) Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap some of this heat, preventing it from escaping

Absorbed (by the atmosphere, land or water causing warming); Reflected (bounced back into space without causing warming); Radiated out into space (passively escapes)

Energy Entering = Energy Escaping = Stable Temperature

Natural and very long-term fluctuations in sun intensity caused by changes in the Earth’s orbit that changes the Earth’s temperature, ~100,000 year cycles (responsible for Ice Age)

Reflectivity of a surface

High Albedo: light colored, reflects more light/energy Low Albedo: dark colored, absorbs more light/energy

Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, Methane, Fluorinated Gases, Water Vapor

Determined by how well it absorbs light energy and residence time (how long it remains in the atmosphere)

Carbon Dioxide: 1 GWP Nitrous Oxide: ~300 GWP Methane: ~20 GWP Fluorinated Gases: ~ 5000 GWP

a positive feedback loop that occurs when the Earth’s surface reflectivity changes, which in turn affects the climate

A positive feedback loop that occurs when the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere increases as the planet warms

warm air holds MORE water vapor; warm water holds LESS dissolved carbon dioxide gas

positive feedback loop where increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by the ocean, leading to changes in the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide

a positive feedback loop that occurs when thawing permafrost releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which then warms the planet and thaws more permafrost

The arctic regions

How carbon moves and changes Pools: Where carbon is stored in different forms Fluxes (processes): How carbon moves between pools