CH 304K 1st Edition Lecture 25 Outline of Last Lecture I. Global Warming Potential Outline of Current Lecture II. Anthropogenic ForcingIII. Surface AlbedoIV. AerosolsV. Coal Mine FiresVI. Climate ModelingVII. Effects of Global WarmingCurrent LectureAnthropogenic Forcing- Adding to what is naturally there- 30x the effect of solar irradiance- Carbon dioxide largest- Overall effect = positive- Relatively smallSurface Albedo- Albedo = reflectivity of surface- Snow and ice has higher albedo than underlying rock- Vegetation- removal of dark green rainforests to plant pale, more reflective crops raises albedo- Overall effect= negativeAerosols (like Particulate Matter)These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Natural: dust storms, ocean spray, forest fires, volcanoes- Anthropogenic: soot, smoke, sulfates from burning coal- Not understood well- Can scatter and/or absorb radiation- Can help promote cloud formationCoal Mine Fires- Millions of tons of coal wasted, land is polluted, collapses- Some fires begin naturally- Human mining makes it worse- opens seams to air- Not easy to put out; most are just left to burn- Towns sometimes have to pick up and moveClimate Modeling- Not easy- Earth’s climate is large and complexEffects of Global Warming- Sea Ice Disappearance: positive feedback; ice melts, more rock exposed, albedo decreases, more heat absorption- Sea Level Rise: glaciers melting; influenced by local weather patterns; coastal erosion from storm surges; inland flooding in lower areas- More Extreme Weather: Northern hemisphere-drier summers, wetter winters; more frequent wildfires- Ocean Chemistry Change: ocean absorbs a lot of Carbon dioxide; makes oceans more acidic; affects marine ecosystems like coral reefs- Biodiversity Loss: affects habitats; many species have had to change- Water vulnerability: very dependent on access to freshwater; some areas may experience chronic water
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