ENV-0007 Lecture 20: Lecture 20- Global Climate Change
6 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
Climate vs weather: weather = short term averages, climate is long term (20+ years, climate = shift in the long turn average of weather. Temperature concepts: temperature anomalies- 0 is normal condition, anomaly is a departure from that norm. Instrumental records- how we measure these conditions: proxy record- other effects besides from temperature/ thermometer cannot measure, net primary production is direction linked to temperature. Once legislation passed, this improved: seeing temperature changes is alarming we have to be contributing. Energy exchange (1) sun high energy, short wave radiation (2) energy is reradiated back out to long waver radiation (slower process) (3) energy is trapped by greenhouse gases cannot leave so heat increases. Anthropogenic climate change: the theory of anthropogenic climate change postulates that human activities change the atmosphere in a way that alters the earth"s heat (cid:271)ala(cid:374)(cid:272)e, on one hand, human activities increase the concentration of greenhouse gases. This reduces the amount of long-wave radiation that leaves the atmosphere.
