ENVS 3010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1.4: Water Cycle, Ellipse, Axial Precession

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Environmental Sciences
• Course: ENVS 3010
• Professor: Simone Haerri

Document Summary

At the longest time scales, the climate of the earth has been affected by the processes that are driven by the earth"s internal heat. Plate tectonics has altered the geometry of the continents and oceans and has affected how much carbon is stored in carbonate rocks vs other components of the carbon cycle. Weathering of carbonate rocks and the hydrologic cycle are accelerated in higher temperatures. Small amounts of atmospheric co2 are dissolved in rainwater forming a weak carbonic acid (h2co3) This acid is particularly effective at weathering carbonate rocks, producing carbon compounds that are incorporated in marine organisms" shells and into sedimentary rocks. Cold temperatures reduce weathering and more co2 accumulates in the atmosphere. This leads to warming over long time scales. At long time scales, variations in the earth-sun geometry have important effects on climate. 3 features are particularly important: the tilt of the earth on its axis determines the magnitude of seasonal variability in the mid-latitudes.