-Climate change: How do we know?

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ 

Carbon Dioxide ​LATEST MEASUREMENT: August 2018 ​409 ppm 

This graph, based on the comparison of atmospheric samples contained in ice cores and more recent direct measurements,​ ​provides
evidence that atmospheric CO​2​ ​has increased since the Industrial Revolution. (Source:​ ​NOAA​)
 

The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been 
seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years 
ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. Most of these 
climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar 
energy our planet receives. 

The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is very likely human-induced 
and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years.​1 
 
Earth-orbiting satellites and other technological advances have enabled scientists to see the big 
picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate on a global 
scale. Studying these climate data collected over many years reveal the signals of a changing climate. 

"Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal." 

- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 

Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past 
century are very likely due to human activities, and most of the leading scientific organizations 
worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position. 

 
Please answer the following questions in regards to the ​9​ main ​SCIENTIFIC strands of EVIDENCE​ that
global climate change is occurring?

Global temperature rise 

Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with the five warmest years on record taking place since
2010.
What is the warmest year on record?
2016 was the warmest year on record according to NASA and 8 out of the 12 months were the
warmest records for the designated months.
What does a ​0.99 °C anomaly mean exactly?
This means that the temperature that year was .99 degrees C more than the averages of years past.
(An Anomaly is a difference in the norm) This data is from NA

How many years has it been since the recording of a year of cooler than average temperatures?

1976-1977. This information was from the NOAA. 41 years ago was when the average was cooler
than the normal average.

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperatur
e

 
Warming oceans 
https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/40/video-oceans-of-climate-change/ 

What percentage of global warming is absorbed by the oceans?

80% - 90% of the greenhouse gasses are going into the ocean this data is from NASA
Why did the water balloon take longer to pop than the air filled balloon? How does this relate to
warming oceans?
Water can absorbed more heat than oxygen can, showing that when the air filled balloon was
popped the air could not absorb all the heat so the rubber melted popping the balloon. When the
water balloon was tested with heat the water absorbed more heat allowing the rubber to ease up
and not melt because the water absorbed all the heat.
How much has the top 700 meters of ocean warmed?
The top 700 meters of the ocean warmed almost 0.04 degrees fahrenheit since 1969
Krill like to breed in really cold water near sea ice, why might this be a problem?

Because sea ice is disappearing and is allowing bigger predators to find the krill like whales eating
mostly krill whales can't get close to the ice sheets and whales need oxygen, when the whales need
oxygen they need places to go up in the ice.

Shrinking ice sheets 

An ​ICE SHEET​ is a mass of glacial ​land​ ice extending more than 50,000 square kilometers (20,000 square miles).
The two ice sheets on Earth today cover most of Greenland and Antarctica. Together, the Antarctic and
Greenland ice sheets contain more than 99 percent of the freshwater ice
on Earth.

Ice sheets form in areas where snow that falls in winter does not melt entirely over the summer. Over thousands
of years, the layers of snow pile up into thick masses of ice, growing thicker and denser as the weight of new
snow and ice layers compresses the older layers.Ice sheets are constantly in motion, slowly flowing downhill
under their own weight. Near the coast, most of the ice moves through relatively fast-moving outlets called ​ice
streams​, ​glaciers​, and ​ice shelves​. As long as an ice sheet accumulates the same mass of snow as it loses to the
sea, it remains stable.

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2749/ramp-up-in-antarctic-ice-loss-speeds-sea-level-rise/

Ice losses from 1992-2017 raised global sea level by how many inches (millimeters)?

Ice losses have increased sea levels by .12 inches study from NASA
Prior to 2012, ice was lost at a steady rate of how many tons per year? Contributing how many inches
(millimeters) a year to sea level?

83.8 billion tons contributing about 0.008 inches or 0.2 millimeters rise in sea levels in 2012
What has happened since 2012?

More ice is being lost from 58.4 billion tons in the 1990’s to 175.3 billions tons since 2012

What is Antarctica’s potential contribution to global sea level rise from its land-held ice?

Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise from its land-held ice is almost 7.5 times greater than all
other sources of land-held ice in the world combined. The continent stores enough frozen water to
raise global sea levels by 190 feet

Glacial retreat 
 

Glaciers​ are made up of fallen ​snow​ that, over many years,

compresses into large, thickened ​ice​ masses. Glaciers form
when snow remains in one location long enough to
transform into ice. Due to sheer mass, glaciers flow like very
slow rivers.Glaciers periodically ​retreat​ or ​advance​,
depending on the amount of snow accumulation or
evaporation or melt that occurs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnlPrdMoQ1Y

What is ‘firn’? It is an intermediate form between snow and glacial ice

How can glaciers MOVE without melting? Because pressure can melt ice, so at the bottom, it starts to flow

What is the ‘zone of plastic flow’? The deepest layers are exposed to more pressure, so it can be stretched

What is the ‘zone of brittle flow’? the top of the glacier where there is know pressure, so it cracks

What process causes most glaciers to move? Deforming

What causes a glacier to recede? Melting

What TWO factors are artificially speeding up the movement of glaciers? Warmer summers and less snow

Why are glaciers ‘sentinels’ of climate change? Because in order to stay cool, they have to be cool.

 
 
Decreased snow cover 
Describe snow covers role in regulating climate ​Because snow is so reflective, it reflects incoming light
rays back into space
What are the consequences of too little snow and too much snow? ​To little snow, we don’t get fresh
water to drink, to much snow, we get springtime floods.

Sea level rise 

How much has the sea level risen in the past century? ​86 mm
What TWO factors are the primary causes for sea level rise? ​Added water from melting ice sheets and
glacier, and the expansion of seawater as it warms.
What is the latest measurement of sea level rise? ​86 mm
What is the current rate per year of sea level rise? ​3.2 mm

 
Declining Arctic sea ice 
Sea ice​ is frozen seawater that floats on the ​ocean ​surface. It forms in both the Arctic and the Antarctic
in each hemisphere's winter; it retreats in the summer, but does not completely disappear.
Define ‘sea ice extent’?

Sea ice extent is a measurement of the area of ocean where there is at least some sea ice. Usually, scientists
define a threshold of minimum concentration to mark the ice edge; the most common cutoff is at 15 percent
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2811/2018-arctic-summertime-sea-ice-minimum-extent-tied-for-sixth-lowest-on
-record/

Since the 1970’s, on average, how many square miles/year has the Arctic sea ice extent shrunk? What is this
equivalent to?

shrunk on average about 21,000 square miles (54,000 square kilometers)

Watch the video to answer the following questions

What is seasonal ice? What is perennial ice? What are the big differences between these two types of sea ice?

the ice that lasts multiple years (perennial)

the ice that melts back every summer (seasonal ice)

seasonal ice form when the ocean freezes, forming from sea water, salty very saline because of the seawater,
thinner than the older ice, weaker in its structure

Perennial ice is thicker, has more resilience during the summer melt season for the thinner the thinner ice,

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2776/arctic-carbon-cycle-is-speeding-up/
Describe what is happening to the Carbon cycle in the tundra. Are these changes predicted to be positive or
negative?

 
Extreme events 
Global warming is increasing the temperature of our lower atmosphere. How will this affect the 
amount of moisture in the air? 
It will increase moisture.
Warm air can hold more moisture than cool air. This is because at higher temperatures, more liquid water
molecules evaporate, which means there is more water vapor in the air. Warmer, wetter air can have other
knock-on effects on storms and extreme weather events like floods. Extra heat in the atmosphere and oceans
(related to global warming) fuels storms, potentially causing them to become stronger and more intense.
 
The sun is the driving force behind the water cycle. Roughly how much of the sun's energy is 
absorbed by the Earth's land surface and water? 
 
48 percent
https://disasters.nasa.gov/severe-weather
look at this link and list and describe 2-3 recent extreme weather events

Ocean acidification 
How much has the acidity of ocean surface waters increased since the Industrial revolution?
the global average pH of the surface ocean has decreased by 0.11, which corresponds to approximately a 30%
increase in the hydrogen ion concentration.
How many tons /year of CO​2​ has the upper layer of the ocean absorbed? 

The ocean absorbs about a quarter of the CO​2​ we release into the atmosphere every year

Describe the processes that cause coral bleaching

During bleaching events, overheated seawater causes corals to part ways with symbiotic plant like organisms
called zooxanthellae that live inside of them.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/climate/coral-reefs-bleaching.html 

How much of the CO​2 ​produced by humans since 1800 has the oceans absorb?
THe oceans have absorbed about ⅓ of the carbon dioxide produced from human activities since 1800

How much of the CO​2​ produced by burning fossil fuels since 1800 has the oceans absorbed?
and about half of the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels (Sabine et al. 2004)