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Atmospheric CO 2 & Global Warming

Atmospheric CO 2 & Global Warming. Atmospheric Temperature and CO 2 Levels. Predicted vs Observed Temperatures (Solar Radiation). Atmosphere Composition. The Population Explosion.

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Atmospheric CO 2 & Global Warming

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  1. Atmospheric CO2 & Global Warming

  2. Atmospheric Temperature and CO2 Levels

  3. Predicted vs Observed Temperatures (Solar Radiation)

  4. Atmosphere Composition

  5. The Population Explosion

  6. The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is primarily due to world energy consumption and secondarily due to deforestation.

  7. The Carbon Cycle

  8. Fixing Carbon (Carbon Sequestration) • Photosynthesis • 6C02 + 6H2O  C6H12O6 + 6O2 • Atmospheric carbon is fixed in the biosphere. • Stable exchanges of @ 110 billion tons of carbon annually

  9. Carbon Imbalance • Atmospheric carbon levels are at the highest level in 20 million years. • Annually between 9 and 10 billion tons MORE carbon is introduced into the atmosphere than is fixed. • Why?

  10. Types of Carbon • Biospheric carbon and Lithospheric carbon (fossil fuels) • General balance of biospheric carbon exchange, EXCEPT for additional atmospheric carbon from deforestation • Between 1 and 2 billion tons per year. • Lithosperic carbon adds @ 8 billion tones of carbon to the atmosphere • 1 gallon of gas releases @ 5 lbs carbon (18-19 lbs CO2).

  11. 2010 Carbon Emissions by Country

  12. Carbon Emissions Per Capita

  13. World Mapper Carbon Emissions Per Capita

  14. 400,000 Years of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Data Atmospheric CO2 (ppm) Hundreds of thousands of years ago

  15. OK, Make it a Million Years

  16. Causes of Global Change(population, proximate/ultimate effects) • Population growth or resource over consumption? • Impact = Population Number * Per Capita Resource Use • US CO2 emissions = ca. 4 tons C/person/year • Chinese CO2 emissions = ca. 0.2 tonsC/person/year • US Impact = 4 ton C /person x ca. 270,000,000 =ca. 1.1 billion tons C/year • Chinese Impact = . 2 ton C /person x 1.4 billion people =ca. 0.3 billion tons C/year

  17. What is the effect on global temperature of doubling the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide? The direct effect of heat absorption by the CO2:+ 1 oC The indirect (feedback) effects:+ 0.5 to 3.5 oC • melting ice and snow increases absorption of sunlight (ice-albedo effect) • warmer air holds more water vapor, another greenhouse gas • warmer air results in different cloud characteristics TOTAL: + 1.5 to 4.5 oC

  18. IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING • Threats to Food Production (Diminished Water Supplies) • Human Health Impacts (Heat Waves, Infectious Disease) • Wildfire • Sealevel Rise • Ecological Effects: • Extinction Episode Comparable to K-T Boundary • Spread of Invasive Species • Coral Bleaching • Biome Shift Northwards • Climate Hot Map

  19. Future energy policy will determine this This warming has already occurred 2100 1000 Year

  20. How Serious Is This? • Warming of more than 10C above today’s level will make the Earth warmer than it has been in a million years. • Business-as-usual, with fossil fuel CO2 emissions continuing to increase will mean an additional warming of 20C to 30C this century and will make the Earth a different planet. • At 20C to 30C the new sea level would be 25 meters (80 feet) higher than today. Dr. James Hansen, NASA GISS

  21. New Haven Montauk New York City Long Beach Atlantic City Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona Wildwood

  22. New Haven Montauk New York City Long Beach Atlantic City Sea Level +1M Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona Wildwood

  23. New Haven Montauk New York City Long Beach Atlantic City Sea Level +6M Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona Wildwood

  24. Dover Ocean City Hampton Virginia Beach Norfolk Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  25. Dover Ocean City Hampton Virginia Beach Sea Level +1M Norfolk Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  26. Dover Ocean City Hampton Virginia Beach Sea Level +6M Norfolk Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  27. Wilmington Myrtle Beach Charleston Mt. Pleasant Hilton Head Savannah Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  28. Wilmington Myrtle Beach Charleston Mt. Pleasant Hilton Head Sea Level +1M Savannah Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  29. Wilmington Myrtle Beach Charleston Mt. Pleasant Hilton Head Sea Level +6M Savannah Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  30. Jacksonville Panama City Daytona Beach St. Petersburg Fort Meyers Ft. Lauderdale Miami Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  31. Jacksonville Panama City Daytona Beach St. Petersburg Fort Meyers Ft. Lauderdale Miami Sea Level + 1M Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  32. Jacksonville Panama City Daytona Beach St. Petersburg Fort Meyers Ft. Lauderdale Miami Sea Level + 6M Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  33. Baton Rouge Lake Charles Beaumont New Orleans Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  34. Baton Rouge Lake Charles Beaumont New Orleans Sea Level +1M Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

  35. Baton Rouge Lake Charles Beaumont New Orleans Sea Level +6M Weiss and Overpeck, University of Arizona

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