CLIMATE CHANGE IN LITHOSPHERE AND HYDROSPHERE

1. CLIMATE CHANGE INLITHOSPHERE AND HYDROSPHERE BY: SARFRAZ SALMAN FAHAD

2. LITHOSPHERE • Usually defined as the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle. • Together with the hydrosphere, the exposed lithosphere absorbs higher energy radiation from the sun. • Converts it into thermal energy and then emits the energy back as lower energy infrared radiation.

3. DESCRIPTION • The concept of the lithosphere as Earth’s strong outer layer was developed by Barrell, who wrote a series of papers introducing the concept. • The concept was based on the presence of significant gravity anomalies over continental crust, from which he inferred that there must exist a strong upper layer. • The lithosphere is the surface layer of the fluid parts of the Earth's convection system, therefore it thickens over time. • The climate is being altered because of the global change in environment.

4. EXAMPLES • Global warming is affecting the lithosphere because the earth is being warmed and there is more water being produced and the water level is rising. • Lithosphere includes: • Solid rock • Soil • Minerals on the land and extends under the oceans as well.

5. LAND FORMATION • Earth broken up into pieces called plates, which move independently relative to one another. • This movement of lithosphere is described as plate tectonics. • Mountains and other lands formations affect how air moves over an area. • Oceanic lithosphere, which is associated with Oceanic Crust. • Continental lithosphere, which is associated with Continental Crust • Earths crust stretches about 8-32 km

6. ALTITUDE • All the volcanic eruptions contribute to land formation and altitudes as well. • After a molten cools down it becomes a rock that rock can be in a shape of a mountain or a hill. • The “alpine climate” has a strong effect on the ecosystem found at high altitudes • At high altitudes atmospheric pressure is lower because there is less air above. • Air from lower altitude rises to high altitudes. • It expands and cools down.

7. CLIMATE ZONE • The climate of the location is affected by its latitude, terrain, altitude, ice or snow cover. • Basically includes: • Temperature • Humidity • Atmospheric pressure • Rainfall

8. CLIMATE ZONE • Can be classified into 5 regions: • Tropical: Wet and dry • Dry: semi arid and arid • Moderate: Mediterranean • Continental: Humid and subarctic • Polar: Tundra, Ice cap, Highlands and Non permanent ice.

9. IMPACT ON CLIMATE • Direct atmospheric inputs: • Emissions gases: • CO2 • methane • chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) • nitrous oxide • krypton-85 • water vapor • Aerosols:A gaseous suspension of fine solid or liquid particles. • Thermal pollution: It is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature.

10. IMPACT • Changes to land surfaces: • Albedo change: • Deforestation: Is the clearance of naturally occurring forests by logging and burning. • Intensive grazing • Dust addition to ice caps. • Roughness change: • deforestation • Urbanization: is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. • Extension of irrigation

11. IMPACT • Alterations to the oceans: • Current alterations by constricting straits • Diversion of fresh waters into oceans • since the melting of the glaciers will heat up the earth temperature then sea level will also rise. • This can cause: flooding and tsunami

12. HYDROSPHERE • Can be defines as the components of water present on the Earth, including bodies of water, water vapor, ice. • To understand the interactions between climate and the hydrological cycle, it is necessary to understand the relative distribution as well as fluxes of water among its various repositories: • The basic composition of the atmospheric and terrestrial water balance.

13. DESCRIPTION • Liquid water absorbs energy from warm air and the sun and then releases energy back. • Water vapour and clouds in the atmosphere also reflect, absorb, and transmit energy from the sun. • Hydrosphere is the most occupied sphere based on its ratio to land 71% : 28%

14. EXAMPLES • More fresh water is frozen at the poles and in the glaciers than exists in all the freshwater lakes in the world. • Hydrosphere includes: • Oceans • Rivers • Glaciers • Ice sea/ice sheets

15. WATER CYCLE • The hydrologic cycle is basic to the Earth's climate system. • The quantity and quality of water affects human society, both directly and indirectly through its control of the biosphere functioning. • It is the processes by which water, in all its phases, moves through the atmosphere, and moves to and from the various repositories on the Earth's surface is inter-meshed with those governing the Earth's energy.

16. LARGE WATER BODIES • The availability of water is a major controlling factor in the distribution and abundance of vegetation and of biological productivity all around the world. • Some of the rivers are disappearing as people notice the increase in planets temperature. • If it continues like that we will run out of water and there will be droughts on lowlands.

17. ICE • Ice is the factor that contributes most to the hydrosphere since it is long lasting until the climate changes occur. • The rate of exchange within reservoirs ranges from thousands of years is caused: • by the oceans and ice sheets which stayed under: • several hundreds- thousands years of groundwater • several years for surface impoundments • several months for soil moisture • and days for atmospheric stability

18. IMPACT ON CLIMATE • One of the most significant consequences of climate change will be a geographical shift of regional hydrological regimes, and associated changes in the availability of water resources which are a critical factor in planning for economic and sustainable development. • Changes in the hydrological cycle will create feedbacks to the global climate system.

19. IMPACT • Availability of adequate water of appropriate quality is a major factor in planning for sustainable development. • Consequently, studies providing evidence that both water quality and quantity can be reduced by climate change raise valid social concerns.

20. IMPACT • Many ecological systems will be dramatically changed by global warming and this might lead to changes in all climate zones or even loss of biodiversity. • This can even cause extinction of all living things including humans.