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Science of Climate Change and Impacts in Appalachia. Elizabeth Crisfield Penn State University The Climate Project. The chemistry of carbon dioxide. O. O. C. Mercury. Venus. Earth. 333° F. 855° F. 59° F. Roger Revelle. Photo: San Diego Historical Society.
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Science of Climate Change and Impacts in Appalachia • Elizabeth Crisfield • Penn State University • The Climate Project
Mercury Venus Earth 333° F 855° F 59° F
Roger Revelle Photo: San Diego Historical Society
Huascarán, Peru Lonnie G. Thompson
Quelccaya Ice Cap Peru, 1977 Lonnie G. Thompson
800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 Age (years BP) 300 280 260 240 CO2 (ppmv) CO2 Concentration 220 200 180 Source: National Climatic Data Center/NOAA
800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 Age (years BP) 300 280 260 240 CO2 (ppmv) CO2 Concentration 220 200 180 Temp. in F° Source: National Climatic Data Center/NOAA
2008 CO2 Concentration: 387 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 Age (years BP) 400 380 360 340 320 300 280 260 240 CO2 (ppmv) CO2 Concentration 220 200 180 Temp. in F° Source: National Climatic Data Center/NOAA
2009 CO2 Concentration: 387 After 50 more years at the current rate of increase Source: National Climatic Data Center/NOAA
1998 1900 Grinnel Glacier • Glacier National Park Photos: Matthes, GNP Archives; McKeon, USGS
2004 1914 Portage Glacier • Alaska Photos: NOAA Photo Collection and Gary Braasch – WorldViewOfGlobalWarming.org
In WV, tulip poplar leaves were 6-10 days earlier in 2007 when average spring temperature was 5 degrees F warmer than 2006 or 2008
Mosquitos Move to Higher Elevations Today Increased warmth has caused mountain glaciers to shrink in the tropics and temperate zones Before 1970 Cold temperatures caused freezing at high elevations and limited mosquitoes, mosquito-borne diseases and many plants to low altitudes Dengue Fever or Malaria Mosquitoes Some mosquitoes, mosquito-borne diseases and plants have migrated upward Plants
Ixodesscapularis establishment in Canada 1971 – 2000 2020s 2050s 2080s Upper Temperature Limits for Ticks Source: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 11 March 2008
Predictions • Global Circulation Models (GCMs) – predict weather • Most predictions use a specific model, and a specific emissions scenario (most researchers use IPCC scenarios) • There is some error in every model, but there is also uncertainty in our emission rates in the future • It’s difficult to put timeframes on the impacts because of this uncertainty
Range predictions for tulip poplar From USFS Climate Change Atlas: www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas
Range predictions for sugar maple From USFS Climate Change Atlas: www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas
American Goldfinch From USFS Climate Change Atlas: www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas
Black Capped Chickadee From USFS Climate Change Atlas: www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas
Trout Habitat From Flebbe, Roghair, and Bruggink, 2006.
Pine Beetle Destruction • Grandby, Colorado Photo: AP Photo/Colorado State Forest Service, Jen Chase