1 / 21

Green House Effect

Green House Effect. The Green House Effect and Global Warming How is energy distributed to the earth’s surface? What are greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect? Impact of an increase in atmospheric CO 2 on greenhouse effect

stephanys
Download Presentation

Green House Effect

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Green House Effect www.assignmentpoint.com

  2. The Green House Effect and Global Warming How is energy distributed to the earth’s surface? What are greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect? Impact of an increase in atmospheric CO2 on greenhouse effect Recent changes in greenhouse gas concentrations Relationship between the greenhouse effect and global warming www.assignmentpoint.com

  3. The “Greenhouse Effect” • The Earth’s surface thus receives energy from two sources: the sun & the atmosphere • As a result the Earth’s surface is ~33C warmer than it would be without an atmosphere • Greenhouse gases are transparent to shortwave but absorb longwave radiation • Thus the atmosphere stores energy www.assignmentpoint.com

  4. Electromagnetic Spectrum incoming outgoing www.assignmentpoint.com

  5. 1. Shorter, high Energy wavelengths Hit the earths Surface 2. Incoming energy Is converted to heat www.assignmentpoint.com

  6. 3. Longer, infrared Wavelengths hit Greenhouse gas Molecules in the atmosphere 4. Greenhouse gas Molecules in the Atmosphere emit Infrared radiation Back towards earth www.assignmentpoint.com

  7. 78% nitrogen 20.6% oxygen < 1% argon 0.4% water vapor 0.036% carbon dioxide traces gases: Ne, He, Kr, H, O3 Methane, Nitrous Oxide www.assignmentpoint.com

  8. Absorption Spectra of Atmospheric Gases Visible Infrared UV CH4 N2O O2 & O3 CO2 H2O atmosphere WAVELENGTH (micrometers) www.assignmentpoint.com Anthes, p. 55

  9. www.assignmentpoint.com

  10. www.assignmentpoint.com

  11. Selected Greenhouse Gases • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) • Source: Fossil fuel burning, deforestation • Anthropogenic increase:30% • Average atmospheric residence time:500 years • Methane (CH4) • Source: Rice cultivation, cattle & sheep ranching, decay from landfills, mining • Anthropogenic increase:145% • Average atmospheric residence time:7-10 years • Nitrous oxide (N2O) • Source: Industry and agriculture (fertilizers) • Anthropogenic increase:15% • Average atmospheric residence time:140-190 years www.assignmentpoint.com

  12. Summary Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and prevent it from escaping to space. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are very good at capturing energy at wavelengths that other compounds miss www.assignmentpoint.com

  13. Greenhouse Effect & Global Warming • The “greenhouse effect” & global warming are not the same thing. • Global warming refers to a rise in the temperature of the surface of the earth • An increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases leads to an increase in the themagnitude of the greenhouse effect. (Called enhanced greenhouse effect) • This results in global warming www.assignmentpoint.com

  14. 14.5 58.0 14.4 57.8 14.3 Variability 57.6 14.2 Average 57.4 14.1 57.2 14.0 13.9 57.0 13.8 56.8 13.7 56.6 13.6 56.4 13.5 56.2 13.4 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 www.gcrio.org/ipcc/qa/cover.html (modified) Climate Change vs. Variability www.assignmentpoint.com

  15. Climate Change vs. Variability Climate variability is natural. Even in a stable climate regime, there will always be some variation (wet/dry years, warm/cold years) A year with completely “average” or “normal” climate conditions is rare The challenge for scientists is to determine whether any increase/decrease in precipitation, temperature, frequency of storms, sea level, etc. is due to climate variability or climate change. www.assignmentpoint.com

  16. Global Energy Redistribution www.assignmentpoint.com

  17. Radiation is not evenly distributed over the Surface of the earth. The northern latitudes have an energy deficit and the low latitude/ equator has an excess. But the low latitudes don’t indefinitely get hotter and the northern latitudes don’t get colder. Why? The atmosphere and ocean transfer energy from low latitudes to high www.assignmentpoint.com

  18. Above 99% Above 90% Above 50% Pressure (mb) Atmospheric Pressure Decreases With HeightMost of the energy is captured close to the surfaceThat energy drives climate and weather 50 percent of mass of the atmosphere is within 6 km of the surface www.assignmentpoint.com

  19. Atmospheric Feedbacks NEGATIVE POSITIVE More water vapor & other changes Increased CO2 + Higher temperature Increased cloud cover + More water vapor More reflected solar radiation – More absorbed infrared radiation Lower temperature + + Less water vapor Higher temperature + More water vapor www.assignmentpoint.com

  20. www.assignmentpoint.com

  21. www.assignmentpoint.com

More Related