Climate Change

To change Earth’s radiation balance, we must change…

1. incoming solar radiation

2. albedo

3. greenhouse gas concentrations

Cryosphere

snow covered regions

glaciers

ice caps

sea ice

permafrost

Cryosphere and Time Scales

Changes in River & Lake Ice

• long record

• minor volume, but impacts flooding

• later freeze up, earlier thaw

• insufficient data on thickness

Arctic Sea Ice

• 7-15 x 106 km2

• ~ 2.7%/decade decline since 1978

• < 1m decline in thickness, central Arctic 1987-97

Antarctic Sea Ice = 3-19 x 106 km2

Global CO2 Emissions : 1752-2006

The Carbon Cycle

Glacial Melting

Glaciers and Ice Caps

Summary• 1961-2003, global temperature has risen by 0.10o C

• 1955-1998, global freshening in sub-polar

• circulation changes?

• Inorganic carbon increase

• Sea level rise 1961-2003

Ocean heat content 0-700m

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

• is an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine.

Greenhouse Gasses 1850-2000

Vostok Ice Core Data

Ice Core Data

Potential Sea Level Rise in North America

Thermohaline Circulation

Solar Flares Effect Earth’s Climate

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle

Climate Change Websites

• http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/co2_human.html