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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE:

The scientific study of our environment as well as our role in it.

An interdisciplinary study that examines the role of humans on the earth. It is a physical, biological and social science.

We will focus on information from a variety of disciplines.

Topics include: geological processes, hydrology, oceanography, natural resources, climatology, population biology, ecosystems, biodiversity, biochemistry and the chemistry of pollution. ES 10 will also how human

behavior and institutions affect the environment.

WELCOME TO

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 10(ES 10 & ES 10L)

Spring 2019

Christa Fink, David Schwartz (Lec) &

Lauren Hanneman (Lab)

Brief Introductions

Syllabus http://www.cabrillo.edu/~dschwartz/Attendance/Promptness, Adds, Canvas, P/NP deadline = 3/XX,

Lecture Etiquette , Extra Credit, Non Credit Classes,

Short talks by David and Christa

HISTORICAL GEOLOGY 20 IS OPENLEC M/W 8:00AM – 9:0AM, RM 705

ONLY 6 FRIDAY AM LABS4 UNIT LAB TRANSFER SCIENCE CLASS

3 Local Field trips: Elkhorn Slough,

Monterey Bay Coastal Walk & North Coast

Learn about the Geologic History of California and

Western North America. Study Minerals, Rocks, Fossils,

Volcanoes, and Mass Extinction!

Explore how earthquakes, volcanoes, shallow seas and

continental drift have shaped and formed California's

diverse landscape and rocks.

Field Geology 27:Geology of The Pinnacles National Park

1 unit of Science Elective

Preliminary Intro Meeting on Sat 4/13 in Rm 705 at 9:00am

A weekend Camping field trip is Fri eve – Sun afternoon

@ The Pinnacles! 5/3 – 5/5

Grade based on participation and take home final

CAREERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCE AND RELATED FIELDS

What’s your major? Your “pathway”?

http://www.cyber-sierra.com/nrjobs/

http://www.ecojobs.com/

http://www.environmentalscience.org/careers

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/environmental-scientists-and-specialists.htm

Student Services

Seven Keys for Academic SUCCESS

Tutorial center 479-6126

https://www.cabrillo.edu/home/services.html

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Cunningham (Chap 1) lists the following as

persistent environmental problems:

• Clean water

• Food Supplies

• Energy Resources

• Climate Change

• Air Quality

• Biodiversity Loss

• Marine Resources (food supplies, biodiversity loss)

Air Pollution

• Global climate

change• Stratospheric ozone

depletion• Urban air pollution

• Acid deposition• Outdoor pollutants• Indoor pollutants• Noise

Biodiversity Depletion

• Habitat destruction• Habitat degradation

• Extinction• Introduced Species

Water Pollution

• Sediment

• Nutrient overload• Toxic chemicals• Infectious agents• Oxygen

depletion• Pesticides• Oil spills• Excess heat

Waste Production

• Solid waste• Hazardous waste

Food Supply Problems

• Overgrazing• Farmland loss

and degradation• Wetlands loss

and degradation• Overfishing

• Coastal pollution• Soil erosion• Soil salinization• Soil waterlogging

• Water shortages• Groundwater

depletion• Loss of biodiversity

• Poor nutrition

MajorEnvironmental

Problems

And More….

542my Present

Sea Level changes; a variety of types

Relatively slow, long term changes~300 – 600? meters (984 – 1,968 feet!)

Avg height of all land above sea level is 840 m

600 meters is about 71% of 840 meters

Evidence…. Cause........ Significance?

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Significance?

**

* **

*

@18cm/yr for 20 mill yrs = 3,600km@4cm/yr for 20 mill yrs = 800km

20

10 – 18cm/yr

1 – 4cm/yr

542my Present

Sea Level changes; a variety of typesRelatively fast, short term changes

Sea Level changesRelatively fast, short term changes

~100 – 120 meters

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Glacial Maximum; a low stand of SL

Today’s sea level

Years before presentPresent

250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0

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Plateau Phase

Approximately 14,000 yrs BP global sea level rose ~20m, or ~66 feet in about 400–500 years.

Mean rates of sea level rise was ~53 mm/yr, or ~1.7 feet per decade, for 4 centuries.

Today: ~4-5 mm/yr

14,000 yrs BP, SL rose ~1.6ft continuously for 4 centuries

About 7 – 8 inches since 1900

~2/3 ice melt, ~1/3 volume increase Observed and predicted sea level rise. There is a strong consensus that the 2007 & 2013 IPCC

estimates of sea level rise are far too low. Observations in the first 15 yrs of this century support

that view. Some estimate by 2150 SL will be 6-12m (20-30ft) higher than today.

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IPCC Report

20183.28ft/m X 0.8m = 2.6 feet

~1.6 ft

~4 ftGlobal Climate Change?

Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate-

warming trends over the past century are due to human

activities. (IPCC)

CLIMATE CHANGE: HOW DO WE KNOW?

Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (8 inches) since 1800. The rate in

the last decade, is nearly double that of the last century.

Global surface temperature reconstructions show that the Earth has warmed

since 1880. Most of this warming has occurred from 1970s, to present, with the

20 warmest years having occurred since 1981 and with all 10 of the warmest

years occurring in the past 12 years. Even though the 2000s witnessed a solar

output decline resulting in an unusually deep solar minimum in 2007-2009,

surface temperatures continue to increase

The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters

( ~2,300 feet) warming ~0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Between 2002

– 2006: Greenland lost 150 to 250 cubic kilometers (36 to 60 cubic miles) of

ice/year and Antarctica lost about 152 cubic kilometers (36 cubic miles) of

ice/yr.

Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world — including in the Alps,

Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa. Losing ~2.2mile3/yr, 2X as much as 50

yrs ago.

Since 1950, the number of record high temperature events in the United States has been

increasing, while the number of record low temperature events has been decreasing.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by

~30%. The increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the

atmosphere and hence more being absorbed into the oceans. The amount of carbon

dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by ~2 billion tons per

year.

Satellite observations reveal that the amount of spring snow cover in the Northern

Hemisphere has decreased over the past five decades and that the snow is melting

earlier.

https://weather.com/news/climate/news/2018-08-08-july-hottest-month-on-record-california

Ref: IPCC, NOAA, National Research Council (NRC) NASA, National Snow and Ice Data Center, World

Glacier Monitoring Service

Cities that would be severely effected by a 0.5 meter

(or 1.6ft) rise in seal level by 2070Calcutta, India: 14 million people, $2.0 trillion in assets

Guangzhou, China: 10 million people, $3.4 trillion in assets

Mumbai, India: 11 million people, $1.6 trillion in assets

Miami, Florida: 4.8 million, $3.5 trillion in assets

Shanghai, China: 5.5 million people, $1.7 trillion in assets

Bangkok, Thailand: 5.1 million people, $1.1 trillion in assets

Tianjin, China: 3.8 million people, $1.2 trillion in assets

New York, NY: 2.9 million people and $2.1 trillion in assets

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: 9.2 million people, $650 billion in assets

Dhaka, Bangladesh: 11 million people, $540 billion in assets

Ningbo, China: 3.3 million people, $1.1 trillion in assets

Tokyo, Japan: 2.5 million people, $1.2 trillion in assets

Alexandria, Egypt: 4.4 million people, $650 billion in assets

Haiphong, Vietnam:: 4.7million people, $330 billion in assets

Amsterdam, Netherlands: 1.4 million people, $843 billion in assetshttp://www.businessinsider.com/cities-exposed-to-rising-sea-levels-2014-4

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New Jersey Shoreline October 2012 Sea Level Changes

• Why Important? SL Rise: South Florida Case Study

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1hJYLw7OlM ~7 min

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU

• http://www.duckyjohnson.com/services/house-raising/galveston-house-raising-and-shoring/

In Summary:

Sea level changes have been happening throughout geologic time,

and will continue to do so.

There are several different types, causes and time orders

The more we know about all of them, the better off we are

Currently most places in the world are experiencing a relatively

rapid rise in sea level, and human infrastructure is in the way.

The currently rise in sea level is mostly related to human activities

We need to start planning and preparing for the inevitable, there

are no signs that the current rise in sea level is going to stop.

Review Questions

How do scientists know that sea level in the geologic past was ~300 – 500 meters

higher than today?

What is the evidence and when did this happen?(A major drop in global sea level is associated with mass extinction in the geologic past.)

Discuss different ways that Sea Level can change; shorter term in response to

glaciers ( tens of thousands of years) and longer terms (tens to hundreds of

millions of years) in response to what?

When was the last time northern North America was covered by continental

glaciers?

What is the Meltwater pulse?

If global sea level rises by 0.5 meters (1.6 ft) in the next 70 years, in general who

would be effected?

List several things indicating we are experiencing “Global climate change” and

rising seal level.