Climate has changed dramatically over geological timescales, it could be argued that the most noticeable change is the global temperature over the last 10,000 years. The changes in global temperature have led to the debate on climate change and discussion of factors that have led to climate change. When it comes to climate change, it is natural to think global temperature is increasing due to human causes such as deforestation. However, in some parts of the world, the temperature has decreased due to natural phenomenon. For example, Mount Pinatubo eruption in 2001 had led to a drop of 0.6 degree Celsius in average global temperature. Furthermore, variation in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and cosmic collisions have an impact on the variation …show more content…
The peak of on the electromagnetic spectrum shows the type of the atmospheric composition present in the atmosphere. However, infrared absorption spectroscopy does not show precisely the percentage of the compound present in the atmosphere. Another limitation of using this instrument is scientists are unable to trace the climate in the past as infrared absorption method was discovered in the 1800s. Therefore, this measurement limit scientist to analyse the climate change from 1800 to recent. For example, there will be a higher peak for methane in the data shown recently compared to the measurement done in the past. This suggests that there is a change in the amount of methane gas present in the atmosphere which has led to a discussion of climate …show more content…
Variations in the greenhouse gas concentrations present in the atmosphere are known by comparing the modelled change over the astronomical cycles with observed paleoclimatic changes. The comparisons enabled scientists and researchers to observe the changes in climate and followed by an independent estimate of the changes in greenhouse gas concentration. The most notable changes by using this measurement are the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane as these gases are stored in peat, tundra, and ocean sediments during colder climates, and are released into the atmosphere in a warmer climate. Carbon dioxide and methane are being released have resulted in a warming effect. Computer modelling able to offer strong evidence to prove that the role of greenhouse gases in changing the past climate and will further affect the future
One of the main causes of the increase in Earth’s temperature is greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are gases that are trapped in the atmosphere. The gases consist of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. They trapped heat from the sun from returning back into the atmosphere. Over the last 100 hundred years we have increased the earth’s average temperature by 1.4 degree fahrenheit (Carey). This is mainly due to the fact we are producing ten times more greenhouse gas than before. It is exp...
Many scientist believe that the current warming trend is significant because, much of it has been caused by human activities. Satellites orbiting the earth and other technological equipment enables scientists to see and collect various information about our planets climate. Scientists have studied this collected information and has revealed the many changes of our planet and how these changes are effecting our climate, a few of them are:
2. Fellows, Hall, Killeen, Ledley, Schwartz, Sundquist. ?Climate Change and Greenhouse Gasses? Vol. 80, No. 39. 28 September 1999 p. 453- 475 http://www.agu.org/eos_elec?99148e.html
Most climate scientists agree that the main cause of global climate change is the human expansion of the greenhouse effect. This is the global warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space (climate.nasa.gov). The main gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (climate.nasa.gov). Human activities are changing the natural greenhouse effect. The burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (climate.nasa.gov). Carbon dioxide levels have increased from 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million in the last 150 years due to human act...
As the world becomes continually warmer, the effect of climate change in the arctic regions becomes more intense. Within the past 50 years, arctic regions in Canada have experienced warming of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (Fergal & Prowse, 2007). One of the most important areas in the Canadian arctic is the Cryosphere (Appendix A), which is the area consisting of season snow cover, permafrost glaciers, and sea ice (Fergal & Prowse, 2007). This area is significant because it has provided a stabilized surface for building pipelines, as well as provides access to northern communities (Fergal & Prowse, 2007).
Throughout history climates have drastically changed. There have been shifts from warm climates to the Ice Ages (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.204). Evidence suggests there have been at least a dozen abrupt climate changes throughout the history of the earth. There are a few suspected reasons for these past climate changes. One reason may be that asteroids hitting the earth and volcanic eruptions caused some of them. A further assumption is that 22-year solar magnetic cycles and 11-year sunspot cycles played a part in the changes. A further possibility is that a regular shifting in the angle of the moon orbiting earth causing changing tides and atmospheric circulation affects the global climate (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.205). Scientific studies suggest that all these played a role in past global warming and cooling periods. Today, however, there is a lot of conflict on whether humans are causing a global warming that could be disastrous to humans and all species of plants and animals on this earth. This paper will first explain the greenhouse effect, then take a look at both sides argument, and, finally, analyze the effect of global warming on world-wide sustainability
For over 4.5 billion-years Earth has experienced many periods’ of climate change. Paleontologists have learned many things about these radical environmental changes by studying fossils and tree rings of plants, rocks, and animals existing over past periods’. These studies revealed many things such as erratic weather patterns, drastic temperature fluctuations, decrease of polar caps, varied sea levels, airborne diseases, and animal extinctions. (Dalrymple)
Nowadays, climate change is became a major global issue which are affecting our life such as global warming ,mean sea level changing and more extreme weather events etc .According to the research of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 ,it showed that the global mean temperature rose by 0.74 °C during the hundred year period from 1906 to 2005. Between 1956 and 2005,the rising rate was 0.13°C per decade in this 50 years , nearly twice the rate in the past 100 years. Eight (2010, 2005, 2003, 2007, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2004) of the last ten years (from 2003 to 2012) rank among the 10 warmest years on record. It seems that climate change is potentially affecting our life.In fact,human activities and natural effect are the causes of climate change.Generally,most of the scientists and government agree that human activities is the main causes of climate change rather than natural causes.Therefore,this essay is going to discuss why human activities change the climate more seriously than natural effect.Afterward,I will also present some possible solution to reduce the climate change.
Ever since the 19th century scientists have been arguing that the climate of the earth could be change by the emission of greenhouse
Climate change refers to the long term change in weather patterns. The changes in weather patterns could last from a period of a few decades to millenniums (Field). The average weather conditions may be altered as a sign of climate change. The variations in terms of weather conditions and time may also result into an increase in the number of extreme weather conditions, while also reducing the number of favorable weather seasons. Climate change is caused by a myriad of factors. Among them includes plate tectonics, biotic processes, volcanic eruptions and the variations of radiation that reaches earth (Bulkeley et al.). There have also been reported cases of human contribution to the rate and condition of global warming as it is seen to take place today. Pollution activities have been majorly noted as the primary causes of global warming. Destruction of the natural environment through activities such as the rapid deforestation activities and pollution of the atmospheric space have greatly
Earth’s climate is determined by the physics and chemistry of its atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere consists of four layers; troposphere which is closest to earth, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Hardy says, “During the past 100 years we humans, as a result of burning coal, oil, and gas and clearing forests, have greatly changed the chemical composition of the thin atmospheric layer.” There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to burning fossil fuels. The atmosphere is made up of many gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. It also consists of trace gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, chlorofluorocarbons and, ozone. The trace gases have the greatest effect on our climate (Hardy 5). Up to a certain level, these gases help to keep the planet warm by absorbing certain infrared wavelengths, so that there can be life on the planet. Thus, they trap heat in the troposphere and stop it from escaping to space (Hardy 7). Therefore, the greater amount of greenhouse gases, the more heat trapped in the atmosphere. Earth’s temperature is increasing due to increased levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide released into the air from burning fossil fuels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 report projects “global average surface temperature increases ranging from 1.4 to 5.8 degrees
Climate change is evidenced through shifts in the weather patterns such as winds, humidity and temperatures over certain durations. Natural climate changes occur less frequently and they are triggered by factors related geographical aspects as well as solar radiation. The earth’s movement on the orbit triggers changes in climate causing some areas to have higher temperatures than usual while others are significantly cold depending on the position of the earth on the orbit. The heat form the sun causes changes on the stratospheric ozone and it increases the amount of greenhouse gases. Heat from the oceanic crust also contributes to warming as a result of episodic hydrothermal venting (Liao & Sandeberg, 2012). Volcanic activity also causes a release of certain elements that may block the sun and also contribute to increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
According to instrumental data from the last 150 years, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by 0.5⁰C. As you can see in Figure 1 below, during the later half of the 1800’s Earth’s temperature fluctuated from as low as -0.5⁰C to as high as -0.3⁰C. Around 1910, the average temperature began a steady incline until the 1940’s to almost above average temperatures. Beginning in the early 80’s, a...
The earth is a complex system, which continues to evolve and change. Climate change and global warming are currently popular in the political agenda. But what does “climate” really mean? The difference between weather and climate can be conveyed in a single sentence: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” Based on research of the geologic record, we know that climate change has happened throughout Earth's history and at present, ever-increasing evidence points to the roles that humans play in altering Earth systems. The Earth and its atmosphere receive heat energy from the sun; the atmospheric heat budget of the Earth depends on the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet; which has been constant over the last few thousand years. However present evidence seems to suggest that the recent increase in temperature has been brought about by pollution of the atmosphere, in particular the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly through Anthropogenic Forcing (human activity) and other various internal and external factors. I...
Climate changes occur in our earth's atmosphere due to a buildup of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases can occur naturally as well as a result of human activities. The greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. “Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels, and wood are burned.” (2) The gases help to warm the surface of the Earth. Each greenhouse gas absorbs heat differently. If natural gases did not occur, the temperature of the earth would be considerably cooler. “Problems can occur when higher concentrations of greenhouse gases are present in our atmosphere because they have enhanced our earth's heat trapping capability.” (3)