I.

PastClimateChangeandtheGreenhouseEffect
A.GlobalWarmingandtheGlobalCooling
Overthepast4.7billionyears,theplanetsclimatehasbeenalteredbyvolcanic
emissions,changesinsolarinput,continentsmoving,etc.
Glacialandinterglacialperiods:cyclesoffreezingandthawing
Interglacialperiodshaveastableclimateandaveragesurfacetemp
Weliveinaninterglacialperiod
B.HowDoWeKnowWhatPastTemperaturesWere?
Pasttemperaturescanbeestimatedthroughanalysisof:
radioisotopesinrocksandfossilsinocean
tinybubblesfoundinicecoresextractedfromglaciers
temperaturemeasurementsatdifferentdepthsofboreholes
pollenfrombottomsofbodiesofwater
C.TheNaturalGreenhouseEffect
ThreeMajorFactorsShapeEarthsClimate:
1. Sun:providesbothlightandheat
2. GreenhouseEffect:Warmingoftheearthssurfacebecauseoftrapped
greenhousegases
3. Oceans:storecarbondioxideandheat,thenmovethroughthehydrologiccycle,
movingstoredheat
NaturalCoolingProcesses:heatisabsorbedwhenwaterevaporates,andmovetheheat
tothetroposphere

D.MajorGreenhouseGases
Thefournaturalgasesinthetropospherearewatervapor,carbondioxide,methane,
andnitrousoxide
Theincreaseingreenhousegasescomesfromburningfossilfuels,clearingandburning
forests,andplantingriceandusinginorganicfertilizers
II.ClimateChangesandHumanActivities
A.SignsThattheTroposphereisWarming:TheHumanConnection
Methaneemissionsincreased5,000yearsagowhenagricultureexpandedandlandwas
cleared
Developmentofagriculturepreventedacoolerenvironment
B.TheScientificConsensusAboutFutureClimateChange
Coupledgeneralcirculationmodelssimulatetheeffectsofatmosphereandoceanson
climate
GlobalWarming:temperatureincreasesinthetropospherewhichcauseclimatechange
C.WhyShouldwebeConcernedAboutaWarmerEarth?
Thechangeisonaglobalscale,notlocal
Changesneedtobemadebeforetheclimatereachesatippingpoint,whereitwillbe
impossibletoreversetheclimatechange
III.EffectsofGlobalWarming
A.MeltingIceandSnow
Meltingicecapsareearlywarningsentinelssignalingglobalchange
Thetropospherewillgetmuchwarmerasthereflectiveicemelts
B.RisingSeaLevels
Floodislandsandcoasts,threateningestuaries,fisheries,andcommunities

III.DealingWithGlobalWarming
A.WhyisitSuchaBigDeal?
Globalissue,longtermeffects(environmental,political,economic,etc.)
B.Solutions
Mitigation(reducegreenhousegasemission)
Adaptation(findwaystoreducetheeffectsofglobalwarming)
IV.ProtectingtheOzoneLayer
A.Whyhavenationsagreedtoworktogethertofixthisproblem?
1. Dramaticevidenceprovingthatthereisaseriousissue
2. CFCsareproducedbyasmallnumberofinternationalcompanies
3. CFCsaleswoulddeclineovertheyearsregardless

Summary:InthisChapter,itdiscussestheconsiderableamountofevidenceindicatingthattheearths
troposphereisincreasinglywarmingandhumansroleinthischange.Includinghowareactivitiesare
depletingtheozoneinthestratosphere,andhowwecanpotentiallyreversethesetreats.Lastlyhow
mightthisshiftintemperaturecouldimpactourearth,andthefutureofthehumanrace.


TheMajorFiguresoftheChapter:

Figure202(465)ThisfigureshowsEarthstemperaturechangeoverdifferentperiodsoftime.

Figure206(469)Thisfigureshowshowdifferentprocessesaffectgreenhouseconcentrationsin
thetroposphereandasaresultearthsclimate.