GEO 002: LECTURE 1

Cards (14)

  • Seasonality in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere is driven by the cycle of photosynthesis and respiration.
  • The natural range of CO2 in the atmosphere over the last several hundreds of thousands of years was approximately 180-280 ppm.
  • Glacial ice forms when snow accumulates over many years and compacts under its own weight.
  • Arctic sea ice forms when sea water freezes and expands, and it does not affect sea level the same way as glaciers.
  • Important human sources of CO2 include fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and deforestation (land use changes)
  • To find CO2 levels similar to those observed today, one must go back to Earth history.
  • The world was very different at times when CO2 levels were similar to those observed today.
  • CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere today are approximately 410 ppm.
  • Dramatic anthropogenic increases in atmospheric CO2 began around 1950.
  • Existing evidence for the consequences of global warming includes the relationship between global warming and sea level and pH in the oceans.
  • Recent successes in battling anthropogenic environmental problems include the ozone, water quality, smog/air quality, and plastics.
  • The ozone hole is a problem caused by human activities, it is bad for the environment, and it is being fixed.
  • CO2 and temperature scenario predictions depend on future human actions.
  • Humans are trying to fix climate change problems.