the atmosphere

• The atmosphere contains carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen
• These gases form a dispersed layer in the stratosphere called the ozone layer or ozonosphere
• The ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet light and undergoes chemical reactions to form and destroy ozone
• Human actions can trigger a sequence of events where a change in one process can cause changes in other interconnected processes
• The atmosphere delays the escape of infrared energy and absorbs ultraviolet light, converting it to heat and re-emitting it as infrared energy
• Ocean currents distribute heat by carrying warm water from tropical areas to higher latitudes
• Human activities are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases that absorb infrared radiation and warm the atmosphere
• Greenhouse gases and their relative effects per molecule:

  • Carbon dioxide: from combustion of fossil fuels and wood, ploughing of soils, drainage of marshes and bogs
  • Methane: from anaerobic respiration by microbes in padi fields, landfill sites, and the intestines of livestock
  • Nitrous oxide: from the reaction of oxygen and nitrogen at high temperatures in vehicle engines and power stations
  • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): used in aerosol propellants, fire extinguishers, refrigerants, solvents, and expanded foam plastics
• • Tropospheric ozone: produced by the breakdown of NO and subsequent reactions with oxygen
• Temperature rise may affect species directly or through changes in other species they rely on or natural processes
• Changes in rainfall patterns are influenced by increased temperatures causing more evaporation and changes in wind direction and velocity
• Warmer temperatures can lead to more rapid melting of ice, affecting the cryosphere
• Sea level rise can result from thermal expansion of seawater and melting land ice
• Changes in ocean currents are driven by processes in the atmosphere and can impact climate
• El Niño and La Niña events affect wind patterns and ocean currents, leading to global weather impacts
• Impacts of climate change on human society include health, water supplies, food supplies, and infrastructure
• Difficulties in monitoring and predicting climate change arise from changes occurring over different time and spatial scales, interconnected systems, and natural fluctuations
• Natural changes influenced by variability in solar output, the Earth's orbit, and changes in the Earth's surface caused by previous climate variability can hide or exaggerate anthropogenic changes
• An individual storm or several storms do not indicate a trend; the change in frequency of events like floods, storms, or droughts may only be assessed years later when the trend becomes clear
• There is often a time delay between a cause and an effect; for example, the atmosphere may warm up quickly, but it could take a long time for the world's oceans to reach the same temperature due to the large volume of water and its high heat capacity
• Historic data collected on atmospheric composition, temperature, and weather patterns may be unreliable due to the lack of sophisticated equipment or global-scale data collection
• Proxy data involves estimating one factor that can't be measured by using a related factor that can be measured or estimated; examples include dendrochronology, coral growth rings, and pollen grains in lake sediments
• Ice core data provides information on the atmosphere when air bubbles became trapped, including carbon dioxide concentration and oxygen isotope ratios
• Satellite data collected by Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites in polar orbit at altitudes of about 800km provides detailed information on the Earth's surface
• Argo floats can be programmed to collect data on factors like temperature and salinity, providing information on ocean currents
• Computer models can be tested by inputting data from a specific year and comparing the model's prediction to the actual outcome, allowing for continuous modification and improvement
• Negative feedback mechanisms reduce the size of the original change, while positive feedback mechanisms increase the size of the original change
• Examples of positive feedback mechanisms include soil decomposition, melting permafrost, ocean acidification, ice and snow melting, release of methane hydrate, increased forest and peat fires, and increased water vapor
• Tipping points are thresholds where human actions causing climate change may lead to natural processes that further exacerbate climate change, making it difficult to reverse the effects
• Control of global climate change involves managing greenhouse gases, carbon storage through methods like carbon sequestration and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and geoengineering techniques
• Adapting to climate change includes strategies like flood control, coastal erosion control, managed retreat, urban drainage control, raised buildings, and ozone depletion management
• Ozone concentrations in the stratosphere are crucial for blocking high-energy ultraviolet solar radiation from reaching the Earth's surface, preventing damage to living organisms
• CFCs were phased out due to their role in ozone depletion, and alternative processes and materials have been introduced to reduce their environmental impact
• Safe disposal of waste CFCs involves draining and incinerating them, breaking them down into carbon dioxide and acidic gases that can be neutralized
• Many of the processes that affect the atmosphere are interconnected So, if one process is changed it can cause changes in other processes, This is important because it means that human actions can trigger a sequence of events where a human action changes one process which causes other processes to alter a direct result of the first change.
• The atmosphere contains carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen.
• Together the three form a dispersed layer in the stratosphere called the ozone layer, or ozonosphere.

  These gases absorb ultraviolet light, producing a dynamic equilibrium of chemical reactions, which form and destroy ozone.
• Delaying the escape of infrared energy

  Much of the incoming visible light is absorbed, converted to heat, and re-emitted as infrared energy. 

  • the warm atmosphere emits infrared energy which is absorbed by the Earth's surface; 
  • the warm atmosphere reduces heat loss by conduction from land and the oceans.
• Ocean currents

  Winds blowing over the oceans create currents that distribute heat by carrying warm water from tropical areas to higher latitudes, such as the North Atlantic Conveyor
• The wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation arriving are mainly ultraviolet, visible light, and near infrared. The wavelengths of radiation leaving arth mainly involve long wavelength far infrared radiation.