global warming

• Global warming


  The increase in the earth's average surface temperature due to the greenhouse effect
• Climate change


  The long-term changes in weather patterns and average temperatures across the world
• The atmosphere is a protective layer of gases around the earth's surface
• The atmosphere acts like an insulating blanket or greenhouse, keeping in the perfect amount of the sun's heat energy
• The moon has no atmosphere and varies between +100 degrees on the sunny side and -200 degrees on the dark side
• How the atmosphere regulates the earth's temperature

  1. Sun's heat energy comes down as light rays

  2. Some energy absorbed and heats up the ground

  3. Most energy re-emitted or reflected back into the atmosphere

  4. Energy absorbed and re-emitted by gas particles in the atmosphere

  5. This process happens over and over, keeping heat energy close to earth
• Greenhouse gases


  Gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor that absorb and re-emit heat energy in the atmosphere
• The greenhouse effect caused by greenhouse gases is essential for life but also responsible for global warming
• Over the earth's 4.5 billion year history, the strength of the greenhouse effect has grown and shrunk
• Humans releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane is causing the greenhouse effect to strengthen, leading to global warming
• In the past 100 years, the planet has warmed by almost 1 degree Celsius
• Global warming


  Leads to climate change, including more common and severe droughts, hurricanes, and floods
• Global warming


  Causes sea levels to rise due to ice melt and thermal expansion of ocean water
• Climate change will impact wild organisms as temperatures and rainfall patterns change, causing some species to be unable to adapt or migrate fast enough
• Biodiversity is likely to fall dramatically in the next few decades due to climate change