MODULE 5

• The purpose of this module is to help you identify the causes of greenhouse effect and global warming and its relationship to climate change and understand the difference between El Niño from La Niña
• This module contains one lesson: Climatic Phenomena on a Global Level
• After going through this module, you are expected to describe certain climatic phenomena on a global level
• Greenhouse effect


  A natural phenomenon that directly results to global warming
• Greenhouse effect is a condition wherein more heat is trapped in the atmosphere causing global warming
• Greenhouse gases

  • Carbon dioxide
  • Fluorinated gases
  • Methane
  • Nitrous oxide
• Carbon dioxide has the highest percentage in the atmosphere among the greenhouse gases
• Enhanced greenhouse effect


  Excessive emission of greenhouse gases like CO2 in the atmosphere
• La Niña


  It brings cold temperature than usual in some areas
• El Niño


  It is the warm phase in the Pacific Ocean
• El Niño brings drought and very hot weather in the Philippines
• Burning of fossil fuels to sustain the use of electrical energy at home would result to an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
• Global warming


  It is the result of enhanced greenhouse effect due to large amount of greenhouse gases concentrated in the atmosphere
• When solar radiation enters the atmosphere, the earth's land and water surfaces heat up. The heat produced from the earth's surface as it rises in the atmosphere is reflected to space and some are trapped by greenhouse gases
• The radiation referred to in the previous fact is infrared radiation
• Factors affecting the world's climate

  • Ozone depletion
  • Greenhouse effect
  • Latitude
  • Altitude
• Greenhouse effect


  1. Solar radiation from the sun enters the earth's atmosphere and heats up the land and water surfaces

  2. Some radiation are reflected back to space while some are trapped by the greenhouse gases concentrated in the atmosphere

  3. The infrared radiation that resulted from the heating up of the earth's land and water surfaces are also trapped by the greenhouse gases and re-radiated back and forth on the earth's surface resulting to the warming effect
• Natural greenhouse effect is the normal process of warming the planet while human enhanced greenhouse effect refers to excessive warming of the planet brought by tremendous amount of greenhouse gases that resulted from various human activities
• Global warming is the alarming rise in the global temperature as years pass
• El Niño


  Abnormal climate pattern brought by the warming of Pacific ocean near the equatorial region because of weak trade winds that push back warm water to east
• La Niña


  Occurs when the unusual stronger trade winds pushes more warm water towards Asia bringing cold-nutrient water to the surface that may also result to wetter (more rainfall) weather conditions
• El Niño brings too much drought in some parts of the world (including Australia and Philippines) damaging crops and causing wildfires. La Niña on the other hand, brings too much rainfall resulting to flooding and landslide to some parts of the world
• Carbon dioxide has the highest percentage among the greenhouse gases because of various human activities that contribute to its emission such as burning of fuel
• Greenhouse effect is related to global warming because the excessive amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere traps more heat, leading to the rise in global temperature
• El Niño and La Niña's natural occurrences in the planet

  Become intense or severe through time due to climate change brought about by global warming
• Greenhouse effect


  1. Solar radiation from the sun enters the atmosphere and some of this is reflected back to space

  2. The rest of the solar energy is absorbed by the land and water surfaces, heating the Earth

  3. Heat from the earth (infrared radiation) radiates towards space

  4. Some heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases and are re-emitted or re-radiated inside the earth making our planet warm enough to sustain life
• Causes of global warming

  • Deforestation
  • Energy use
  • Land degradation
  • Kaingin system
  • Rapid industrialization
  • Agricultural practices
  • Transportation
  • Consumer practices
• Effects of global warming

  • Rising sea level
  • Climate change
  • Extreme weather conditions
  • Rising temperature
  • Stronger typhoons
  • Loss of biodiversity
  • Unpredictable weather pattern
• Solar radiation from the sun enters the atmosphere and some of this is reflected back to space
• The rest of the solar energy is absorbed by the land and water surfaces, heating the Earth
• Causes of global warming

  • Deforestation
  • Energy use
  • Land degradation
  • Kaingin system
  • Rapid industrialization
  • Pollution
  • Agricultural practices
  • Transportation
  • Consumer practices
• Effects of global warming

  • Rising sea level
  • Climate change
  • Extreme weather conditions
  • Rising temperature
  • Stronger typhoons
  • Loss of biodiversity
  • Unpredictable weather pattern
• Deforestation is a cause of global warming
• Energy use is a cause of global warming
• Land degradation is a cause of global warming
• Kaingin system is a cause of global warming
• Rapid industrialization is a cause of global warming
• Pollution is a cause of global warming
• Agricultural practices is a cause of global warming
• Transportation is a cause of global warming