climate change

• The earth's atmosphere acts as a greenhouse and absorbs long-wave infrared radiation that is reflected off earth's surface from UV from the sun, heating the planet
• The earths atmosphere is made of GHGs (carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane - 1%) and oxygen and nitrogen that aren't considered as GHGs because they don't absorb radiation
• Some short-wave UV rays are reflected by space, some are absorbed by earth's atmosphere and some are reflected by long-wave infrared rays from the earth's surface back to space or bouncing off space to cover the planet in the rays (heating up the entire planet)
• Carbon dioxide can be excessively released through cell respiration, forest fires, combustion of fossil fuels, destruction of carbon sinks, and agricultural emissions
• Methane can be excessively produces through methanogenic bacteria in the guts of ruminants that are released during cattle farming creating 65-85 million tonnes annually. methanogenic bacteria in water-logged soils, bogs, swamps, and permafrost risk massive methane release into organic waste sites
• As ocean temperatures rise, evaporation of surface water occurs, releasing water vapor, a GHG that traps radiation, creating heat that heats the water rapidly and furthers the cycle
• The melting of ice or snow exposes darker seas and decreases albedo which causes more radiation to be absorbed instead of reflected, heating up the water and creating more water vapor that traps more heat and melts more ice or snow
• Droughts further accelerate global warming by requiring the support of external technologies or foods that require trade of materials and produce excessive GHGs
• Forest fires further accelerate global warming by releasing GHGs trapped in soils and stems of trees, ruining an essential natural carbon sink
• The tipping point of an ecosystem is where its resilience is overwhelmed by its changes and it is converted from one stable form to another (carbon sink to carbon source or vise versa)
• Boreal forests (in Alaska, Canada, Russia- north), stretching 1.9 billion hectares globally, and are essential carbon sinks that slow cellular respiration (cold), stores more carbon than all the world's forest combined, and supports 3.7 million people
• Boreal forest have been exposed to hotter climates through anthropogenic means, causing more forest fires, and excessive breeding of tree-killing pests (longer seasons), and extra transpiration can cause leaves to close pores and not photosynthesize, causing it to reach a tipping point
• Boreal forests cannot be replanted as doing so risks releasing the carbon stored in the soil
• "landfast" arctic ice is ice fastened to land (not moving)
• Due to climate change, landfast ice is slow to form and early to break reducing breeding period for emperor penguins and reducing offspring produced. Landfast ice is supposed to be steadfast but when breaks bcs of CC occur, confuse emperor penguins and disturb rest. Sea ice loss also means small plants and animals sustained by it don't survive, reducing prey for the penguins and making the environment more accommodating to other species which encourages competition the penguins might lose at.
• Landfast ice serves as a birthing and resting spot for walruses in the Arctic. Due to rapid melting, the amount of surface area is reduced and creates cramped environment where large males can accidentally trample and kill pups on coming up from hunting to rest. Additionally, smaller reach means the walruses have to travel farther for food and use up more energy for thermoregulation in the water which increases transpiration
• Upwelling is the process of the mixing of different layers as the top layer slowly seeps deeper and deeper into the ocean as a result of the current, wind, and tides
• Nutrient upwelling cycles nutrient-rich waters to the surface where consumers can feed on them, contributing to nutrient cycling.
• The global conveyor belt is a system of ocean currents that transport water around the world. While wind primarily propels surface currents, deep currents are driven by differences in water densities in a process called Thermohaline circulation. Density depends on both the temperature (thermo) and the salinity (haline) of the water. Along this conveyor belt, heat and nutrient are moves around the world in a 1000-year cycle
• As the global conveyor belt transports heat, it keeps Earth's climate stable. However, scientists have recently noticed a slowdown in ocean circulation. With climate change and rising temperatures, the process may slow down even more and bring extreme temperatures to different regions around the world.
• As ocean currents allow the heat to circulate and less dense surface water means hotter surface water lead to hotter oceans as heat is circulated. This increases the difference between the layers and slows upwelling
• Differences in densities of water mean that mixing between densities and the circulation of heat in water, meaning parts of the world is exposed to excessive heat with the other part being in extreme colds
• Still corrupted with salt water means that it is harder to filter and use when fresh ice is melted and can cause flooding. Upwelling is harder as there is more water to cycle with some countries that can't get their nutrients, putting some fish at risk, as well.
• More CO2 in the atmosphere and water unable to utilize full potential as heated up water is harder to circulate and push colder water to surface.
• As the climate warms, species on mountains ("montane" species) track upslope for their optimal conditions and some go extinct due to lack of niche present = predicted extinctions
• In North America, higher maximum temperature and longer summers have increased the frequency of droughts that predict that lower elevations and southern latitudes will no longer provide the cool, wet habitats preferred by sugar maple and hemlock trees
• Marine organisms like coral polyps take dissolved carbon in the ocean, as well as calcium to create calcium carbonate that makes their sturdy rock-like shell
• As water quality worsens, pollution increases and temperatures increase due to excessive absorbed CO2 cause stress to the coral and then bleach it when it loses its symbiotic algae (zooxanthella) from its tissues
• More CO2 in the oceans reduce the amount of carbonate ions present (HCO3-) which slows the coral calcification process
• Ocean acidification not only affects corals but also the creatures housed or fed by them that are more likely to either starve or be poisoned. Additionally, CO2 in the water changes the acidity and temperature of water to something that might not attain to each marine creature's preferred niche. With a gap in the food chain, seabugs and insects are allowed to populate the ocean uncontrollably disturbing ecosystems and human food catches.
• Ocean acidification can cause water noise
• Carbon sequestration is the capture and storage of carbon through geological and biological processes
• Afforestation involves planting trees in areas where they currently do not exist. A number of countries have committed to achieving numerical goals for planting as an initiative to reverse desertification and to enhance carbon sequestration
• Forest regeneration is the restocking of forests that have been depleted through clearcutting. Usually, this is achieved through planting seedlings in form of monocultures of trees which are commercially meaningful. This can enhance carbon sequestration.
• The restoration of peat wetlands as the world's biggest carbon sinks are another way to enhance carbon sequestration and requires the restoration of water levels, blocking drainage and re-establishing native species such as sphagnum moss.
• Peat is partially decayed organic matter that comes from unique waterlogged ecosystems like bogs, muskegs and moors. It is commercially useful as fuel, domestic heating, fertilizer, and gardening soil.
• The Gorse bush grows in burned and bulldozed soil that none else would
• In Scotland, increased efforts are being made to restore peatlands, some of which have become more and more degraded, releasing more CO2 than they absorb.
• As oceans become more acidic, they can't absorb man-made sounds as well as before, exposing marine animals to more "water noise"