The Great Ocean Conveyor
eBook - PDF

The Great Ocean Conveyor

Discovering the Trigger for Abrupt Climate Change

  1. 173 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Great Ocean Conveyor

Discovering the Trigger for Abrupt Climate Change

About this book

Exploring the link between the ocean's currents and rapid climate change

Wally Broecker is one of the world's leading authorities on abrupt global climate change. More than two decades ago, he discovered the link between ocean circulation and climate change, in particular how shutdowns of the Great Ocean Conveyor—the vast network of currents that circulate water, heat, and nutrients around the globe—triggered past ice ages. Today, he is among the researchers exploring how our planet's climate system can abruptly "flip-flop" from one state to another, and who are weighing the implications for the future. In The Great Ocean Conveyor, Broecker introduces readers to the science of abrupt climate change while providing a vivid, firsthand account of the field's history and development.

Could global warming cause the conveyor to shut down again, prompting another flip-flop in climate? What were the repercussions of past climate shifts? How do we know such shifts occurred? Broecker shows how Earth scientists study ancient ice cores and marine sediments to probe Earth's distant past, and how they blend scientific detective work with the latest technological advances to try to predict the future. He traces how the science has evolved over the years, from the blind alleys and wrong turns to the controversies and breathtaking discoveries. Broecker describes the men and women behind the science, and reveals how his own thinking about abrupt climate change has itself flip-flopped as new evidence has emerged.

Rich with personal stories and insights, The Great Ocean Conveyor opens a tantalizing window onto how Earth science is practiced.

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Information

Publisher
Princeton University Press
Year
2010
Print ISBN
9780691143545
eBook ISBN
9781400834716
Topic
Physical Sciences
Subtopic
Geology & Earth Sciences
2
❖
Chapter 
1
Sun
Sun
Earth 
on 
June 
21
Sun
Earth
Earth
Earth
in 
April
Foci 
of 
the
elliptical 
orbit
Earth
in 
October
S
June
23°
Incomi
ng
sunlight
N
Earth 
in 
January
(Closest 
to 
sun)
Distance
Seasons
Tilt
Seasons
Earth 
in 
July
(Furthest 
from 
sun)
~20,000
years
ago
~10,000
years
ago
~5000
years
ago
Today
Earth 
rotates 
365
times 
per 
year
Earth 
precesses 
once
per 
24,000 
years
Precession 
cycle
Spin 
axis 
position
12,000 
years 
ago
Spin 
axis 
position 
today
a 
b
Earth’s
orbit
S
N
S
N
S
December
23°
Incoming
sunlight
N

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Preface
  6. CHAPTER 1. The Setting
  7. CHAPTER 2. A Surprise
  8. CHAPTER 3. The Villain
  9. CHAPTER 4. Puzzles
  10. CHAPTER 5. Hot Clues
  11. CHAPTER 6. The Solution
  12. CHAPTER 7. A Confirmation
  13. CHAPTER 8. The Last Hurrah
  14. CHAPTER 9. Holocene Wobbles
  15. CHAPTER 10. The Anthropocene
  16. Glossary
  17. Figure Credits
  18. Supplementary Readings
  19. Index

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Yes, you can access The Great Ocean Conveyor by Wallace Broecker in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Geology & Earth Sciences. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.