Geography
Global Climate Change
Global climate change refers to the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a particular region or globally. It is primarily driven by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The consequences of global climate change include rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and shifts in ecosystems.
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11 Key excerpts on "Global Climate Change"
eBook - PDF- John A Agnew, David N Livingstone, John A Agnew, David N Livingstone, SAGE Publications Ltd(Authors)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications Ltd(Publisher)
40 Global Climate Change G l e n M . M a c D o n a l d INTRODUCTION The threat of Global Climate Change due to increased anthropogenic emissions of green-house gasses has become one of the defining environmental issues of the twenty-first cen-tury. At the same time, the scientific com-munity, policy makers and the general public have become aware that even in the absence of anthropogenic factors the climate is prone to significant shifts due to natural causes. A tangible driver of this concern is the fact that global temperatures have increased by 0.76°C since the mid-nineteenth century and 11 of the 12 years between 1995 and 2005 were the warmest since 1850, the year when widespread reliable records become available (IPCC 2007). It is fair to say that humanity is feeling the heat of climate change. Few other issues present such a clear and pressing need to effectively integrate the physical, life and social sciences across geographic scales. The discourse on the causes, impacts and adapta-tions to changing climate should engage a broad spectrum of geographers. Academic geographers have long claimed as a core strength the ability to draw together the natu-ral and social sciences as they relate to the surface of the earth and human actions thereupon. The issues of climate change challenge geographers to live up to these claims. The following chapter will briefly outline the long history of scientific interest in climatic change and then discuss current understanding of some of the most important natural and anthropogenic causal factors that have been associated with recent climatic warming. Of particular interest here are the role of natural solar variability and the impor-tance of increasing levels of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxides (NO x ). Both these forces have been suggested to lie behind the recent rises in global temperature. The role of academic geography in Global Climate Change research will be considered.
eBook - PDFClimate Change Impacts on Fisheries and Aquaculture
A Global Analysis
- Bruno Augusto Amato Borges(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Delve Publishing(Publisher)
CLIMATE CHANGE: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE CHAPTER 1 CONTENTS 1.1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 2 1.2. History of Climate Change .................................................................. 3 1.3. Causes of Climate Change .................................................................. 8 1.4. Impact of Climate Change ................................................................ 13 References ............................................................................................... 23 Climate Change Impacts on Fisheries and Aquaculture: A Global Analysis 2 Climate change refers to long-term changes in the average weather pattern. At present it is a serious global issue and has the potential to cause irre-versible long-term damages to the planet. The climate of Earth has always undergone patterns of change since time immemorial. The climate change pattern over the years has been discussed in this chapter. There are primarily three causes of climate change, which have been explained. The effect of climate change is visible on physical systems, biodiversity, and human sys-tems. The chapter finally explains the effect of climate change on the planet. 1.1. INTRODUCTION The Earth’s climate has witnessed many changes throughout history. In the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. The last ice age ended abruptly about 7,000 years ago. This marked the beginning of modern climate era. The climate changes have been attributed to the variation in sunlight that Earth receives and retains. Climate change is the biggest threat that this planet faces at the present. It refers to the difference in the planet’s climate over a period of time. The changes that have taken place can be attributed to natural as well as man-made causes.
eBook - PDF- Amrita Pandey(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Delve Publishing(Publisher)
7.1. THE EARTH SYSTEM, CLIMATE, AND GLOBAL CHANGE Figure 7.1: Impact of human activity on different elements of earth. Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Ocean_%26_ Earth_System.jpg Global Change in the Earth Systems and Environment 145 7.1.1. Global Change Over the last few decades, there have been significant changes observed in our planet system. In fact, these changes are happening so rapidly that it is very difficult to reverse these changes. It is a major issue of concern that required immediate attention, and there is a need on the part of policymakers to take into consideration various aspects in mind before forming policies, rules and regulations for addressing these issues. Some of the key changes that are clearly observable in the environment are higher concentration of CO 2 in the environment, high emission level, lower oxygen level in the oceans and rivers, which is disrupting the marine ecosystem environment. Also, there have been significant temperature variations observed in the environment, which means more hotter environment, more colder winters, unusual raining seasons. All these changes are directly attributed to increase in the human activities. Loss of biological species, and fragmentation of natural vegetation are the result of these human activities. It is these activities and others like them that give rise to the phenomenon of global change. The term Earth system can be defined as the interaction among the physical, biological and chemical processes that transform and transports energy and materials, thus providing the conditions that are important for life on the planet. Climate is the combination of various aspects of weather – temperature, precipitation, and cloudiness, for example, while on the other hand, climate system involves series of processes such as land, ocean, and sea ice in addition to the atmosphere.
eBook - PDF- Charles Fletcher, Dan Gibson, Kevin Ansdell(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
Only by limiting greenhouse gas production can the worst future impacts of global warming be avoided. If we want to preserve our planet so that it continues to support the development of human civilization, we must reduce greenhouse gas production. Earth’s climate has changed over the past century, and there is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed in the past 50 years is attributable to human activities. Moreover, computer LET’S REVIEW “GEOLOGY IN OUR LIVES” STUDY GUIDE 16-1 “Global change” refers to changes in environmental processes affecting the whole Earth. • Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth’s surface (including the oceans). The decade 2000 to 2009 was the warmest recorded since 1880. However, the year 2010 was the hottest ever measured, and so the present decade may end up being the warmest on record. • Climate is the long-term average pattern of weather of a particular region (say, over 30 years) and is the result of interactions among land, ocean, atmosphere, ice, and biosphere. It is the product of processes that accumulate and move heat within and between the atmosphere and ocean. • Human activities have caused significant global changes in land use, air and water quality, and abundance of natural resources, particularly in the past two centuries. There is scientific consen- sus that human activities are also altering Earth’s climate, largely due to increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels. 16-2 Heat circulation in the atmosphere and oceans maintains Earth’s climate. • Climate change is the product of changes in the accumulation and movement of heat in the ocean and atmosphere. To under- stand both natural and human influences on global climate, we must explore the physical processes governing the atmosphere and the ocean. • Very little vertical mixing of gases occurs between the layers of the atmosphere.
eBook - PDF- Joseph P. Stoltman(Author)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
It has been suggested that we need some- thing akin to the National Centers for Disease Control to address the health of the planet (Kieffer, 2009), perhaps in an effort to emphasize the increasing number of planetary symptoms associated with ongoing global change and a system that is now functioning differently from just a few decades ago. Geographers and other scientists know that the plane- tary system is adjusting and changing in new and unique ways. Are there good ideas from within the realm of geo- graphic thought that can be of assistance as we navigate an uncertain future? This chapter discusses the theory, obser- vations, and projections about multiple changes to Earth's conditions and processes, and the consequences of these changes. The major focus on climate change in the past 2 decades has provided the impetus for geographers and other scientists to examine and theorize regarding other types of change. The climate change studies served some- what as a catalyst for the scholarly community to measure and conceptualize the ongoing experiment that humans are conducting with their planetary home. Geography has a long history of focus on human- environment relations, or nature-society linkages (Turner, 2002). The emphasis of this chapter is on seven ideas: complexity, the importance of the local, synthesis, sustain- ability science, vulnerability science, land change science, and geographic information science (GIScience), as repre- sented by geographers. These ideas help characterize ongoing changes and provide perspectives that can be used to help people better manage their actions and effects on the planet as societies move further into what E. O. Wilson (2002) described as the developing bottleneck of over- population and the wasteful practice of overconsumption. Wilson was addressing a narrowing gap between available planetary resources and rapidly increasing human demands on those resources.
eBook - PDFClimate Change
Biological and Human Aspects
- Jonathan Cowie(Author)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- Cambridge University Press(Publisher)
5 1.2 The greenhouse effect has regional, and indeed global, biological implications that will impact heavily on human societies. For these reasons there is currently considerable interest in the way living things interact with the climate, and especially our own species. As we shall see in the course of this book, biology, and the environmental sciences relating to ecology and climate, can provide us with information on past climates and climate change (palaeoclimatology) which in turn can illuminate policy determining our actions affecting future climate. This will be invaluable if we are to begin to manage our future prospects. 1.1 Weather or climate Any exploration of the biology of climate change needs to clarify what is meant by climate as distinct from weather. In essence, the latter is the day-to-day manifestation of the former. The climate of a region is determined by long-term weather condi-tions including seasonal changes. The problem is that weather is in its own right a variable phenomenon, which is why it is hard to make accurate long-term forecasts. Consequently, if the climate of a region changes we can only discern this over a long period of time, once we have disentangled possible climate change from weather’s natural background variability. An analogy is what physicists and engineers refer to as the signal-to-noise ratio, which applies to electrical currents or an electromagnetic signal, such as a commercial radio broadcast or that from a stellar body. Similarly, with climate change, the problem is to disentangle a small climatic change signal from considerable background weather noise. For example, by itself one very hot summer (or drought, or heavy monsoon or whatever) does not signify climate change. On the other hand, a decade or more of these in succession may well be of climatic significance.
eBook - PDF- Singh, M P(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Daya Publishing House(Publisher)
Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer; 3. Disruptive seasonal and interannual variation in temperature and precipitation, such as the El Nino -Southern Oscillation (ENSO); and 4. Large-scale changes in land use and land cover. The climatic, ecological, and biogeochemical records of the Earth can help advance our understanding of anthropogenic effects on the Earth system. Historically, the Earth’s geography, climate, and ecosystems have suffered dramatic changes and fluctuations on timescales varying from less than a decade to millennia. Although global average conditions changes slowly, intramural to decadal variations do occur at regional (subcontinental) scales, driven by changes in sea surface temperature and ocean circulation patterns, volcanic eruptions, This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed. soil moisture anomalies, and variations in the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth. Table 1.1 lists some major factors involved in Global Climate Change. Table 1.1: In Global Climate Change Major factors involved (after Jones, 1997). Period of Operation Factors Process and Effects xs Years to millennia Planetary orbits Gravitational pulls affect solar activity, cosmic radiation and volcanic activity. Radiation level and atmospheric capacity/reflectivity are affected Decades Sun’s Internal processes Affect solar output of electromagnetic and particulate (solar wind) radiation 20,000 to 100,000 years Earth’s orbit Distance from the Sun, angle of polar axis and seasonability affect distribution and intensity of solar radiation.
eBook - PDF- Paul G. Harris(Author)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- EUP(Publisher)
17 C H A P T E R 1 G L O B A L C L I M A T E C H A N G E Industrialisation, traditional economic development and modern life-styles are contributing to pollution that is warming the globe. This global warming is in turn causing changes to the Earth’s climate system that are increasingly impacting on individuals and societies, especially in the poorest parts of the world. Tragically and unjustly, climate change will cause the most suffering among those least responsible for it. While most wealthy countries and people will be able to cope with climate change, at least for now, millions – and probably billions – of the world’s poor will not be so lucky. They will not be able to avoid suffering from droughts, floods, severe cyclones, water shortages, crop failures and spreading pestilence. Historically, people in the world’s affluent coun-tries have been the main polluters of the atmosphere, often as a consequence of voluntary, and frequently frivolous, material consump-tion. Now the rapidly expanding middle and wealthy classes of the developing world are doing the same, with predictable harmful con-sequences for the environment. Thus climate change not only presents major practical challenges for individuals, societies and governments, but also raises the most profound questions of international and global justice yet encountered in human history. It is a profound ethical failure, aptly described by Stephen Gardiner (2011) as ‘a perfect moral storm’. This chapter establishes the scientific basis for discussions of these justice-related questions in subsequent chapters. I briefly introduce the causes of climate change before summarising some of the significant challenges that it presents for the world, now and in the future. CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE In general terms, ‘climate change’ refers to changes in the Earth’s climate resulting from global warming and other manifestations of greenhouse gas pollution, such as acidification of the world’s oceans
eBook - PDF- David M. Hassenzahl, Mary Catherine Hager, Nancy Y. Gift, Linda R. Berg, Peter H. Raven(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
The Gangotri Glacier in India is retreating at a similar rate. According to the National Park Service, in 1850 Glacier National Park had 150 glaciers; today, only 25 are big enough to be considered functional (larger than 25 acres in area; Figure 20.6). Glacier regression models pre- dict that they will probably be gone by 2030. best cases that might be somewhat troubling and worst cases that might cause serious disruptions. For example, a 0.5ºC (0.9ºF) increase in average summer temperature at some location might not make much difference, whereas a 4ºC (7.2ºF) increase cer- tainly would. In addition, climate model outputs often include possible extreme cases, such as a 6ºC (11ºF) increase in global annual average temperatures or a 6-m (19-ft) sea-level rise. As you read the next section on the effects of climate change, keep in mind that there may be effects beyond what is described here and that there are likely to be surprises we cannot currently predict. Review 1. What is the enhanced greenhouse effect, and what are some of the greenhouse gases that contribute to it? 2. How do climate models project future climate conditions? 3. Why are unpredictable and extreme climate changes important? The Effects of Global Climate Change LEARNING OBJECTIVES • Differentiate between sea-level rise due to melting ice and that due to thermal expansion of water. • Describe how climate change impacts the physical environment. • Give examples of effects of climate change on organisms, including humans. Global Climate Change directly or indirectly affects many physical and biological systems. Many effects have already been observed—temperature increases, shifts in plant and animal habitats, and sea-level rise. Climate researchers ex- pect that these changes will continue in the future, and they anticipate some new changes. In addition, researchers expect surprises—that is, they know changes will occur that we can- not predict.
eBook - PDFPhysical Geology
The Science of Earth
- Charles Fletcher(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
444 CHAPTER 14 Climate change Critical Thinking Global Warming With a partner, and using Figure 14.27, work through the following exercise: FIGURE 14.27 Global disasters in 2015: Red - Geophysical events; Green - Meteorological events; Blue - Hydrological events; Orange - Climatological events. There were three times as many natural disasters between 2000 to 2009 compared to the amount between 1980 and 1989. A vast majority (80%) of this growth is due to climate-related events. 1,060 Loss events Source: Munich Re, NatCatSERVICE, 2016 Drought USA, Jan–Oct Winter Storm Niklas Europe, 30 Mar–1 Apr Severe storms USA, 7–10 Apr Severe storms USA, 23–28 May Flash floods Chile, 23–26 Mar Flash floods Ghana, 2–5 Jun Landslide Guatemala, 1 Oct Flash floods USA, 2–6 Oct Winter storm USA, Canada, 16–25Feb Severe storms USA, 18–21 Apr Wildfires USA, 12 Sep–8Oct Heat wave Europe, Jun–Aug Meteorological events (Tropical storm, extratropical storm, convective storm, local storm) Geophysical events (Earthquake, tsunami, volcanic activity) 1. Study the significant climate events shown in the figure. Make a list that summarizes the types of events that occurred. 2. Compare your list to the potential impacts of global warming described in this chapter. Discuss differences and similarities. 3. Discuss the longer-term impacts of sea level rise—both positive and negative—and how a higher sea level of, say, 0.5 meter, in the year 2065 will influence some of the events shown on this map. Climate Change Leads to Ocean Acidification and Warming, Glacier Melting, Weather Changes, and Other Negative Impacts 445 Earthquake Nepal, 25 Apr Typhoon Mujigae China, 1–5 Oct Earthquake Pakistan, Afghanistan, 26 Oct Heat wave India, Pakistan May–Jun Tornado China, 1 Jun Winter storm Australia, 19–24 Apr Floods Malawi, Mozambique Jan–Mar Typhoon Soudelor China, Taiwan, 2–13 Aug Hydrological events (Flood, mass movement) Climatological events (Extreme temperature, drought, wildfire) 4.
eBook - PDFThe Discovery of Global Warming
Revised and Expanded Edition
- Spencer R. Weart(Author)
- 2008(Publication Date)
- Harvard University Press(Publisher)
This view of Nature—suprahuman, benevolent, and inherently stable—lay deep in most human cul-tures. It was traditionally tied up with a religious faith in the God-given order of the universe, a flawless and imperturbable harmony. Such was the public belief, and scientists are members of the pub-lic, sharing most of the assumptions of their culture. Once scien-tists found plausible arguments explaining how the atmosphere and climate would remain unchanged within a human timescale— just as everyone expected—they stopped looking for possible counter-arguments. Of course, everyone knew climate could vary. From the old folks’ tales of the great blizzards of their childhood to the devastating Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s, ideas about climate included a dose of catastrophe. But a catastrophe was (by definition) some-thing transient; things revert to normal after a few years. A few sci-entists speculated about greater climate shifts. For example, had a waning of rainfall over centuries caused the downfall of ancient 8 T H E D I S C O V E R Y O F G L O B A L W A R M I N G Near Eastern civilizations? Most doubted it. And if such changes re-ally did happen, everyone assumed they randomly struck one re-gion or another, not the entire planet. To be sure, everyone knew there had been vast Global Climate Changes in the distant past. Geologists were mapping out the ice age—or rather, ice ages. For it turned out that the tremendous sheets of ice had ground halfway down America and Europe and back not once, but over and over again. Looking still further in the past, geologists found a tropical age when dinosaurs basked in regions that were now Arctic. A popular theory suggested that the dinosaurs had perished when the Earth cooled over millions of years—climate change could be serious if you waited long enough. The most recent ice age likewise had come to a gradual end, geolo-gists reported, as the Earth returned to its present temperature over tens of thousands of years.
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