Global Warming Answers

1. There is a massive pool of carbon in the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere: Taken out of the atmosphere through: - Photosynthesis - Dissolved in oceans - Carbon sinks where it is locked up include carbonate rocks (sedimentation), fossil fuels (fossilation, in plants and animals in the food chain, in dead organic matter/ decomposers Put back into atmosphere through: - Respiration - Combustion - Weathering of rocks - Volcanic activity 2. Carbon sinks are reservoirs where carbon is removed from the atmosphere and locked up in organic or inorganic compounds: Biotic: Carbon is removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis and stored in the bodies of living organisms. Soil also contains masses of organic, carbon-rich material in the form of humus. Abiotic: Rocks such as limestone and chalk, and fossil fuels hold vast stores of carbon. 3. The oceans act as massive reservoirs of carbon dioxide: The carbon dioxide is in continual exchange at the air-water surface. Carbon dioxide dissolved in the water is taken up in photosynthesis by the phytoplankton that live in the surface waters. Large amounts of carbon are also stored in the calcium carbonate shells produced by many different marine organisms. By lowering the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide, they make it possible for more carbon dioxide from the air to be absorbed by the water. In the Northern Atlantic Ocean, ocean currents move carbon-rich water downwards and bring more water up from the depths to absorb more carbon. 4. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, it is believed humans were fairly carbon neutral, however since then the production of carbon dioxide has increased dramatically due to the development of cars etc. Scientists are collecting evidence that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. 5. Greenhouse gases reduce heat loss from the surface of the Earth through the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour. 6. The greenhouse effect is the natural process by which the atmosphere traps some of the Sun's energy, warming the Earth enough to support life. I. Energy (radiation) from the sun reaches the earth. II. The energy is electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum with small amounts of IR (Infrared) and UV radiation. III. Some radiation is reflected back into space by the atmosphere and by the surface of the Earth and some is absorbed by the atmosphere. IV. Infrared radiation that reaches the Earths surface has a very short wavelength. V. The earths surface absorbs the infrared radiation and releases it back to the atmosphere as a longer wavelength. VI. Some of this radiation is absorbed and reradiated back to the Earths surface by greenhouse gas molecules in the atmosphere VII. This maintains the temperature at the surface of the Earth at a higher level, which is suitable for life.

7. The main causes of global warming: a) Burning of fossil fuels (oil and coal): Carbon dioxide from power plants, cars, aeroplanes and buildings. b) Production of methane: Decay of organic material by some bacteria, bovine flatulence and rice paddies. Rice is grown in flooded fields, which creates anaerobic conditions causing the organic matter in the soil to decompose and methane to be released into the atmosphere. Methane levels have risen by 150% since 1750 and it is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. It naturally breaks down high in the atmosphere in a series of reactions that eventually form carbon dioxide and water molecules. c) Water Vapour in the Atmosphere Increasing: Water vapour holds onto two-thirds of the heat trapped by all the greenhouse gases. As the Earth heats up, the humidity increases. This means the planets atmosphere can hold more water vapour, causing even more warming. d) Deforestation: It is the second biggest cause of increase in CO2, as not only are you destroying trees, which absorb CO2, but also by burning them you produce more CO2. Millions of acres of rainforests are lost each year. 8. The UK Met Office has daily weather records going back to 1869, but written evidence from diaries and ships logs go back over 100 years more. Recent weather records suggest that the Earths surface temperature is increasing, however this is only a short-term record of global temperature change. 9. Frozen isotopes are a form of temperature proxies meaning they can give an indication of the temperature but not an exact value. Records of the oxygen isotopes in melted ice reflect the air temperature at the time the ice layer was down and so give scientists data on the air temperature. Atmospheric CO2 levels can also be measured. This provides a record, which goes back 300,000 years. From this information we have seen evidence that 140,000 years ago the Earths surface was 60C cooler the ice age and 120,000 years ago it was 1-20C warmer (a period known as an interglacial). 10. Dendrochronology is the dating of past events using tree ring growth. Trees increase in width as they get older by cell division of one particular layer in their tree trunks. When there is plenty of moisture and trees are growing quickly such as early summer, these new cells are large. As conditions get more difficult, the new cells produced are smaller until they eventually stop. It is the contrast between the small cells at the end of the year and the large ones produced next spring, which gives the appearance of rings. Most trees produce one ring within their trunks every year, and the thickness of the ring depends on the climate when the ring was formed, when its warmer the rings are thicker. Scientists can then date each ring and see what the climate was like for each year. It cannot give very accurate results at all, just an estimate of the climate. You can increase the reliability by comparing results from different places. If the rings are similar then the climate was changing generally. 11. Pollen can be preserved in peat bogs, and they accumulate in layers, so the age of the pollen increases with depth. Scientists can take cores and extract pollen grains to identify the species the pollen came from, and this can give an estimate of climates, as only mature trees would produce pollen, so the climate then would have to have been favourable for those trees. 12. Wiggle matching is a process used to confirm radiocarbon dating. For example, wood of known ages from ancient trees or samples of peat bog where the age is known from evidence of flood etc. are dated from radiocarbon measurements and the results compared to give a form of calibration. This gives scientists clear reference points, which they can use to determine the accuracy of their estimations of age, making the data more reliable. 13. Scientists have found evidence for the increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere: The Mauna Loa curve: A series of readings taken at regular intervals at the Mauna Loa observatory on Hawaii. The air (believed to be relatively pollution free) is sampled continuously at the top of four 7metre tall towers and an hourly average of carbon dioxide concentration is taken. The records show that the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased from 315.98 ppmv in 1959 to 381.74 in 2006. Ice Core Data: Shows clear changes in carbon dioxide concentration. The shape of the curve is reminiscent of the temperature curve. 14. There is a clear correlation between the increase in temperature and carbon dioxide levels. However, the correlation is so close it is difficult to know whether increases in greenhouse gases are causing the increase in temperatures or whether the rise in greenhouse gases is the result of rising temperatures. To say that there is a causal relationship we need some mechanism that explains how one factor changes the other. Proving a causal link is almost impossible, however, increasing number of studies on different aspects of global warming such as polar ice melting are suggesting that it is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide that is increasing surface temperature and that human carbon dioxide emissions are responsible for at least some of the current warming.

15. Scientists have developed computer models which taken into account many factors, such as rates of photosynthesis across the world and rates of CO2 production naturally. It is hoped by making models fit the data from the past as accurately as possible, they will give us reasonable tools for predicting the future. This is called extrapolating the data and can be used to predict the long-term effects of increased temperature on the environment. This information is useful and is being used to help plan international responses to global warming. However, there are limitations because it is impossible to tell the exact impact of CO 2 on global warming and also to predict the impact of global warming on the world climate. Additionally, extrapolations from past data cannot take into account unknown factors in the future. 16. Global warming is expected to have many consequences including: Risk of flooding: Antarctic temperatures have increased by 2.5oC in the past 50 years and consequentially, billions of tonnes of ice has broken away and melted into the sea. As the ice melts, the volume of water in the seas and oceans of the world will increase, causing sea levels to rise. And as the water gets warmer, its volume increases, resulting in an even bigger impact on sea levels. This could have huge consequences on populations living on low level ground Climate Change: Rising temperatures affect weather and rainfall patterns. Statistical evidence suggests there is an increase in extreme weather events, linked to the rise in global temperatures. Rainfall patterns also appear to be changing, with Africa experiencing very low rainfall, whereas there has been higher than average rainfall in other areas, leading to flooding. Effect on Organisms: - Temperature has an effect on enzyme activity, which in turn affects the whole organism. There is an optimum temp for many reactions and if the temp increases beyond that, the enzyme denatures and reaction rate falls, so increasing temperature could have different effects on processes, including rate of growth and reproduction. - Most organisms are found in the tropics and not used to much change in temperature, so they wont be resistant to a change - Global warming appears to be affecting the onset of the seasons, affecting both life cycles and distribution of species. This means species could fit in more than one breeding cycle, causing an increase in population - As areas become warmer, animals may be able to extend their ranges northwards while becoming extinct at the other end. Others may be able to colonise a bigger area. If organisms involved in the spread of disease are affect, patterns of world health could change as well. 17. Politicians usually make the decisions about energy usage and carbon emissions, and they are influenced by many factors, such as their political perspective, as well as the scientific evidence. They are also influenced by pressure groups and lobbyists who will be biased by their own interests. Many industrialists try to promote alternative theories for global warming to avoid legislation that changes their industry. Politicians also tend to make decisions based on short-term gain at the poles, resulting in policies that might prove unpopular with voters being ignored. 18. There are many possible solutions suggested that would help reduce human CO2 emissions: Biofuels: Fuels that are derived from plants could be seen as a carbon neutral fuel because plants take carbon dioxide out of the air as they grow and it is released when they are burnt as fuels. However, cars would need converting and the amount of land needed to grow the plants would threaten food production. Alternative Energy Sources: Such as wind or nuclear, would reduce carbon emissions, but cause their own problems. Reforestation: Replanting trees to replace those that have been felled makes wood a sustainable resource and removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the tissues of the trees.