Week 14: Causes of Global Climate Change

 1. What did you do in lab today?

  • I was not in lab because I was gone due to road conditions from the Winter Storm. 
  • Greenhouse Effect
    • Some of the infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere. Some is absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by greenhouse gas molecules. The effect of this is to warm the earth's surface and the lower atmosphere.
    • Some solar radiation is reflected by the Earth and the atmosphere
    • Most radiation is absorbed by the Earth's surface and warms it
    • Infrared radiation is emitted by the Earth's surface.
  • Earth's "blanket" and light
    • certain gases in our atmosphere act like a blanket around the Earth
    • Light rays coming from the sun contain visible photons 
      • visible photons are absorbed by Earth's surface and re-emitted as infrared photos
        • we feel infrared photons as heat 
  • Greenhouse gas: a gas that absorbs and re-emits infrared light
  • How global warming works: Climate change's mechanism explained

2. What was the big question? How does climate change affect our world today? How will it change in the near future?

3. What did you learn in Thursday's discussion? 

Notes
  • Carbon Dioxide 
  • 4th grade climate change test in Switzerland
  • As temperature increases, evaporation increases, and precipitation increases
  • Solar and volcanic forcings are the two dominant natural contributors to global climate change during the Industrial Era. And there has been no significant changes, leaving ONLY human causes
  • Albedo Effect- 0 to 1
    • Sun sends visible light to planet, it is absorbed and some is reflected. 
    • The reflectivity of a surface; how much radiation is reflected vs absorbed
    • COLOR has a major influence on albedo.
    • A high albedo means something is more reflective, a low albedo means it is less reflective/will absorb more radiation.
      • Albedo = 1 --> Completely reflects radiation
      • Albedo = 0 --> Completely absorbed radiation
    • This is a feedback cycle, affecting the ice caps and glaciers. A cycle of cause and effect that can either be amplifying of conditions or minimizing. Positive cycles amplify whole negative cycle negate effects. 
    • When the ice caps/glaciers melt, it reveals more dark ocean water underneath. That dark water absorbed more light, warming it up. This melts more ice, thus revealing more ocean water, and so on...
      • therefore, ice caps melting at the North Pole are a positive feedback loop (increasing absorption rates).
  • Since grass leaves release water vapor and the evaporation of that water vapor leads to cooling, grass fields rarely get over 100 degrees. Turf fields, in comparison, regularly rise well above 100 degrees. 
  • Snowball Earth --> What effect does this have on the albedo across the entire planet? How might the planet warm back up during an ice age? 

4. Read online textbook, chapter 14:
- What did you learn? 

  • Climate vs. weather distinction: Climate is long-term patterns; weather is short-term events.

  • Human-driven imbalance: Fossil fuel use has pushed CO₂ levels far beyond natural ranges, disrupting Earth’s systems.

  • Evidence from ice cores: Past CO₂ levels stayed below 300 ppm, but modern levels exceed 400 ppm.

  • Global consequences: Climate change manifests as extreme temperatures, stronger storms, sea level rise, and ecosystem collapse.

  • Scientific consensus: 97% of scientists agree climate change is human-caused, despite misinformation campaigns.

  • Educational responsibility: Teachers play a critical role in ensuring students access accurate information and avoid misconceptions.

- What was most helpful? 

  • Greenhouse gases explained: Clear breakdown of CO₂, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone, including natural vs. human sources.

  • Greenhouse effect analogy: The “Earth’s blanket” metaphor made the concept of heat trapping easy to visualize.

  • Albedo effect: Helpful explanation of how ice reflects sunlight while darker surfaces absorb it, creating a feedback loop.

  • Carbon cycle and ppm: Useful for understanding how carbon moves through Earth’s systems and how scientists measure CO₂.

  • Historical context of climate science: The timeline of scientists (Tyndall, Arrhenius) and public awareness (Al Gore, Greta Thunberg) connected science to society.

  • Examples of climate impacts: Specific cases like Glacier National Park’s retreat and coral reef decline made the effects tangible.

- What do you need more information on?

  • Mitigation strategies: The readings mention the Paris Accord and activism but don’t deeply explain technological or policy solutions.

  • Local impacts: While global examples are given, more detail on how climate change specifically affects Iowa or the Midwest would strengthen relevance.

  • Student misconceptions: The second link notes misinformation in classrooms but doesn’t provide strategies for addressing misconceptions in teaching.

  • Positive feedback loops: Both readings mention them, but more detail on how multiple loops interact (ice melt, ocean warming, weather extremes) would help deepen understanding.

5. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? N/A

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