CLIMATE-Climate is the pattern of variation in temperature, humidity,

atmospheric pressure, wind precipitation, atmospherical particle count, other

metrological variables in a given region over a prolong period

CLIMATE CHANGE-It refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be
identified (eg. By using statistical tests) and that for an extended period,
typically decades or longer. IPCC,2007

CLIMATE SYSTEM- The climate system is the highly complex consisting of five
major components and the interactions among them. They are- 1)atmosphere,
2)Hydrosphere 3) cryosphere 4) lithosphere 5)Biosphere

Zircon Dating- Zircon is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. It is

chemical nature is zirconium silicate. Zircon contains trace amounts of uranium
and thorium

SNOWBALL EARTH HYPOTHESIS-

Freezing phase-

*surface ocean was entirely frozen

*primary productivity in surface ocean was stopped/reduced

*Atmospheric co2 increase

*Shut down of hydrological cycle and silicate weathering

SILICATE ROCK WEATHERING-

*It consumes Co2 through chemical reaction.

*IT is temperature and moist. Dependent

*if global temperature increases weathering rate goes up.

*if global climate gets colder weathering rates goes down

Melting phase-

*melting of ice drives by green house effect

*renewal silicate weathering

*percipitates carbonate

*reduction of atmospheric co2

MID- CRETACEOUS-(120-90 mya)-

Causes-

*Different ocean currents( continental arrangement)

*higher co2 levels (at least 2-4 times higher than today upto 1200 ppm)

PALEOCENE THERMAL MAXIMUM(55 mya)-

Causes-

*rapid release of methane from the oceans

CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGES-

*Suns output-it WAS thought that suns energy output increased about 0.1 %
from 1750 to 1950, increasing by 0.1 degree c in the first part of 20 th century. But
since 1979, with the initiation of taking measurements from space, the data
show no long term change in total solar energy, even though earth has been
warming

Earth orbit-obliquity is the angle between earths rotational axis and a time
perpendicular to its orbital plane. Currently it is 23.44 degree. Repetitive cycles
in Earths obliquity can influence the angle and timing of sunlight

Drifting continents-DC makes a significant difference in climate over million of

years. Changing ice caps at the poles by allowing ocean current

*Volcanic eruptions

*greenhouse gases-changes in the conc. Of greenhouse gases influence earths

climate

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT-

It is the capacity of certain gases in the atmosphere to trap heat emitted from
the earths surface, thereby insulating and warming the earth

GREEN HOUSE GASES-

GH gases are transparent to shorter wavelength of incoming solar radiation, but

they absorb and reemit larger wavelength emitted by earth.They let much of the

suns rays in, but keep most of that heat from directly escaping. This is why they
called green house gases

GWP-

Global warming potential (GWP) is a relative measure of how much heat a

greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere. It compares the amount of heat
trapped by a certain mass of the gas in question to the amount of heat trapped
by a similar mass of carbon dioxide.

CLIMATE CHANGE-Climate is the average weather at a given point and time of

year, over a long period (typically 30 years). We expect the weather to change a
lot from day to day, but we expect the climate to remain relatively constant. If
the climate doesnt remain constant, we call it climate change.

Evidence for climate change Pollen analysis; Dendrochronology; Ice core analysis; Radiocarbon dating;
Coleoptera; Tephrachronology Historical records.

Natural Events Affecting Climate

Earths climate is complex

There are a number of factors that have affected our climate in the past and
continue to do so today .These are called Climate Forcing, include:
*Milanokovitch Cycles
* Sun Spots and Solar Flares
* Plate Tectonics
* Major Volcanic Eruptions
* El Nino and La Nina
* Forest Fires

Associated Climate Changes *Global sea-level has increased 1-2 mm/yr

*Duration of ice cover of rivers and lakes decreased by 2 weeks in N. Hemisphere

*Arctic ice has thinned substantially, decreased in extent by 10-15%

*Reduced frost in polar, sub-polar, mountainous regions

*Growing season lengthened by 1-4 days in N. Hemisphere

*Retreat of continental glaciers on all continents

*Snow cover decreased by 10%

*Earlier flowering dates

NATURAL INFLUENCES ON GLOBAL CLIMATE

* variations in the energy output of the Sun

* variations in the Earths orbit and tilt

* continental drift

* changes in atmospheric composition from volcanoes, biological activity,

weathering of rocks

* internal dynamics of ice-ocean-land-atmosphere system

HUMAN INFLUENCES ON GLOBAL CLIMATE

* rising concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) from deforestation,

agricultural practices, fossil-fuel burning

* rising concentration of particulate matter from agricultural burning, cultivation,

fossil-fuel burning,

*alteration of Earths surface reflectivity by deforestation, desertification

* increased high cloudiness from aircraft contrails

Agro-ecosystem sensitivity to climate

General Constraints -

*Incoming solar radiation

*Temperature
*Water and nutrient availability

Effect on agricultural crops -

*Incoming solar radiation regulates photosynthesis processes

*Air temperature controls the duration of the growing period and

*other processes linked with the accumulation of dry matter (i.e.leaf area
expansion, respiration)

*Rainfall and soil water availability affects the duration of growth (i.e leaf area
duration and photosynthetic efficiency)

Effect on animals (behaviour and production) -

*metabolic processes (direct effect)

*forage quality and quantity (indirect effect)