The Earth Pale Blue Dot

Earth as seen from Voyager 1,

when it was 6 billion km from
home.

General Features Earth's Internal Structure

How do we know? Mostly from Earthquakes
Mass: MEarth = 6 x 1027 g
Crust: thin. Much Si and Al
Radius: REarth = 6378 km (lots of granite). Two-thirds
covered by oceans.
Density: ρ = 5.5 g/cm3
Mantle is mostly solid, mostly
Age: 4.6 billion years basalt (Fe, Mg, Si). Cracks in
mantle allow molten material
to rise => volcanoes.
Core temperature is 6000 K.
Metallic - mostly nickel and
iron. Outer core molten, inner
core solid.

Atmosphere very thin

Earth's Atmosphere
Ionosphere
78% Nitrogen Original gases disappeared. Atmosphere is
21% Oxygen mostly due to volcanoes and plants! Particles in the upper reaches of the atmosphere are ionized by the sun.

gas is ionized by
solar radiation

ozone is O3 , which
absorbs solar UV
efficiently, thus
heating
stratosphere

commercial jet
altitudes

Radio signals below ~20 MHz can “bounce” off the ionosphere allowing
room temperature Communication “over the horizon”

1
 Convection
The Temperature of the Earth Earth's surface heated by Sun. What would happen if it couldn't get rid
of the energy as fast as it gets in?

● Neglecting other effects, at equilibrium the Earth

would reradiate all of the energy received from
the Sun and have an average temperature of -23o Convection also
C. occurs when you heat
up water, or soup.

● Why is the average temperature

of Earth so much (about 40o C)
higher?
Convection causes both small-scale turbulence and large scale circulation
patterns. It also occurs within Earth, on other planets, and in stars.

The Greenhouse Effect Clicker Question:

A leading cause of Global Warming is:

Main greenhouse
gases are H2O and A: Increased soot (smog) in the atmosphere.
CO2 .
B: Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
If no greenhouse
effect, surface C: The Earth is getting closer to the sun.
would be 40 oC
cooler! D: The luminosity of the sun is steadily increasing.

Demo

Global Warming Basics

Clicker Question: Pollution is the Primary Cause

The Greenhouse effect would not occur if: C + O2 CO2

(Combustion)
A: The Earth had no atmosphere.
Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

B: The amount of carbon dioxide doubled.

C: We got rid of all the forests.
D: The Earth didn’t have an ocean.

Burning carbon-containing fossil fuels

produces carbon dioxide.

2
 Global Warming Basics
Temperature Measurements
CO2: Most Significant Greenhouse Pollutant

 Humans have
1000 Years of CO2 and “Warming of
increased carbon Global Temperature Change the climate
dioxide (CO2) in system is

Global Temperature Change (deg F)

1.8
UNEQUIVOCAL”
the atmosphere by 1.4 380
(IPCC 2007)
CO2
more than 35%
Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

1.1 360 Top 11 warmest

CO2

CO2 Concentration (ppm)

since the 0.7 years on record
Temperature 340
have all. occurred
0.4
Industrial CH4
0 320 in the last 12
Revolution. years.
-0.4 300
(National Oceanic and (IPCC 2007)
Atmospheric Administration -0.7
2006) 280 2006 warmest
-1.1
1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 year on record in
 The most carbon Year Source: ACIA 2004
Jennifer Allen graphic
continental US.
(NOAA 1/07)
dioxide in
650,000 years.
(IPCC 2007)

Global Warming Basics Global Warming Basics

Alaska is Ground Zero Why has Alaska warmed the most?

Surface Air Temperature Trends 1942-2003
The Albedo
In past 50 years,
Effect
Alaska:
Temperatures have  Snow and sea ice
increased reflect 85-90% of sun’s
Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

Increased
• 4oF overall energy. melting of snow
(National Assessment Synthesis and sea ice
Team)  Ocean surface and
dark soil reflect only
Worldwide: Land or water More dark earth
10-20%. and ocean surface
Temperatures have warms faster
is exposed
increased
(ACIA 2004)
• Slightly more More of sun’s
than 1oF heat energy is
(IPCC 2007) absorbed
“White shirt versus Black
Chapman and Walsh, 2004 Chapman and Walsh, 2004 shirt”

Impacts in Alaska Impacts in Alaska

1. Melting 1. Melting
Melting Sea Ice Melting Sea Ice
An area twice the Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2040
(U.S National Center for Atmospheric Research 2006).
size of Texas has
melted away since
“Our research indicates that society can still
1979 (over 20% minimize the impacts on Arctic ice.”
decrease). (National Snow
Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams
Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

Dr. Marika Holland, National Center for Atmospheric Research

and Ice Data Center 2005)

Ice 40% thinner.

Source ACIA, 2004
(Rothrock,D.A, et al. 1999)
Jennifer Allen Animation

Ice only 6 – 9 feet

Arctic Sea Ice Extent (millions of sq. km.)

9-
ARCTIC SEA ICE AREA
1979-2005
thick at North Pole
8-
(NOAA FAQ 2007).
7-
Northwest passage
6-
Source: NSIDC, 2005
opened Aug 21, 2007
| | | | |
1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2005 2000 2040

3
 Impact World-wide Impacts in Alaska
1. Melting 1. Melting
Impact on Ski Industry Glacial Retreat
McCall Glacier
• In the US skiing is a $5B industry Glacier Bay (Riggs Glacier)
 The rapid retreat of
• 2006 saw a 78% decline in skiers visiting the pacific northwest US
Alaska’s glaciers
• Ski Seasons have shortened by 1 day/year for the last 20 years
represents about 50% of
• Many European ski resorts below 1800 m (6000 ft) will close
the estimated mass loss by
• 50 to 90% of Alpine glaciers will be gone by 2100
glaciers through 2004

Austin Post photo

• Some resort to snowmaking
Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

worldwide. (ACIA 2004)

• Expensive 1941
1958
• Requires lots of water
 Loss of over 588 billion
• Requires lots of energy USGS photo
cubic yards between ’61
• In New Mexico, many ski areas
and ’98. (Climate Change 11/05)
can t open until after Xmas
 Alaska’s glaciers are
responsible for at least 9%
of the global sea level rise

Matt Nolan photo

in the past century. (ACIA 2004) 2004
2003
Bruce Molnia photo

Impacts in Alaska
3. Animals
Animals at Risk Ocean Acidification
Polar bears Over the last 200 years, about 50% of all CO2 produced on
• Polar bears
Walruses earth has been absorbed by the ocean. (Royal Society 6/05)
• Walruses
Ice seals
• Ice seals
Black guillemots
• Black guillemots
Kittiwakes Remains in the
• Kittiwakes
Salmon
Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

atmosphere
• Salmon
Caribou (greenhouse gas)
• Arctic
Caribougrayling Dissolves in
• Arctic grayling sea water
 Rising temperatures
 Shrinking habitat
CO2 + H20 HCO3- +
 Food harder to get
H+ (ACID) CO2
Water becomes
CO2
 Expanding diseases
more acidic.
 Competition

Inundation Inundation
Inundation from Four Meter Sea Level Rise (or, 1m rise + 3m storm surge)
Weiss and Overpeck, 2006

 Sea level has increased 3.1

mm/year between 1993 and
2003 (IPCC 2007).

 This is 10-20 times faster

than during the last 3,000
years (ACIA 2004).

 0.4-0.6 meters of sea level

rise by 2100 if 3 times pre-
industrial CO2 or 1%
increase/year
(Overpeck et al. 2006).

4
 What We Can Do
Is it Achievable?
What We Can Do

R E D U C E CO 2
Carbon Emissions
EM I SS I O N S (Billions of tons per year)
At least
TRIPLING
CO2

Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

1. Is it Achievable? 14 th
Pa
2. Action Is Essential nt
rre STABILIZATION
at Every Level Cu TRIANGLE
• Individual
• Corporate 7 Avoid

Photo courtesy of 7summits.com

Flat Path
• Local doubling
• State CO2
• Federal
• International 1.9

3. Critical Steps 1954 2004 2054

Pacala and Socolow, Science 2004

What We Can Do

Wind Power Measuring Your Carbon Footprint

Major Carbon Contributors:

 Electric Consumption
Global Warming: The Greatest Threat © 2006 Deborah L. Williams

 Gas/Heating Oil Consumption

 Car and Miles Driven
 Miles Flown
 Recreational Vehicle Use

Average Footprint is 30,000 pounds

What We Can Do
Making a Difference as an Individual Conservation: Three Examples
Conservation Measures:
Unplug Appliances
 Walk, bike, ride public transit,
or carpool  Vampires!
 Make sure your tires are fully  43 billion kWH lost/year in
inflated and your car tuned up US
 Lower your water heater and  Est: 1,000 lbs/year/person
home thermostats
 Don't preheat your oven
 Only run your dishwasher with
full loads Pump Up Tires
 Reduce your shower length and  4 million gallon of gas
temperature wasted daily in US
 Buy locally produced food  Extends life of tires by 25%
 Unplug appliances not in use
 Turn off lights when leaving a room  Est: 1,000 lbs/year/person
 Use recycled paper
 Reuse or recycle as much as you can
 Cut down on consumerism Lower Thermostat
 2 degrees
 Est: 2000 lbs/year/person

5
Energy Efficiency: Two Examples Resistance to Change
Often people hold on to beliefs simply because they were
raised with them, even when all the evidence is to the
contrary. Consider:
Compact Fluorescents
1) There will always be plenty of fuel to burn.
 Four to six times more
2) The Earth’s climate will regulate itself.
efficient
 Est: for each bulb
converted, save about
100 lbs/year

Bus/Walk/Bike
 Save money on fuel and
maintenance
 Est: 5,000 lbs/year

Dire Predictions Geo-Engineering

“To continue business as usual will probably kill most of us What steps can we take to reduce CO2 levels?
during the century” - James Lovelock (Oxford Univ)
“The 21st century is the first in the Earth's history where
one species has our planet's future in its hands and
could jeopardise life's immense potential” - Sir
Martin Rees (Astronomer Royal, Cambridge)

“People tend to focus on the here and now. The problem

is that, once global warming is something that most
people can feel in the course of their daily lives, it
will be too late to prevent much larger, potentially
catastrophic changes” - Elizabeth Kolbert (Journalist)

Geo-Engineering Geo-Engineering
What steps can we take to reduce CO2 levels and/or Global
Warming?

• Tree Planting
• Promote Algal blooms
• fertilize the oceans with iron
• place vertical pipes to promote mixing of ocean layers
• Carbon Sequestration
• Underground
• Deep ocean
•Reduce the population

Do No Harm
Increase clouds => increase reflectivity

6
Clicker Question: Clicker Question:

Sunlight absorbed by the Earth’s surface is What steps are you willing to take to reduce
reemitted in the form of? your carbon dioxide footprint?
A: radio waves A: Walk/bike/bus to work
B: infrared radiation B: Unplug appliances when not in use
C: visible radiation C: Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescents
D: ultraviolet radiation D: Wash clothes in cold or warm water
E: X-ray radiation E: Buy a Prius