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Topic 6: Atmosphere and climate change

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  1. 6.1 Introduction to the atmosphere

    1. • Between Earth and space • Outer limit of biosphere • Composition and processes support life

    2. • Differential heating creates tricellular model • Redistributes heat from equator to poles

    3. • Absorb and re-emit infrared radiation • GHGs: water vapour, CO₂, methane, nitrous oxides • Aerosols: black carbon

    4. • Keeps Earth warmer than otherwise • Natural process enabling life • Enhanced greenhouse effect: human GHG accumulation → global warming • Climate change: broader range of resulting changes

  2. 6.2 Climate change—causes and impacts

    1. 6.2.1Climate definition

      • Typical atmospheric conditions • Seasonal temperature and precipitation variations

    2. 6.2.2Anthropogenic CO₂ emissions

      • Atmospheric CO₂ concentration rising significantly • Accelerated since 1950 • Traced to Industrial Revolution (late 18th century)

    3. 6.2.3Ice core, tree ring, sediment data

      • Positive correlation: atmospheric CO₂ and global temperatures • Data for past 800,000 years

    4. 6.2.4Enhanced greenhouse effect

      • Anthropogenic GHG emissions • Led to global warming and climate change

    5. 6.2.5Climate change impacts on ecosystems

      • Local to global scales • Affects resilience, leads to biome shifts • Examples: coral bleaching, desertification, ocean circulation changes

    6. 6.2.6Climate change impacts on societies

      • Various scales and socio-economic conditions • Impacts resilience • Health, water supply, agriculture, infrastructure

    7. 6.2.7Climate change models

      • Systems diagrams with feedback loops • Solar radiation variations, albedo changes, methane release

    8. 6.2.8Climate change planetary boundary

      • Evidence suggests already passed

    9. 6.2.9Perspectives on climate change

      • Influenced by many factors • Individual and societal levels

  3. 6.3 Climate change—mitigation and adaptation

    1. • Avoid catastrophic climate change • International cooperation needed

    2. • Reduce/end CO₂-emitting energy sources • Replace with renewable energy • Carbon neutrality goals

    3. • Reduce global warming: household changes, geoengineering • Reduce GHG production: energy efficiency, renewables, food changes, carbon tax • Remove CO₂: carbon sinks, rewilding, afforestation, carbon capture

    4. • Structural: flood defences, desalination, movable infrastructure • Non-structural: agricultural adaptation, vaccination, land zoning, building codes

    5. • National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) • Individual to society scale

  4. 6.4 Stratospheric ozone

    1. • Low frequency radio to high frequency gamma • Infrared, visible light, ultraviolet (UV)

    2. • Shorter wavelengths, higher frequencies, more energy • UVA, UVB, UVC damage organisms

    3. • Absorbs UV radiation from Sun • Protects living organisms from harmful effects

    4. • Reduces photosynthesis in phytoplankton • DNA damage: mutations, cancer • Humans: sunburn, premature ageing, cataracts

    5. • Steady state between formation and destruction

    6. • Destroy ozone molecules • Augment natural breakdown • Not a cause of global warming

    7. • More UVB reaches Earth's surface • Polar "ozone holes" in spring

    8. • International treaty regulating CFCs and ODSs • Most successful international environmental cooperation

    9. • Prevented planetary boundary crossing