20: Earth-System Change
- Page ID
- 29193
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Explain why it is useful to think of Earth as a system.
- Describe the effect of feedbacks on the climate system.
- Explain the difference between weather and climate.
- Describe the climate-forcing mechanisms related to insolation, heat transport over Earth’s surface, and changes in the atmosphere’s energy budget.
- Explain the difference between direct and proxy data about Earth’s climate and give examples of each.
- Describe the role of computer models for understanding the Earth system.
- Summarize the history of human influence on the Earth system.
- Explain how carbon isotopes link rising atmospheric CO2 levels to fossil fuels burned by humans.
- Describe how humans have affected the present-day carbon cycle and why the human contribution is significant.
- Summarize the kinds of observations that show signals of present-day climate change.
- Describe the current and projected state of the Earth system in the Anthropocene Epoch.
- 20.1: What Is the Earth System?
- This page explores the interactions among Earth's spheres—atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere—through an Earth-system approach, illustrated by the climatic impacts of the Drake Passage's opening. It discusses positive and negative feedbacks in the Earth system, clears up misconceptions, and emphasizes the significance of initial conditions in shaping these interactions, advocating for a holistic perspective on Earth.
- 20.2: Causes of Climate Change
- This page provides an overview of climate and its long-term patterns, emphasizing temperature trends, climate-forcing mechanisms, and the significance of climate normals in Canada. It connects climate change to oceanic phenomena, highlighting temperature records from microfossils and the influence of thermohaline circulation on climate.
- 20.3: Methods for Studying Past Climate
- This page distinguishes between weather and climate, defining climate as long-term trends and paleoclimate as historical climates. It describes direct and proxy data sources for past climates, highlighting challenges in interpretation. Various proxy data methods, such as analyzing tree rings, ice cores, and fossils, illustrate climate indicators. For instance, coal suggests a subtropical climate, while coral reefs indicate tropical conditions.
- 20.4: Computer Models of the Earth System
- This page covers the evolution and significance of models in scientific studies, particularly relating to Earth systems and climate. It discusses the transition from simple physical models to complex computer simulations that utilize mathematical equations to predict behaviors, such as pollutant movement and historical climate events like the PETM.
- 20.5: Humans in the Earth System
- This page outlines the impact of human activities, especially since the onset of agriculture and the Industrial Revolution, on the Earth system, leading to significant increases in CO2 emissions and discussions about the Anthropocene epoch. It explains the carbon cycle, noting that while natural processes manage carbon flow, human actions contribute significantly to atmospheric levels, exacerbating climate change.
- 20.6: Welcome to the Anthropocene
- This page highlights the profound effects of climate change during the Anthropocene Epoch, focusing on human contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and their role in global warming. It discusses the urgency of reducing emissions to mitigate temperature increases and projected warming scenarios by the IPCC.
- 20.7: Chapter 20 Summary and Key Term Check
- This page explores Earth's interconnected systems, including atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere, and their stability through feedback mechanisms. It distinguishes between weather and climate, detailing climate forcings from human activities. The page addresses methods for studying historical climates using proxy data and highlights the importance of computer models in simulating Earth processes.