College of Coastal Georgia Sustainability ENVS 3100
Topic notes: Climate
Climate: the average weather conditions over a period of time at a specific region on Earth
Global climate: the average weather conditions over a period of time for the entire planet
MEASURING CLIMATE CHANGE
1. Surface Air Temperature (SAT’s)
Thermometer invented in 1714 by Daniel Fahrenheit
Instrumental period: current era where we have direct temperature readings
2. Marine Air Temperature (MAT) and Sea-Surface Water Temperature (SST)
Recordings initially taken by ship crew members
Now 3000 buoys measure SST as well as crew members
Buoys can sink up to 6000feet
3. Geothermal gradients
Increase in temperature as depth increases under Earth’s crust due to radioactive
element decay
Before instrumental period, holes were drilled into the crust
4. Proxies
Observable/measurable phenomenon that indirectly shows changes in climate
Not direct measurements of temperature
Eg: tree rings, coral skeletons, ancient glacial sediment
Glacial sediment proxies used for paleoclimate (ancient climate conditions)
CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PAST
1. The greenhouse effect
Any system where the inflow of energy outpaces the outflow, warming the
interior
Greenhouse gas: gas within the atmosphere that redirects heat from Earth’s
surface back towards itself
Sun’s radiation reaches Earth surface -> Earth absorbs some and reflects the rest
back into the atmosphere -> layer of greenhouses gases redirects the reflected
radiation back to Earth -> warming of the Earth’s surface
2. Continental drift
Changed elevation for landform collisions
Equatorial movement changed average temperatures
Continent arrangement changed ocean currents
3. Biosphere composition
Contributes to or uses CO2 (respiration or expiration)
Ancient swamps consumed a lot of CO2 (Paleozoic era cooling)
1
Topic notes: Climate
Climate: the average weather conditions over a period of time at a specific region on Earth
Global climate: the average weather conditions over a period of time for the entire planet
MEASURING CLIMATE CHANGE
1. Surface Air Temperature (SAT’s)
Thermometer invented in 1714 by Daniel Fahrenheit
Instrumental period: current era where we have direct temperature readings
2. Marine Air Temperature (MAT) and Sea-Surface Water Temperature (SST)
Recordings initially taken by ship crew members
Now 3000 buoys measure SST as well as crew members
Buoys can sink up to 6000feet
3. Geothermal gradients
Increase in temperature as depth increases under Earth’s crust due to radioactive
element decay
Before instrumental period, holes were drilled into the crust
4. Proxies
Observable/measurable phenomenon that indirectly shows changes in climate
Not direct measurements of temperature
Eg: tree rings, coral skeletons, ancient glacial sediment
Glacial sediment proxies used for paleoclimate (ancient climate conditions)
CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PAST
1. The greenhouse effect
Any system where the inflow of energy outpaces the outflow, warming the
interior
Greenhouse gas: gas within the atmosphere that redirects heat from Earth’s
surface back towards itself
Sun’s radiation reaches Earth surface -> Earth absorbs some and reflects the rest
back into the atmosphere -> layer of greenhouses gases redirects the reflected
radiation back to Earth -> warming of the Earth’s surface
2. Continental drift
Changed elevation for landform collisions
Equatorial movement changed average temperatures
Continent arrangement changed ocean currents
3. Biosphere composition
Contributes to or uses CO2 (respiration or expiration)
Ancient swamps consumed a lot of CO2 (Paleozoic era cooling)
1
