2. Protons for Breakfast Week 4: Global Warming

3. In the event of an alarm sounding…

4. Global Warming Can we collect your facts please…

5. What do we mean by Climate? What is the Climate? It’s the average weather in a particular area What is the Climate? It’s the average weather Over a period a time (30 years usually) Averages of temperatures and rain occurrence Calculated scientifically Things like that determine what we call the Climate Determine what the climate of a place will be.

6. One problem… Do you have any personal evidence that the global climate is changing?

7. This evening… 1.Why is the Earth the temperature it is?Why is the Earth the temperature it is? 2.The Earth’s AtmosphereThe Earth’s Atmosphere 3.Increasing carbon dioxideIncreasing carbon dioxide 4.Should we be concerned?Should we be concerned? 5.What’s going to happen?What’s going to happen?

8. 1. What determines the surface temperature of the Earth? Energy Balance

9. How hot does an object get when placed in front of a fire?

10. Light from the Sun heats the Earth… The Sun Earth 6400 °C

11. Light from the Sun heats the Earth… Drawn to Scale… The Sun Earth (drawn 100 times too big) (drawn to scale)

12. Light from the Sun heats the Earth… The Earth then radiates heat away… Light from the Sun Earth

13. Energy Balance heat input from the Sun heat lost from the Earth by radiation When there is balance, the Earth’s average temperature will be stable Earth Warms Earth Cools

14. The Energy Balance of the Earth

15. Earth Warms Earth Cools Energy Balance: to scale World Energy Production heat input from the Sun heat lost from the Earth CO2 emissions

16. What determines the surface temperature of the Earth? Some more details…

17. How much light reaches the Earth? Earth At the top of the atmosphere Above the Equator At midday About 1360 W/m 2

18. How much light reaches the Earth? Earth North Pole South Pole Equator 1360 W/m 2 680 Whole Earth Average 340 W/m 2

19. How much light reaches the Earth’s Surface Light reflected from Earth Average Value 100 watts per square metre Light from the Sun Average Value 340 watts per square metre

20. Hold on a moment! What about all the heat rising up from the Earth’s hot centre?

21. Earth 6400 km radius 5500 °C Heat flow is less than 0.1 Watt per square metre Temperature increases by ~20 °C for each kilometre below the Earth’s surface Heat flow to and from surface from the Sun 240 Watt per Square metre

22. A remarkable fact… Heat flow from the centre of the Earth can be completely ignored when considering what determines the surface temperature of the Earth!

23. What determines the surface temperature of the Earth? Infra Red Radiation cools the Earth… Light from the Sun heats the Earth…

24. Radiation Balance Light from the Sun heats the Earth… Average Value 240 watts per square metre Average Value 240 watts per square metre

25. Radiation Balance How hot must the Earth be to radiate 240 W/m 2 ? Average Value 240 watts per square metre -18 °C

26. A Question What is the average temperature of the Earth? 1 metre above the surface and averaged over: day and night, all latitudes and longitudes. all seasons (a) – 15 ° C (b) – 5 ° C (c) + 5 ° C (d) + 15 °C

27. Summary -18 °C Average Surface Temperature 33 °C Temperature for radiation balance +15 °C Greenhouse Effect

28. The Earth’s surface is 33 °C warmer than it would be if had no atmosphere

29. Earth’s Atmosphere & the Greenhouse Effect 2. The Atmosphere

30. The composition of the atmosphere? Gas% Nitrogen (N 2 )78.1 Oxygen (O 2 )20.1 Argon (Ar)0.93 Water (H 2 O)0.1 to 1 Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 )0.035

31. Illustration of atmospheric composition About 100 molecules O2O2 Ar N2N2

32. Illustration of atmospheric composition About 1200 molecules Water(H 2 O)

33. Illustration of atmospheric composition About 10000 molecules Carbon dioxide (CO 2 )

34. Nitrogen (N 2 ), Oxygen (O 2 ) & Argon (Ar) Suppose the atmosphere contained no carbon dioxide or water N 2, O 2 and Ar is more than 99% of the atmosphere Molecules have one or two atoms Natural frequency of vibration in the ultra-violet Make atmosphere opaque to ultra-violet light Transparent to infra-red and visible radiation

35. Nitrogen (N 2 ), Oxygen (O 2 ) & Argon (Ar) With an atmosphere of only Nitrogen Oxygen & Argon, what would be the surface temperature? Average Value 240 watts per square metre Average Value 240 watts per square metre -18 °C

36. Greenhouse warming is caused by Water (H 2 O) Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 )

37. What is special about H 2 O and CO 2 Molecules have three atoms Natural frequencies of vibration in the infra-red They make the atmosphere opaque to certain infra- red frequencies

38. Vibrations of CO 2 and H 2 0 Absorbtion frequencies determined by exact frequencies of molecular jiggling

39. Absorption demo Frequency

40. The Transparency of the Atmosphere

41. Warning! Complicated diagram !

42. Infra RedUltra VioletVisible Absorption bands SUN 6400 °C (left-hand scale)

43. Infra Red Radiation cools the Earth…

44. Radiation Balance at +15 °C… On Average 240 W/m 2 On Average 390 W/m 2 150 W/m 2 sent back to Earth Average Value 240 W/m2

45. Greenhouse Warming 33 °C Others <1 °C CO 2 2 °C H 2 O 31 °C If H 2 O is a more important greenhouse gas than CO 2, why aren’t we worried about water vapour emissions? A Song

46. Residence time Because excess H 2 O in the atmosphere causes rain within a few days Excess CO 2 in the atmosphere takes a few hundred years to remove Photo Credit http://www.cepolina.com If H 2 O is a more important greenhouse gas than CO 2, why aren’t we worried about water vapour emissions?

47. How the parts fit together Atmospheric Water Global Temperature Greenhouse Effect Evaporation Small slowly changing contribution to Greenhouse Effect Clouds Carbon Dioxide

48. Experiment Does water block infrared light?

49. Greenhouse Effect Earth’s surface is warmed by the Greenhouse Effect Caused by: Water (mainly) and carbon dioxide Turns the Earth from a ‘snowball’ with a hot Equator into the relatively temperate place So what’s the problem?

50. 3. The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is increasing…

51. Atmospheric CO 2 Concentration versus year Historical Value 280 ppm Current value ~390 ppm parts per million Click for latest value

52. Carbon dioxide Why is the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is increasing? We are digging up carbon as: Coal & Oil & Gas We are burning them! C+ O 2 →CO 2

53. Michael’s family CO 2 emissions 0.2 kg per mile 4000 miles per year 800 kg CO 2 /year 0.3 kg per mile per person 1000 miles per year 600 kg CO 2 /year 0.5 kg per kWh 7300 kWh per year 3650 kg CO 2 /year Holiday in California! 56000 person miles! 16,000 kg CO 2 /year 0.2 kg per kWh 17000 kWh per year 3400 kg CO 2 /year

54. My family’s CO 2 emissions 8500 kg of CO 2 per year at home 16000 kg For our holiday in California! 24.5 tonnes!! There are many families like Michael’s…

55. Carbon? Or Carbon dioxide? CO2O2 1 tonne of CO 2 0.27 tonne of C 0.73 tonne of O 2

56. Global CO 2 Emissions 30 billion tonnes CO 2 8 billion tonnes C EVERY YEAR

57. Question Is 8 billion tonnes of carbon per year (emitted as CO 2 ) a lot or a little?

58. Carbon Cycle (Amounts of carbon in billions of tons) 760 90 8 2,000 39,000 500 1,000 3,000 (Coal) 300 (Oil &Gas) 2 2 760 increasing at 4 per year 60

59. Cause for Concern? What is the effect of increased levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere? Nobody knows

60. The current effect of CO 2 … On Average 240 W/m 2 On Average 390 W/m 2 150 W/m 2 sent back to Earth Average Value 240 W/m2 + 2 W/m 2

61. Should we be concerned?

62. 4. Why are scientists are concerned 1.Pre-historic studies show a strong correlation between atmospheric CO 2 levels and global climate. 2.There are observed changes in climate

63. Cause for Concern? Prehistoric Studies 1 year of snow From approximately 16,250 years ago

64. Bubbles in Arctic and Antarctic Ice 300 ppm Maximum180 ppm Minimum Ice Ages 390 ppm

65. Cause for Concern? Observed Changes in Climate

66. Observed changes Latest estimate of Land Surface Temperature http://berkeleyearth.org But its not just average temperature that matters +2.9 °C per century

67. Glaciers Muir Glacier, Alaska Photo credit: Global Warming Art Glaciers are retreating: worldwide

68. A Question Can we be completely sure that the climate changes we observe are caused by anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide? Man-made and Woman-made 2001: It is likely 2007: It is very likely

69. Climate Models ‘What’s going to happen?” Climate Models ‘add up’ the many factors Nobody knows

70. The best ‘realistic’ possibility… If we make a 50% cut in global emissions: 80% cut in the UK CO 2 concentraions will rise to twice historical levels and stabilise

71. IPCC Predictions… Annual CO 2 Emissions (GT C) Atmospheric CO 2 (ppm) A1F A1T A1F A1T

72. IPCC Predictions… Global Mean Temperature We stop all emissions NOW We BEGIN to stop all emissions EVENTUALLY We BEGIN to stop all emissions NOW We do nothing

73. What could we do? What should we do? In smaller groups Please come up with some questions, and suggestions We will gather these together and then ask the experts You decide!

74. Despair? You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing, there will be no result. Mahatma Ghandi

75. See you next week to discuss… Mobile Phone Safety! Goodnight

76. Unused Slides.

77. Contributions to Climate Forcing Greenhouse gases Carbon Dioxide Methane Chlorofluorocarbons Nitrous Oxide Ozone Aerosols Black Carbon Reflective aerosols Cloud droplet changes Land cover changes Sun Climate Forcing (W/m 2 ) 0+1

78. Feedback Global Temperature More Evaporation Climate Forcing Increased Climate Forcing Increased Water Vapour Increased Cloud Cover Decreased Climate Forcing Negative Positive

79. Powers of Ten (Global Warming) Length scale in metres Very Very Small Very Very Large 10 0 10 3 10 6 10 9 10 12 10 15 10 -3 10 -6 10 18 10 24 10 30 10 36 10 21 10 27 10 33 10 -15 10 -9 10 -18 10 -12 Human Relationships Diameter of the Earth Distance to the Sun Tallest Mountain Deepest Trench Atoms & Molecules Microbes The phenomenon of global warming involves physical processes with length scales spanning 20 powers of 10!

80. The spectrum of sunlight

81. Global CO 2 Emissions ?

82. IPCC Predictions… Climate Research Unit East Anglia University 2008 0.5 metres in 100 years ? 1 metre

83. IPCC Predictions… 1 metre in 100 years http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level_rise

84. UK CO 2 Emissions

85. Daily Rotation Northern Hemisphere Summer Northern Hemisphere Spring Equinox Northern Hemisphere Winter Northern Hemisphere Autumn Equinox Angle varies from 22.5º to 24.5º And back again every 40,000 years 23.5º tilt Earth Spins 365.25 times on its journey around the Sun

86. Carbon dioxide The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is increasing… Historically280 ppm 1950310 ppm 2000365 ppm 2025about 425 ppm 2050450-550 ppm

87. Cause for Concern? Climate models

88. Climate Models What is a computer model of the climate? © Australian Bureau of Meteorology

89. Climate Models What is the output of a climate model?

90. Atmospheric CO 2 Concentration versus year (Detail 2) Click Graph to link to NOAA Web Site for Latest Data

91. The Earth Orbits the Sun Daily Rotation Northern Hemisphere Summer Northern Hemisphere Winter Angle varies from 22.5º to 24.5º And back again every 40,000 years 23.5º tilt Earth Spins 365.25 times on its journey around the Sun

92. Most Southerly Advance Mid Winter Seasonal Changes in Ice Cover

93. Most Southerly Advance Mid Winter Most Northerly Retreat Mid Summer If summer day length increases by a minute or two or days are warmer on average by a small amount This area used to reflect 90% of sunlight Now it reflects only around 30% Warmer ground emits trapped CO 2 and Methane

94. Is 380 Parts per million a lot or a little? Camera Light 380 ppm ‘blue’

95. Pre-Historic studies Bubbles in Arctic and Antarctic Ice Range of variation in last 800,000 years Current value 390 ppm

96. An additional 2 watts per square metre of ‘radiative forcing’ Scientific American March 2004

97. Observed Changes Average surface temperature is difficult to measure

98. Observed changes It is difficult to detect small changes in a long series of data?

99. Infra RedUltra VioletVisible Water Absorption bands SUN 6400 °C (left-hand scale) HEATER 1000 °C