Composite EPs and some associated supporting ideas from Day 1

2A

Essential Principle #1 The atmosphere is a variable, dynamic, and complex system. –The atmosphere is mixture of gases with measurable properties. –Layers –Chemical composition

Essential Principle #2 The atmosphere is one of many earth systems and interacts with these other systems. –Ocean –Geological –climate

Essential Principle #3 The atmosphere is one of many earth systems and interacts with these other systems. –Ocean –Geological –climate

Essential Principle #4 Living things, including humans, affect the atmosphere.

Essential Principle #5 The cycling of water through the atmosphere has profound effects on it –precipitation

Essential Principle #6 The cycling of energy through the atmosphere has profound effects on it.

Essential Principle #7 Changes in the atmosphere take place on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. –The atmosphere is made of many components that change over temporal and spatial scales.

Essential Principle #7 Changes in the atmosphere take place on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. –The atmosphere is made of many components that change over temporal and spatial scales.

Essential Principle #8 1.The atmosphere can be studied and understood

2B

Essential Principle #1 Earth is surrounded by a thin fragile atmosphere that sustains life –Layers

Essential Principle #2 The Sun and Earth’s rotation drive the atmospheric circulation

Essential Principle #3 The atmosphere and life are interconnected.

Essential Principle #4 Weather and climate vary in time and space –Scales of variability –Evolution of the atmosphere is linked to other subsystems –Climate is the product of the interaction of a number of different

Essential Principle #5 The atmosphere is part of the earth system

2C

Initial Comments Scope? Decided to focus on “Atmospheric Science Literacy” Concerns that Earth system science concept is getting diluted by separating Oceans/Atmosphere/Climate Paralleling Ocean Literacy; could almost use first six of those Essential Principles, substituting “atmosphere” for “ocean”

Essential Principle #1 The atmosphere is a thin gaseous envelope that surrounds the earth

Essential Principle #2 Energy from the sun drives the atmosphere

Essential Principle #3 The atmosphere is an agent of transport

Essential Principle #4 The atmosphere [brings] weather and climate

Essential Principle #5 The atmosphere coevolved with life

Essential Principle #6 Atmosphere and humans are inextricably interconnected

Concluding Remarks We spent quite a bit of time trying to decide what was an “Essential Principle” and what was a “Fundamental Concept” Evolution of life and the hydrologic cycle need to be up front and center, but not sure if they are subsets of some of our Essential Principles

2D

Essential Principle #1 The atmosphere is part of the Earth system.

Essential Principle #2 An atmosphere is a primarily gaseous envelope that surrounds planets.

Essential Principle #3 The atmosphere changes through time and space.

Essential Principle #4 All organisms are interconnected with the atmosphere.

Essential Principle #5 How do we study the atmosphere? (to be word-smithed later)

Essential Principle #6 Atmospheric processes vary over many scales.

Essential Principle #7 Solar energy drives atmospheric processes.

2E

Essential Principle #1 Complexity –Complexity of Earth’s system is a challenge –Inadequate measurements and chaos contribute to uncertainty –Earth system is nonlinear

Essential Principle #2 Linkages (Earth-System) –All life is linked to atmosphere/ocean/land/space/cryo….

Essential Principle #3 Energy/Matter/Cycles –Uneven heating of the Earth drives weather and climate –Water cycle –Energy transfers between systems

Essential Principle #4 Human Impact –Atmosphere is being altered by human activity –Human activities are being affected by the atmosphere –Humans’ use of natural resources –Humans are able to live because of atmosphere –Economic impact

Essential Principle #5 Change Happens –Rate of Change –Human activity accelerates chage –Constantly changing –Atmospheric changes affect living and non- living components –Atmosphere is dynamic

Essential Principle #6 Nature of Atmosphere –Earth has only one atmosphere –Air is real and has mass –Atmosphere has structure and characteristics

Essential Principle #7 Nature of Science –How do we know what we know –Scientific process –Critical thinking –Earth systems science is interdisciplinary –Laws of Math and Science explain Earth systems –Our understanding and knowledge of Earth systems evolves –Weather and climate are quantified and predicted based on data and models

Essential Principle #8 Weather –Affects us daily –Links us to the Earth atmosphere system

Essential Principle #9 Climate –Regional vs global –Differentiating climate from weather Time scale

Concluding Remarks We are still confused about whether we are developing a high framework or a document like Ocean Literacy. Are we expressing Climate Change clearly enough? How much emphasis should weather have?

2F

Initial Comments – People & Process Facilitator is Carol Knight of NOAA. OPL: Cherilynn Morrow Dilling (U. Colo. Center for Sci & Tech Policy) Tuddenham (College of Exploration), Pandya (UCAR - SOARS - minority ugrad research), Ledley (TERC, research-education interface), McCaffrey (U. Colo. CIRES), Geary (Director of GLOBE), Meeson (NASA - Ocean science education)Pitman (K-12 educator, evaluator, Miami), Henson (UCAR Office of Communication), LaDue (NSF). The Essential Principles of the Climate Literacy Draft and those published for Ocean Literacy were written on the walls. We built on and referred to these in our introductory discussion. Opening discussions have centered on the ideas of a. the Sun as an essential source of energy, b. the interconnectivity of all the spheres, and c. the interplay with humans and their impacts. We're focusing on science content but it is felt that the content we choose should be considered in light of how it can be related to society and what people might do as result of being literate about the atmosphere and climate. We brainstormed ideas for Essential Principles (EP's) that will be revisited, filtered, and prioritized later on. They numbered 26. We then binned those 26 into 9 themes that seemed to capture our ideas.

Essential Principle #1 The atmosphere is a single, integrated system… everyone interacts with it… We all live in an ocean of air: 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 20

Essential Principle #2 The atmosphere is a fluid that transports heat and matter: water, particles… 10, 11, 18, 21

Essential Principle #3 The atmosphere is unique and makes Earth habitable: 4, 5, 6, 12, 17, 26

Essential Principle #4 Humans change the atmosphere, The atmosphere changes over time: 5, 9, 13, 14

Essential Principle #5 The atmosphere is dynamic – it changes at different rates, the composition changes, it varies from location to location, small changes can have transformational effects: 4, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18

Essential Principle #6 Plants use content in the atmosphere to build life: 17

Essential Principle #7 There is exchange between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, oceans, and biosphere, The atmosphere is constantly exchanging energy and matter with other spheres: 5, 10, 11, 17, 18, 21, 25

Essential Principle #8 There is one atmosphere that varies depending on location and at different timescales. Weather and Climate are different but inextricably connected. 14, 15, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25

Essential Principle #9 The Sun is the source of all energy in the atmosphere: 5

Concluding Remarks Our sub-points can help refine the Essential Principles and also inform the discussions about Fundamental Concepts. These sub-points are documented completely on the BLOG. In developing these Essential Principles we used technical terms as a shorthand. This will need additional care and revision. The final articulation of these Essential Principles should use terminology carefully and be sensitive to clarifying common misunderstandings (e.g. the differences between “atmosphere”, “weather”, “climate”)

NASA Goddard

1. Earth is completely enshrouded in an atmosphere Our atmosphere is relatively thin The processes by which our atmosphere formed The reasons our atmosphere remains intact

2. The atmosphere is made up of gases & particles Indicate the concentrations of primary gases Concentrations of particles The atmosphere brokers exchanges of energy b/t Earth & space –Gases help trap heat –Gases block certain solar rays –Particles both reflect and absorb, depending upon their color & composition

3. The atmosphere changes over time and place Atmospheric movements are driven by solar energy Atmospheric movements are driven by Earth’s rotation Atmospheric movements are driven by convection Atmospheric movements are driven by temperature gradients Atmospheric movements are driven by interactions w/ the surface

4. The atmosphere has five different layers The troposphere (e.g., where is it, what’s it made of, why does it matter?) Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere Exosphere

5. The atmosphere is essential for life Protects life forms from the Sun’s harmful rays Keeps our planet warm Distributes water Protects us from space debris, CMEs, etc.

6. Atmosphere interacts w/ all other Earth system “spheres” Interactions with the surface (land & ocean) influence the physical and chemical composition of the atmosphere Life respires and evapotranspires, thus influencing the physical & chemical composition of the atmosphere

7. Humans influence and are influenced by the atmosphere Humans add gases that help trap heat Humans add particulates that can both cool and warm the surface by reflecting or absorbing sunlight Humans are changing the chemistry of the atmosphere, with global consequences (e.g., ozone hole; global warming) Human-released particles modify clouds to sometimes delay, sometimes intensify rainfall Humans change the surface, which affects the warmth and particulates the surface gives to the atmosphere