Climate Change

Explore a comprehensive lecture on Earth's climate system and the causes of climate change. Delve into proxy data from ice cores, variations in Earth's orbit, and natural versus human-caused climate change. Examine the scientific consensus on human contributions, the greenhouse effect, Earth's heat budget, and atmospheric greenhouse gases. Analyze ice core data, future global warming scenarios, and observed changes in surface air temperatures. Investigate the impacts on oceans, including Arctic sea ice decline, ocean acidification, and its effects on marine organisms. Learn about global sea level rise as determined by satellite measurements, and gain access to additional resources on Milankovitch cycles, climate cycles, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Chapter 16 Lecture
Earth's Climate System
Determining Causes of Earth's Climate Change
Proxy Data - Ice Cores
Variations in Earth's Orbit
Natural Causes of Climate Change
Natural vs. Human Caused Climate Change • Scientific consensus of large human contribution
Documenting Human-Caused Climate Change
The Greenhouse Effect
Earth's Heat Budget
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Methane and Nitrous Oxide
Greenhouse Gases Past and Future
Ice Core Data
Future scenarios from Global Warming
Other considerations
Thermometer recordings of surface air temperature
Predicted Changes from Global Warming • Earlier, hotter summers
Changes in the Oceans
Arctic sea ice decline
Marine organisms affected by increased ocean acidity
Pteropods dissolved by acidic waters
Dissolved carbon dioxide and ocean pH
Global Sea Level Rise Determined by Satellites