HPU NCS2200 Earth Science for elementary education majors summer 2014 online class climate data lectrue

1. Vostok Ice Core Data
Red=temperature; blue = carbon dioxide

2. Vostok Ice Core Data
55K yrs
~20k yrs ~20k yrs~20k yrs
~20k yrs
~60K
yrs
~75K
yrs
~95K
yrs

3. Max level = 290 ppm
180 ppm

5. National Climate
Data Center (NCDC)
And the Climate
Research Unit (CRU)
Independent analysis
Of temperature
Anomaly show the
Same trend in temp
data over the last
Century.

6. Graphic expands
The data for the
Last 500 years.
Shows that the
Carbon dioxide
Has risen sharply
As have temps
Since the late
1800’s

11. Glacial Retreat
• In Glacier National Park (GNP), MT some effects of
global climate change are strikingly clear. Glacier
recession is underway, and many glaciers have already
disappeared. The retreat of these small alpine glaciers
reflects changes in recent climate as glaciers respond to
altered temperature and precipitation. It has been
estimated that there were approximately 150 glaciers
present in 1850, and most glaciers were still present in
1910 when the park was established. In 2010, we
consider there to be only 25 glaciers larger than 25 acres
remaining in GNP.

14. • Thinning of the
Antarctic Ice
shelf and Arctic
Ice shows the
effects of
warmer
temperatures.

15. Greenland Ice Sheet Changes
http://nsidc.org/greenland-today/

16. Summary
• Global Climate change is due to many
factors
– Has been a natural phenomenon for 100K of
years
– Evidence seems to indicate human actions
are accelerating the natural change.
• Evidence of Climate change
– changes in temperature world wide
– Changes in severe weather patterns
– Changes in rain patterns
– Changes in ice/glacier coverage