1. Global Warming
An iceberg melts in Kulusuk, Greenland, near the Arctic Circle.

2. •Global warming is a rise in
global temperatures that
could result from the
increased absorption
of radiation due to higher
levels of
greenhouse gases.

3. •50% of all radiation that reaches the Earth is
absorbed. The remaining 50% is reflected back
out to space.

4. •The greenhouse effect is
the natural heating of
Earth’s surface caused by
the retention of heat by
certain atmospheric gases
called greenhouse gases.
•Scientists theorize that any
increase in the amount of
greenhouse gases, particular
carbon dioxide (CO2), would
result in the increased
absorption
of radiation.

5. 1. Greenhouse
Effect is
responsible for
the Earth’s
warm and
livable climate.

6. 2. Greenhouse
gases include:
a.Water vapor
b.Methane
c.Carbon
dioxide
d.Ozone
e.Nitrous oxide

7. 3. The sun
sends
radiation.

8. 4. Some of
The Atmosphere reflects
the energy.
the sun’sheat is
reflected by
the
atmosphere.
4. Atmosphere:

9. 5) On Earth:
Energy that passes
through, are
absorbed by the
ground, water, gases,
and plants.
•A portion of the solar
radiation that reaches
the Earth’s surface
such as ice, snow, and
ocean are reflected.

10. 6. Radiation
trigger the
greenhouse
Radiation trigger the
gases togases to
move.
greenhouse
move.aAs a result,the
As result, the
atmosphere is heated.
atmosphere is
heated.

11. Consequences of Global Warming:
•
Unless we act now, your children will inherit a hotter world, dirtier
air and water, more severe floods and droughts, and more wildfires.
I.
CLIMATE
PATTERN
CHANGES
ecosystem shifts and species die-off
a. warmer
temperatures
b. drought and
wildfire
c. more intense
rainstorms
Greater evaporation as a result of global warming
could increase the risk of wildfires.

12. II. HEALTH
EFFECTS
a. deadly heat
waves and the
spread of
disease
Greater evaporation as a result of global
warming
could increase the risk of wildfires.
More frequent and more intensive heat waves could
result in more heat-related deaths. Photo: Gary Braasch,
Chicago, July 1995. See the
World View of Global Warming website for more Gary
Braasch photos illustrating the consequences of the
changing climate.

13. III.
WARMING WATER
a. more powerful hurricanes
b. melting glaciers
c. sea-level rise
The satellite photo at far left shows the Larson B ice shelf on Jan. 31, 2002. Ice appears as solid
white. Moving to the right, in photos taken Feb. 17 and Feb. 23, the ice begins to disintegrate. In the
photos at far right, taken Mar. 5 and Mar 7, note water (blue) where solid ice had been, and that a
portion of the shelf is drifting away. Photos: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

15. Ancient ice shelf breaks free
A giant ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields has snapped free from Canada's
Arctic, scientists said. The mass of ice broke clear 16 months ago from the coast
of Ellesmere Island.

17. •Credit
•Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
The Arctic’s largest ice shelf is breaking up. The Ward
Hunt Ice Shelf is a remnant of the compacted snow and
ancient sea ice that extended along the northern shores
of Ellesmere Island in Northern Canada until the early

18. IV. ECOSYSTEM
DISRUPTION
a. ecosystem shifts and
species die-off.
Warmer temperatures may cause some
ecosystems, including alpine meadows
in the Rocky Mountains, to disappear.
For more Environmental Facts:
Natural Resources Defense Council

19. This file photo provided by
Mary Sage shows a polar
bear watching a whaling
crew off shore near Barrow,
Alaska, Monday, May 22,
2006. Polar bears are in
deep trouble because of
global warming and other
factors and deserve federal
protection under the
Endangered Species Act,
the Bush administration is
proposing Wednesday, Dec.
27, 2006. (AP
Photo/Courtesy of Mary
Sage, Joseph Napaaqtuq
Sage)

23. Polar Bears are dying at alarming rates due to Global Warming.

24. Blue Man Group – Earth to America (Global Warming) 1:49 min

25. How Do Ice Cores of Glaciers Tell Us about Past Climates?
•Research scientists collect and study glacial ice cores.
•Data from these ice cores provide one of the most
complete records of past climate conditions. Of greatest
interest are the deep cores obtained by drilling programs in
Summit, Greenland and Vostok, Antarctica.
•The Vostok ice core provides the longest continuous
record of Antarctic climatic history.
•Analysis of the core has been completed to a depth of
3350 meters, representing approximately 440,000
years of climate history.

26. Vostok ice core drilling site, Antarctica

27. Ice cores
reveal the
story of Earth's
climate in
reverse order.
The uppermost
layers of the
core tell the
most recent
history, with
increasingly
deeper layers
providing a
record of
progressively
older periods
(Law of
Superposition).

28. Scientists can determine the amount of carbon dioxide
that was in the air during different time periods by
analyzing gas bubbles trapped in ice cores. Carbon
dioxide is a greenhouse gas that plays a major role in the
atmosphere’s energy balance.

30. Scientists can reconstruct a record of temperatures that
occurred in the past by analyzing the ratio of oxygen isotopes
trapped within air bubbles in the ice (O16 & O18).
The graph below shows how the temperature has changed over
the past 165,000 years. The graph shows temperature
anomalies—variations in the temperature above or below
Vostok’s present day average temperature of -56ºC.
High
LOW

31. Temperature and carbon dioxide data are plotted together
on this graph. This makes it easier to compare the two
variables and how they may be related.

32. Recent Changes in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Scientists have been precisely measuring the amount of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1958. The results
of these studies are plotted on the graph below. The
yearly average CO2 level is represented by the smooth
black line, and seasonal changes appear as small peaks
and dips.

33. Ice core research projects are working to extend the record of
global climate further back in time and over more of Earth’s
surface.

34. To learn about their most recent discoveries, visit the links
provided:
Explore these links for more information about ice core
projects and climate research:
Graph of Vostok ice core data extending back for 400,000 years
Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2
North Greenland Ice Core Project
Taylor Dome Ice Core Project
European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA)
World Data Center for Paleoclimatology
Collection of photographs about polar ice core research
National Ice Core Laboratory