EARTHSC 2GG3 Lecture Notes - Sea Level Rise, Permafrost, Kyoto Protocol
5 Sep 2014
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Document Summary
Lecture 21, october 23, 2013: consequences of climate change, oceans: warming and circulation. Increase in atmospheric temperature has been moderated by oceans, which soak up more than. Even with no further manmade emissions, it would take hundreds to thousands of years to cool environment to level of century ago. Large-scale conveyor belt circulation in atlantic ocean involves currents of warm, shallow water moving northward and sinking, cold water moving south (includes gulf stream) Low-density fresh water (from melting glaciers and ice sheets) could stop atlantic circulation: atlantic conveyor belt has shut down in past, causing dramatic regional cooling. Precipitation changes: areas closer to poles, equator will become wetter, warmer midlatitude regions will get drier, more energy in atmosphere more storms. Hurricanes and tornadoes would be more frequent and stronger. Surface of arctic ocean has been frozen as long as anyone can remember: arctic sea ice has decreased by about 8% per decade since 1970s, for total loss of about 20%
