ENV200H1 Lecture Notes - Global Warming Potential, Aerosol, Fossil Fuel
Document Summary
Greenhouse gases absorbs infrared raditation and it warms the atmogphere. Atmospheric aerosols put stuff out into the atmosphere by. Sulphur haze, volcanic eruptions: causes of the enhance greenhouse effect. Two important factors: amount of gas emitted and properties of the gas. Avg residence time: length of time gas reside in the atmosphere. Global warming potential: how much given mass of greenhouse gas contributes to global warming over a period of time compared to the same mass of carbon dioxide. Therefore understanding and predicting how atmospheric co2 lvls may chance in the future means we need to understand where carbon is stored and how it moves around. Carbon fluxes (out: photosynthesis/respiration, changing the way we use land ex: deforestation and even plant trees, surface ocean flux, flux to the deep ocean, fossil fuel. Natural sinks: only 2 fluxes out of the atmosphere: diffusion into the ocean and uptake by photosynthesis(plant more plant material so photosynthesis happens)
