ENV234H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Volcanism, Mount Pinatubo, Reflectance
Document Summary
See diagram (slide 2: summarizes climate system, focus on mountain building and continental drift. We will focus on the ice age 300 million years ago. Scientists use glacial till as evidence of glacial cycles: glacial till was found at the equators. Huge land mass and huge oceans surrounding them. Land mass broke up 200 million years ago. Allows ocean circulation to transport heat to different continents (end of major glaciation) Can see location of continents 50 million years later. Plate tectonic forces modulate global climate: determines position and size of continents. Map shows situation today of mountain ranges. There are 2 major effects on the climate: Effect 2: chemical composition of atmosphere. Effect 2: increase of weathering because of elevation and increased surface area, get consumption of co2 out of atmosphere. Silicate mineral and co2 forms calcium carbonate (which is found in the ocean or in the. Both caco3 and sio2 are found in the ocean.
