MSCI 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Chlorofluorocarbon, Ocean Acidification, Nuclear Power
Document Summary
What is the physics behind the warming: solar radiation is being absorbed rather than reflected back into the atmosphere, black absorbs and white reflects. Increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which traps the solar radiation on earth as well: black body. Idealized object that absorbs all radiation that falls on it. No transmission or reflection, just absorption and emission. Emits energy according to temperature: black body emission. Hot objects emit more than cold objects at every wavelength. Higher temps = shorter peak wavelengths: abundant atmospheric gases. C02, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water: unnatural. C02 pools: fossil fuels = -1000, terrestrial biosphere: +45, ocean: +45, atmosphere: +45, negative carbon comes from fossil fuels and only fossil fuels. What is consumed when you burn fossil fuel: consumes more oxygen that is reflected in the atmosphere. What"s causing the higher amount of c02: carbon in atmosphere is getting older, oxygen concentration in atmosphere is going down due to combustion.
