GEL 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Greenland Ice Sheet, Permafrost, Ocean Current
Document Summary
If we stop using fossil fuels, the earth"s surface temperature will slowly decrease by 2300, However, if we keep using it, it will increase like crazy, to 2000 ppmv. Climate system could be approaching a threshold, where climate conditions could change faster than before and be amplified, potentially leading to irreversible changes/conditions. There are thresholds for sea ice and continental ice sheet stability, for storminess, for the viability of forests, etc. It takes 1000s to 10s of thousands years to recover. How we alter earth"s climate for generations to come will depend on the scientific discoveries/technology and political decisions made soon. Climate system often recovers to conditions that differ from those prior to the threshold. Increased rainfall overall because warmer air holds more water. But the change in rainfall or drought patterns will vary and is complicated. Rrr: atmospheric high pressure zone centered over the northeastern pacific ocean creates a.
