GEOL 118 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Missoula Floods, Lake Missoula, Channeled Scablands
27 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Geol 118 - lecture 28 - climate change. Climate: long-term atmospheric and surface conditions for area (long-term average of daily weather conditions) During earth"s geologic history, there are intervals of much warmer climate (hothouse, greenhouse), much colder climate (icehouse or ice age) Predict future climate - understand geologic past to help predict future (inverse uniformitarianism) Effect on sea level - if current glaciers melt, water (now on land) would drain into oceans, causing sea level to rise, creating flooding of many coastal cities. During last ice age, alaska and siberia were joined by land. Impact on agricultural productivity, ecosystems, population, migration - if significant global warming, some areas will become much drier (others wetter), causing deserts, possible environmental refugees. If glaciers advance over large areas, huge impact on agricultural productivity and environmental refugees. Impact on severe weather, tropical diseases - if significant global warming, more severe weather. More tropical diseases like sleeping sickness, malaria, and yellow fever.
