BIOL 1070 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Devon Island, Algae, Ectotherm
Document Summary
Rising atmospheric co2 levels from burning fossil fuels and other anthropogenic activity contributes to a warming of the earth. Rising atmospheric co2 levels from burning fossil fuels and other anthropogenic activity therefore contributes to a warming of the earth. The north pole may become up to 8 c warmer by the end of the 21st century unless we slow down greenhouse gas emissions. As arctic snow and ice melt, the darker land and ocean surfaces that are revealed absorb more of the sun"s energy, increasing arctic warming. In the arctic, a greater fraction of the extra energy received at the surface due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases goes directly into warming the atmosphere, whereas in the tropics, a greater fraction goes into evaporation. The depth of the atmospheric layer that has to warm in order to cause warming of near surface air is much shallower in the arctic than in the tropics, resulting in a larger arctic temperature increase.
