GEOG 1112 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: National Climate Assessment, Antarctica, George H. W. Bush

• School: University of Georgia
• Department: Geography
• Course: GEOG 1112
• Professor: John Knox

Document Summary

Climate is a result of interplay of diferent mechanisms. Feedbacks occur when one change leads to some other change - we act to either reinforce or inhibit the original change. A positive feedback mechanism is one that enhances an existing trend enhances an existing trend of a climate change. The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere is a positive feedback mechanism involved in climate change. An increase in air temperature results in higher atmospheric water content the warmer the atmosphere the more water that can be held - increasing warming. Albedo temperature feedback is another positive feedback mechanism. An increased surface area with albedo re ects sunlight and reduces the amount of solar energy absorbed by the surface. A negative feedback mechanism is one that damps out an existing climate change. The in uence of co2 on plant photosynthetic rates: using photosynthesis, the plant absorbs carbon dioxide accelerating the growth of many plant species.