Global WarmingAnnie, Asher, Nathan

● Greenhouse gases: composition is changing

● Increases solar flare activity: sun radiation goes through cycle

● Cyclical changes in the Earth’s orbit: elliptical → circular → elliptical

● Volcanic Activity: Release greenhouse gases

Possible Models

● Enhancement of the greenhouse effect is caused by human activities

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

● Although debatable, the generally accepted view of most scientists is that human activities, mainly related to burning of fossil fuels, have released extra CO2 into the atmosphere

Combustion of Fossil Fuels

● Vostok Ice Core drilling o atmospheric compositiono global temperatures

Global Warming & Greenhouse Gases

● Reduction of ice/snow cover ● Temperature increase ● Deforestation

Mechanisms

● V0=original volume● ΔV=volume change● ΔT=temp. change● B=coefficient of volume

expansion >10^-4 per degrees Celsius

Coefficient of Volume Expansion

What all of that represents:

The coefficient of volume expansion is the fractional change in volume per degree change in temperature.

Coefficient of Volume Expansion

● Natural reasons for rise in sea-level● Enhanced greenhouse effect● Difficult to predict precisely:

o anomalous expansion of watero ice melting on sea versus on land

Rise of mean sea-level

● Outcome of the enhanced greenhouse effect

Climate Change

● Volume Expansion: dV=BV0dT● Heat Capacity: Q=mcdT● Latent Heat: Q=ml

Possible Problems:

● More efficient power production.● Natural gas.● Combined heating/power.● Renewable/nuclear power.● CO2 capture/storage.● Hybrid vehicles.

Climate Change Solutions

http://ibphysicsguide.weebly.com/86-global-warming.html

http://caphysicshl2011.wikispaces.com/8.6.1+Models+of+Warming

Sources