Physics of Climate Change...Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 2 Some good reading • Physics...
Transcript of Physics of Climate Change...Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 2 Some good reading • Physics...
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 1
Physics of Climate Change
Scott Willenbrock
Department of Physics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Saturday Physics for Everyone
October 1, 2011
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 2
Some good reading• Physics for Future Presidents (R. Muller)
• Beyond Smoke and Mirrors (B. Richter)
• Sustainable Energy (D. MacKay) - online
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 3
Phys 150 Physics of Societal Issues
• Next offered Spring 2012
• Satisfies Physics Sciences requirement and
Quantitative Reasoning II requirement
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 4
QuestionHow does your body get rid of heat?
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 5
QuestionHow does your body get rid of heat?
• Conduction
• Convection
• Evaporation
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 6
QuestionHow does the Earth get rid of heat?
• Conduction?
• Convection?
• Evaporation?
Heated ball
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 7
QuestionHow does the Earth get rid of heat?
• Conduction? No
• Convection? No
• Evaporation? No
• Radiation!
Your body also uses radiation to get rid of heat!
Light bulb
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 8
Infrared RadiationThe Earth (and your body) emit Infrared Radiation.
Prism
Infrared
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 9
Infrared RadiationThe Earth (and your body) emit Infrared Radiation.
Prism
Infrared
Infrared Thermography
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 10
Sun and EarthThe Sun and Earth are just like the torch and metal ball. Infrared radiation
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 11
Sun and EarthThe Sun and Earth are just like the torch and metal ball. Infrared radiation
T = 26 0F ???
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 12
Earth’s atmosphereThe atmosphere acts like a blanket.
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 13
Earth’s atmosphereThe atmosphere acts like a blanket.
T = 57 0F
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 14
Earth’s atmosphereThe atmosphere acts like a leaky blanket.
T = 57 0F
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 15
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)Earth’s atmosphere is
• 80% Nitrogen
• 20% Oxygen
• <1% Water vapor
• 0.039% Carbon Dioxide
That tiny amount of CO2 is extremely important!
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 16
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)Earth’s atmosphere is
• 80% Nitrogen
• 20% Oxygen
• <1% Water vapor
• 0.039% Carbon Dioxide
That tiny amount of CO2 is extremely important!But adding more is very risky! It makes the
blanket less leaky.
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 17
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 18
QuestionWhich of these are evidence for human-caused global warming?
A. Rising surface temperature
B. Rising sea level
C. Melting snow and ice
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 19
QuestionWhich of these are evidence for human-caused global warming?
A. Rising surface temperature
B. Rising sea level
C. Melting snow and ice
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
They are all true, but that does not imply that they are caused by humans
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 20
IPCC 2007
Water expansion
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 21
Muir Glacier, August 1941
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 22
Muir Glacier, August 2004
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 23
North Pole
Floating ice
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 24
Temperature: 12,000 years
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 25
Temperature: 400,000 years
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 26
• Good feedback:
More CO2 -> More water vapor -> More clouds
Temperature: 400,000 years
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 27
• Good feedback:
More CO2 -> More water vapor -> More clouds
• Bad feedback:
More CO2 -> More melting -> More methane
Temperature: 400,000 years
Methane is much worse than CO2
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 28
• Without atmosphere: 90 0F
Venus
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 29
• Without atmosphere: 90 0F
• With atmosphere: 800 0F
Venus
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 30
Computer models
Predicting the futureIPCC 2007
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 31
What can we do?
A lot!
• Energy efficiency
• End deforestation
• Wind and Solar power
• Carbon Dioxide capture and storage
• Biofuels
• Nuclear power
• Geoengineering
• …
Light bulbs
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 32
Conclusion
There is no conclusion
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 33
Willenbrock - Physics of Climate Change 34