El niño / La niña

Weather vs. Climate

Volcanic eruptions: release tiny ash particles into atmosphere which can block solar radiation and cool the planet

Eruptions & Cimate

Sunspots: cooler areas of sun cooler planet

Earth rotation: precession, nutation, eccentricity can change climate either way

Carbon dioxide(CO2) – from fossil fuel and plant burning (50-120 years in atmosphere)

Methane: from landfills, fossil fuel production, cow farts (12-18 yrs in atmos) 23 times the warming potential of CO2Methane Capture

Water Vapor: from evaporation (inc. with temp inc)Leads to increasing cloud cover and storms

Greenhouse Gases

Photosynthesis vs. Respiration

Deforestation-releasing carbon that was stored in trees and preventing future storage of CO2

Plankton: main photosynthesis organisms

Ocean Acidification: caused by increasing CO2 amounts in oceans (Carbonic Acid)Destroying coral reefs (home to most fish)

Carbon Cycle

Albedo: ability of a surface to reflect lightSnow/ice is better than water/dirt (less snowmore

heat)

Heat Island: area of increased heat absorption by surfaces(associated with urban areas-asphalt & buildings)

Green Roof: covered in vegetation instead of dark surfaceCovered by solar panels??

Chicago city hall

Anthropogenic: human-centeredHuman impacts on climate change?

Mitigate: to make less severeways humans can lessen impacts on

climate?

Thermal expansion: when water heats up it increases in volume

Sea level rise: thermal expansion and melting ice caps lead to higher sea levelsDoes the melting polar ice raise sea levels?

Coal: mined from ground (US supplies)Oil/petroleum: drilled from underground

(OPEC)Natural Gas: Fracked from underground (US)

Acid rain: burning of fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide particles which lead to acid rain

Fossil Fuels

Solar: photovoltaic panels convert sunlight directly to electricity (StrataSolar)

Wind:Biofuel:Hydroelectric:Hydrogen fuel:Nuclear: uses Fission (split Uranium into

smaller atoms releasing energy)

Tidal/wave power:Geothermal:

Alternative Energy

Turbine: large fan spun by steam heated by energy source or spun by falling water in Hydro dam

Generator: device spun by turbine that utilizes electromagnetism to generate electrical energy from mechanical energyGenerator

Power Plant design