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Climate Change Daily Trends |
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Indications That The Earth Is Warming |
1. | | Ten Indicators of a Warming Planet |
| 6. | | Sea Level Deviation - 1870-2010 |
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2. | | Temperature Anomaly Last Ten Thousand Years |
| 7. | | Northern Hemisphere Snow Cover declined from 1966-2009 |
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3. | | Global Temperature and Carbon Dioxide - 1880-2012 |
| 8. | | Total Glacier Ice Decline - 1860-2010 |
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4. | | World Ocean Heat Content 0-700 m - 1955-2010 |
| 9. | | Arctic Sea Ice Volume Is Decreasing Rapidly |
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5. | | Total Heat Content (Oceans, Atmosphere, and Land) - 1960-2008 |
| 10. | | Sea Surface Temperature - 1880-2012 |
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Primary reasons for concern about the Earth's future climate, sea level, and ocean acidification |
1. | | CO2 emissions currently match those of the most extreme IPCC emission scenarios |
| 7. | | The “equilibrium sea level rise” is likely around 10 meters/° C |
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2. | | The Earth is warming dramatically at a steady rate, and most of the extra heat is going into the oceans |
| 8. | | The IPCC is very conservative in is forecasts of sea level rise |
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3. | | Only 2.3% of extra heat is warming the atmosphere, so the recent slowdown in atmospheric temperature increase is just temporary |
| 9. | | Flooding at high tide will likely make some coastal cities unusable in the near future |
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4. | | El Nino/La Nina significantly affect atmospheric temperatures, and looking at atmospheric temperature by "event type" shows a steady a steady .16 degree C per decade |
| 10. | | The ocean acidification caused by the increased atmospheric CO2 will likely have devastating consequences |
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5. | | The complete meltdown of the Arctic could roughly double the rate of warming of the planet as a whole. |
| 11. | | Carbon from permafrost soils could add as much as 0.4ºF to 0.6ºF of warming by 2100 |
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6. | | The IPCC has really underestimated when the summer-time Arctic ocean will likely become ice free |
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Where We Are Now |
1. | | CO2 levels passed 400ppm in 2014 |
| 8. | | Ocean pH has declined significantly since 1958 |
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2. | | The Earth is warming dramatically, and most of the extra heat is going into the oceans |
| 9. | | Arctic Sea Ice Volume Is Decreasing Rapidly |
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3. | | Only 2.3% of extra heat is warming the atmosphere |
| 10. | | Sea levels will rise 80 meters if all glaciers melt |
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4. | | Atmospheric Temperatures have risen .8 degrees C since 1880 |
| 11. | | Sea levels have risen about two and a half inches since 1992 |
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5. | | El Nino/La Nina significantly affect atmospheric temperatures |
| 12. | | Antarctica is melting twice as fast as it was 10 years ago |
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6. | | Extreme rainfall has increased dramatically in the US since 1958 |
| 13. | | Greenland ice sheet is melting significantly |
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7. | | The acreage burned by wildfires in the US is increasing |
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Global Warming – Basic Facts, Observations, and Expectations |
| 6. | | Expectations for a warming planet – fast feedbacks |
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2. | | Observations – based on paleoclimate data |
| 7. | | Expectations for a warming planet – slow feedbacks |
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3. | | Observations - Since about 1870 |
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5. | | Modeling is used to help climate scientists review possible scenarios |
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NAS - Climate Change: Evidence and Choices |
1. | | Is the climate warming? |
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2. | | How do scientists know that recent climate change is largely caused by human activities? |
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3. | | CO2 is already in the atmosphere naturally, so why are emissions from human activity significant? |
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4. | | What role has the Sun played in climate change in recent decades? |
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5. | | What do changes in the vertical structure of atmospheric temperature—from the surface up to the stratosphere—tell us about the causes of recent climate change? |
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6. | | Climate is always changing. Why is climate change of concern now? |
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7. | | Is the current level of atmospheric CO2 concentration unprecedented in Earth’s history? |
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8. | | Is there a point at which adding more CO2 will not cause further warming? |
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9. | | Does the rate of warming vary from one decade to another? |
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10. | | Does the recent slowdown of warming mean that climate change is no longer happening? |
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11. | | If the world is warming, why are some winters and summers still very cold? |
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12. | | Why is Arctic sea ice decreasing while Antarctic sea ice is not? |
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13. | | How does climate change affect the strength and frequency of floods, hurricanes and tornadoes? |
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14. | | How fast is sea level rising? |
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15. | | What is ocean acidification and why does it matter? |
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16. | | How confident are scientists that Earth will warm further over the coming century? |
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17. | | Are climate changes of a few degrees a cause for concern? |
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18. | | What are scientists doing to address key uncertainties in our understanding of the climate system? |
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19. | | Are disaster scenarios about tipping points like ‘turning off the Gulf Stream’ and release of methane from the Arctic a cause for concern? |
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20. | | If emissions of greenhouse gases were stopped, would the climate return to the conditions of 200 years ago? |
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