UNIT 3: Earth and Space

Module 2: Climate

Climate Change
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), Climate change is a long-term change in the average weather
patterns that have come to define Earth's local, regional, and global climates.
Some experts say that it is true that the Earth does go through a period of
cooling and a period of warming. The increase in temperature that we are
experiencing right now is caused by factors other than human activity. Another
point of view is that the increase in Earth's temperature since the early 20th
century is brought about by human intervention. Whether the cause is man-
made or not, climate change is a change in the environment.
Greenhouse gases absorb heat, preventing it from flowing out of the
earth. The greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from the sun is
absorbed by greenhouse gases and not reflected into space.

Naturally, greenhouse gases play

an important role in keeping the earth
warm. The earth would be very cold if
there were no greenhouse gases that
absorb heat.
Carbon dioxide, methane (CH4),
chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), and nitrous
oxide (N2O) are some of the
greenhouse gases that are responsible
for the existence of life on Earth.
Figure 8.2 The greenhouse effect
Without these gases, the earth
Source: http://www.learner.org/courses would be at freezing point and life
wouldn't be possible.
Greenhouse gases include:
• Water vapor (H₂O) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas (GHG). It makes
up to 4% of the atmosphere's composition. It acts as a natural greenhouse
gas and provides feedback to the climate system.
• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a naturally occurring gas released through natural
processes like respiration and volcanic eruptions.
- Carbon sink absorbs more carbon than it releases
- Carbon source releases more carbon than it absorbs.
• Methane (CH₄) is a hydrocarbon gas produced through natural sources
and human activities. It is produced by rice cultivation, cattle, and sheep
 ranching, and by decaying materials in landfills. Coal mining, oil drilling, and
leaky gas pipelines also emit this natural gas.
• Nitrous oxide (N₂O), commonly known as laughing gas, is a chemical
compound used as an oxidizer in rocketry and motor racing to increase
engine power output.
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are an organic compound that contains
carbon, chlorine, and fluorine produced as a volatile derivative of methane
and ethane. CFCs were developed back in the 1930s as safe, nontoxic
alternatives to ammonia as refrigerants and spray can propellants. In the
1970s, a study revealed that CFC release in the atmosphere accumulates
in the stratosphere and becomes a catalytic agent in ozone destruction.

All these gases absorb heat, although some just absorb more than
others. Thus, assuming solar radiation is constant, the average atmospheric
temperature depends on the mix of gases. The burning of fossil fuels specifically
increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere. This
causes a rise in the Earth's average surface temperature. These human-
produced temperature increases are commonly referred to as global
warming. Global warming is an increase in the temperature of the earth's
atmosphere.
More greenhouse gases in the atmosphere mean that the equilibrium
temperature will be higher as these gases absorb more heat. Fewer
greenhouse gases will mean lower temperatures.

Climate change and global warming are often used interchangeably.

Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate
lasting for an extended period of time.
Global warming, on the other hand, refers to the recent and ongoing rise in
global average temperature near the Earth's surface. It is caused mostly by
increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Global
warming is causing climate patterns to change. However, global warming itself
represents only one aspect of climate change.
Climate Change in Focus: Impacts and Threats
With uncontrolled greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere,
climate change has significant impacts on ecosystems, communities, and
economies. Listed below are some of the major effects of climate change:

1. Rising Temperature.
The Earth's temperature has been rising, and it's happening faster than ever
before!

What's causing this temperature rise? Many scientists believe it's due to human
activities, especially burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. When these fuels are
burned, they release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, acting like a
blanket around the Earth, keeping the heat in. How much is the temperature
expected to rise? Estimates suggest the Earth could warm from a minimum of
1.8°C to as much as a 4°C rise in global average temperature by 2100. This
might not seem like much at first glance, but even a small change in average
temperature can have significant consequences.

For further exploration:

Check out the National Geographic Kids website for a more engaging explanation:
(https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/climate-change)

2. Shrinking Ice Sheets.

Data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and

Climate Experiment revealed that
Greenland lost 150 to 250 km² of ice per
year between 2002 and 2006 while
Antarctica lost about 152 km³ during the
same period. Ice sheets are one of the
main drivers of sea-level rise.
 Based on their data from NASA IceSAT, the thick, permanent ice that
used to constitute the majority of Arctic ice has been replaced by thinner,
seasonal ice that melts away during the summer months. So not only is the ice
covering less area than ever before, but the ice that does form is thinner than
ever before. In total, the scientists calculated that the ice pack shrank by 57%
between 2004 and 2008, thinning by 2.2 feet.
For further exploration:
https://www.treehugger.com/reasons-why-arctic-sea-ice-matters-4868655

3. Sea Level Rise

Globally, sea level rose about 17 cm in the last century. The first one is called
thermal expansion which can be attributed to the fact that warm water
expands. The second factor is influenced by the contribution of water level
from the melting of land-based glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica.
At present, more
than 3 billion people
living in coastal areas
are at risk of the impacts
of global warming such
as rising sea levels - this
number is expected to
escalate to 6 billion by
2025. This natural hazard
has already doubled
the risk of extreme flood
Sea level rise report
events in coastal cities.

For instance, Shanghai, which is located on the Yangtze River delta, is also
considered vulnerable to flooding as groundwater extractions and sea-level
rise speeds up the sinking of its massive high-rise infrastructures down to the East
China Sea. It was noted that parts of the city have already sunken three
meters.
The melting of glaciers that covered the land caused the sea level to rise. If the
sea level increases by 50 cm, sea turtles may lose their nesting areas. People
and animals that live near shorelines may be forced to move out. Animals
moving out of their natural habitat face challenges that could lead to the
extinction of their species.
4. Biodiversity depletion.

Due to rising temperatures, extreme weather conditions and changing

vegetation become usual in most of the places in the world. As a result, animal
species are forced to migrate to new, cooler areas to survive. Some species of
birds laid eggs earlier than usual. There were some species of plants that
bloomed earlier than expected. Some animals supposedly should still be
hibernating but were already awake. There was an earlier migration of birds
and some were arriving at their nesting ground and others appeared to arrive
later. Sometimes, some animals and birds tend to stay in their local territory
because the climate is already suitable for them. Experts predict that one-
fourth of Earth's species will head towards extinction by 2050 if various trends
related to climate change continue at their current rates. An estimated
population of 20,000-25,000 polar bears survive in the wild.
5. Ocean Acidification.

Ocean acidification is caused by carbon emissions which when not controlled

will pose a serious threat to biodiversity and marine species (coral reefs and
fisheries). When there is more CO, in the atmosphere, there is also an abundant
amount of this compound in the ocean. When CO, reacts with water it
produces a weak acid called carbonic acid, changing the seawater
chemistry. This change in the chemical composition of salt water has a
significant impact on the ability of plants and animals to complete
calcification.
Our oceans are naturally slightly alkaline (basic). However, when the
atmosphere absorbs excess carbon dioxide (CO2) from human activities like
burning fossil fuels, some of it dissolves into the ocean. This reacts with water to
create carbonic acid, making the ocean slightly more acidic. While the
change in pH might seem small, it has significant consequences for marine life.
Why is this a problem?
Many marine organisms, like corals, and shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels), rely
on calcium carbonate to build their shells and skeletons. Ocean acidification
makes the water less saturated with calcium carbonate, making it harder for
these creatures to build and maintain their essential structures.

Ocean acidification may weaken coral reefs, where, the vibrant coral reefs
that support marine biodiversity are particularly vulnerable. Weaker coral reefs
are more susceptible to damage, bleaching (loss of color), and disease.
Interesting read:
For further exploration:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): (https://www.noaa.gov/ocean-
acidification)
Smithsonian Ocean Portal: (https://ocean.si.edu/conservation/acidification)
National Geographic: (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/critical-issues-
ocean-acidification)
6. Extreme Weather.
Scientists believe that the increased intensity and frequency of two
phenomena namely El Niño and La Niña in recent years is due to global
warming. Further studies claim that higher global temperature might be
increasing the rate of evaporation from land and ocean leading to drought in
some parts of the world. With a very high evaporation rate, intensified storms
and floods associated with El Niño occur.

On August 8, 2012, more than one million families in the Philippines experienced
extreme weather when Typhoon Habagat poured intense precipitation and
caused thunderstorms in most provinces in the country. Amazingly, the disaster
was not caused by a typhoon but a strong movement of the Southwest
Monsoon caused by the pull of typhoons Soala (Gener) and Haikui days before
the Habagat. However, due to the damages it caused the Philippines, the
event is considered a typhoon whose intensity is almost the same as that of
Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) in 2009. This extreme weather left the country with
a total of 89 death tolls and losses throughout the country amounting to at
least US$14.31 million.

Aside from these impacts of the climate change that we are experiencing, we
still have two cyclical events that we encounter - El Niño and La Niña.
El Niño and La Niña

El Niño is an abnormal and lengthy warming in the eastern part of the

Pacific Ocean. Usually, it starts at the end of the year or during the Christmas
season that is why it is termed as El Niño which refers to the "Christ the child." El
Niño happens when the temperature in the eastern Pacific rises above normal.
When there is an increase in the temperature in the eastern part of the Pacific
Ocean, it is expected that some areas in the Philippines will experience this
climatic phenomenon. El Niño will most likely bring severe drought.
La Niña is the opposite climatic disturbance to El Niño. It occurs when the
temperature in the eastern Pacific decreases below normal, there is a cooling
of the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean which is why it is sometimes called
"cold Pacific."

Trade winds that move from east to west are strengthened. Moving air brings
along too much water vapor. When it reaches the landmass such as the
Philippines, precipitation is experienced. There would be an increase in rainfall
in some areas of the Philippines.