Unit 2 Global Climate – Vulnerability and

Resilience 1.The causes of global climate change

In this section, we will learn
□Check if you have understood this statement. Name:

Unit 2: Global climate—vulnerability and resilience

1. Causes of global climate change

Geographic How natural and human processes affect the global energy balance
inquiry

Key □The atmospheric system, including the natural greenhouse effect and
Content energy balance (incoming shortwave radiation and outgoing longwave
radiation)
□Changes in the global energy balance, and the role of feedback loops,
resulting from: • solar radiation variations, including global dimming due
to volcanic eruptions • terrestrial albedo changes and feedback loops
• methane gas release and feedback loops
□The enhanced greenhouse effect and international variations in greenhouse
gas sources and emissions, in relation to economic development,
globalization and trade Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities
The complexity of the dynamic climate system and the spatial
interactions of different processes and feedback mechanisms

energy
balance

atmospheric system
global dimming

albedo

methane gas

1. economic development
2. globalization
3. trade
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Subsection 1.1 The structure of the Earth’s atmosphere
Key questions
What impacts does climate change have on us?

- migration, extreme weather, death

What causes results in climate change?

- Co2, greenhouse gas

What strategies should we take to mitigate climate change?

- 3R, reduce co2

1. The Earth’s temperature change

Figure 1. Estimated global temperature over the last 500 million years
Source: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-hottest-earths-ever-been
 Figure 2. Global mean surface temperatures from 1880
Source: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/GlobalWarming/page2.php
Compare Figure 1 and Figure 2, What is the difference in temperature between the two
graphs?
Figure 1 Figure 2

Is it the warmest now? no yes

The cause of the above phenomenon is…

time difference: 500million years ago vs. 1880 to 2010

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2. The structure of the Earth’s atmosphere
Based on both Figure 2.1 and the related content on page 426, answer the following
questions:

(1) What are the different layers of the Earth's atmosphere?

- troposhere, stratosphere, mesophere, thermosphere

(2) How does temperature and pressure change as altitude increases in the troposphere?

- temperature fall with height (on average 6.5 celsius per km)
- as height increase, temperature and pressure decrease

(3) In which layer does the ozone layer exist, and why is it important? refers to 〈Ozone and You〉
 https://ozone.unep.org/ozone-and-you

- stratosphere;invisible shield and protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation, known

as uv-b, which cause sunburn

(4) Why do most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere?

- because most water vapour is contained in the lowest 15km of the atmosphere. if
above this, the atmosphere is too cold to hold wter vapour.

3. The atmosphere energy budget

 The Earth's atmosphere energy budget, using system model concept, is shown in Figure
2.2. The system model is the diagram below.
(1) What are the elements of system model?

Figure 3. System model

 Based on both Figure 2.2 and the related content on page 427, answer the following
questions: (1) In the Earth’s atmospheric energy budget, identify the systemic elements then
complete the table below: (you need to refer to the system model)
Note: the numbers on the Figure 2.2 represent the percentage of energy.

Energy input Process Energy source

- Three major processes of percentage:
coal, natural gas Fossil Fuels: About
Production 30-35% 80% (oil, coal, natural
Transportation 20-25%
gas)
End-Use/Operation 40-45%
Renewable Energy:
Around 12-13%
Nuclear: About 5%

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(2) What is the role of latent heat transfer in the Earth's energy budget?
- evaporation and condensation
 (3) Albedo: page 428
Reflection from the Earth’s surface (known as the planetary albedo) is about 6%. 
What is meant by the term “albedo”?

- fraction of light that a surface reflects

 Why is albedo important, based on the energy balance (Figure 2.2)?

- helps balance global temerature

 Which surface has the highest and lowest albedo percentages, according to Table 2.1?
- highest: fresh snow
- lowest: water(sun’s angle over 40 degree)

(4) What is the greenhouse effect? In Figure 2.2, which element is related to greenhouse
effect? Definition including process and impact: refer to page 429
Which element is
Brief definition of the greenhouse effect (<30 words) related to the
greenhouse
- process which certain gases allow short-wave
effect?
radiation from the sunto pass through the

atmosphere but trrap an increasing proportion

Co2
of out-going long-wave radiation from the earth

(radiation leads to warming of the atmosphere)

Key terms from the definition: Ch4

- short-wave passatmosphere and trap→long wave H2O
N2O
CFCs

 Based on Figure 2.2 of textbook or Figure 4 below, explain how is the energy flows
distributed once it reaches Earth's atmosphere? About 30-40 words
During the energy flows, some of the energy willbe absorbed by atmosphere or by t
reflected through atmosphere, cloud, and surface(water) back to space
 Unit 2-1 Global Climate -4

Figure 4. Global energy flows

Note:
Convection is the process of heat transfer through the movement of a fluid. Thermals, as rising
currents of warm air, are a manifestation of convection.
Evaporation is the process of liquid water turning into water vapor. Evapotranspiration combines
evaporation from the land and water surfaces with transpiration from plants, both of which
contribute to the release of water vapor into the atmosphere.
Source:
https://brian-rose.github.io/ClimateLaboratoryBook/courseware/zero-dim-ebm.html 
Short-wave radiation vs. Long-wave radiation (on the page 428-429)
(1) Compare the short-wave radiation and long-wave radiation.

Short-wave radiation Long-wave radiation

Source sun radiation of energy from earth

Calculate the Income: 161 income: 333

amount of
incoming and Outcome: 180 outcome: 239
outgoing radiation
based on Figure 4.

(2) Answer the following questions based on Figure 2.3 on page 428.
Note: The red line represents solar radiation, measured in Watts per square meter
(W/m²).
A. Provide an example illustrating the transmission of radiation through a single
cloud cover.
 e.g. With cirrus clouds when the Sun is high in the sky, about 75% of the total
radiation transmitted is received at the Earth’s surface, about 700 watts per m2.
Write your example:
- with stratocumulus clouds when the sun is low in the sky, abou 23% of the total
radiation transmitted is received at the Earth’s surface - about 250 watts per m^2

B. What factors influence the percentage of total radiation transmitted?

- latitude, season, cloud cover, angle of sun, cloud type

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C. Which type of cloud cover can transmit the highest amount of radiation?
- clear sky

D. Based on the diagram, with the same cloud type, when the angle of the sun is
higher, the percentage of total radiation transmitted is [less/more].

 The greenhouse effect (on the page 429-430)

Refer to Figure 2.5 of textbook, what human activities could increase the greenhouse gases?
Complete the table below.
Table 1. The main greenhouse gases
Percentage Human Activities

Greenhouse Gas Percentage Human Activities

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) 77% burning fossil fuels

land use changes - deforestration

14% production of coal, oil, natural

gas
Methane (CH₄)

Chlorofluorocarbon 1% refrigeration, air conditioning,

s (CFCs) industrial process
 Figure 5. Overview of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

 Theory of Knowledge
What features of the energy balance can be presented in a system diagram (Figure 2.2)?
- increase or decrease in temperature
- which kind of habitat
- angle of sun, cloud type

Unit 2-1 Global Climate -6