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Un Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change Article
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Global Climate Change Simultaneously Affecting the Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, and Biosphere
from:The earth has been changing temperature since the beginning of time. Global climate change is the reflection of the differences of average temperature as the earth heats up or cools down over time. Global climate change is not a localized phenomenon, nor is it the rapid changes we see in seasons or short periods such as days. These quick changes are called temperature changes. Climate is a more stable concept that changes gradually over thousands of years.
Many scientists have studied global climate change that occurs naturally, but more recently a new science of how humans have affected global climate change has surfaced on the forefront. You will find that many scientists from various fields such as meteorology, oceanography, physics, geology, chemistry. biology, and sociology, just to name a few, have teamed up to add their body of knowledge to this new field of study.
If all the heat in the earth’s atmosphere were to escape to outer space the planet would be too cold to sustain life. The atmosphere is a natural blanket of gases, which keeps certain levels of heat within the earth and regulates a certain amount to escape. However, the rise in greenhouse gas emissions manipulated by human activity has disrupted the natural balance of the planet to regulate itself. It now believed that man is causing this artificial global climate change.
The hydrosphere is the water that surrounds our earth, from the air found in the atmosphere to the depths of the oceans below. Oceans cover at least 70 percent of the earth surface; they act as a major conductor of heat absorbed from the sun. Ocean currents carry the heat from the equator up to each of the earth’s poles. Evaporating water, and quantity of rainfall, also affect the oceans water level and affect their ability to move water around the globe. The ocean, seas, and major water bodies will also impact upon the people of the earth in terms of floods and droughts etc.
We have seen from the past how the ocean’s ability to absorb and move heat around the earth contributes to global climate change and whether by natural means or anthropogenic (manmade activity) they will continue to do so.
The cryoshere represents cold water in solid form such as ice and glaciers. The cryosphere has also a major impact upon global climate change. When there are prolonged warmer climatic changes this solid form of water melts and changes in the ice surfaces will in turn affect the air, sea levels, ocean currents, and weather patterns.
Ice capped surfaces also reflect heat back out into space. When these surfaces are diminished the heat remains in the earth’s atmosphere warming the planet.
The Artic is now experiencing global warming with rising temperatures never seen in 400 years. Polar Ice caps are rapidly melting; especially within the last two decades.
The biosphere is the ecosystem that sustains all forms of life on this planet. The global climate change will effect plant and animal life and disrupt the food chain and habitat of flora and fauna around the world. Many animals live in very specialized “niches” and any prolonged temperature change can become a threat to their very survival.
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