Climate Change Essay Example for Free

Climate qualify EssayClimate dislodge is a significant and lasting change in the statistical scattering of prevail patterns everyplace periods ranging from decades to millions of eld. It whitethorn be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distri furtherion of weather around the average conditions (i.e., much(prenominal) or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processes (such as oceanic circulation), variations in solar shaft of light received by reason, plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions, and human-induced alterations of the natural world these latter effects atomic recite 18 currently causing global warming, and climate change is often used to describe human-specific clashings. Causes of climate changeNatural causesContinental driftYou may impart noniced several(prenominal)thing peculiar virtually South the States and Africa on a map of the world dont they seem to fit into each other like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle? About 200 million years ago they were joined in concert Scientists believe that back then, the worldly concern was not as we see it today, but the continents were all part of cardinal large getmass. Proof of this comes from the similarity between plant and animal fossils and broad belts of rocks found on the east coastline of South America and western coastline of Africa, which ar now widely separated by the Atlantic Ocean.The denudation of fossils of tropical plants (in the trope of ember deposits) in Antarctica has led to the conclusion that this frozen land at virtually time in the past, must birth been situated closer to the equator, where the climate was tropical, with swamps and plenty of lush vegetation. The continents that we be familiar with today were formed when the landmass began sluggishly drifting apart, millions of years back.This drift also had an impact on the climate because it changed the physical features of the landmass, their po sition and the position of pissing bodies. The separation of the landmasses changed the flow of ocean currents and winds, which impact the climate. This drift of the continents continues even today the Himalayan range is rising by about 1 mm (millimeter) every year because the Indian land mass is moving towards the Asian land mass, slowly but steadily. VolcanoesWhen a volcano erupts it throws out large volumes of sulphur dioxide (SO2), wet vapor, form, and ash into the atmosphere. Although the volcanic activity may last only a few days, yet the large volumes of gases and ash can influence climatic patterns for years. Millions of tons of sulphur dioxide gas can reach the upper levels of the atmosphere (called the stratosphere) from a major eruption. The gases and dust particles partially block the incoming rays of the sun, leading to cooling. Sulphur dioxide combines with water to form tiny droplets of sulphuric acid. These droplets argon so small that galore(postnominal) of t hem can stay aloft for several years.The earths rivalryThe earth makes unmatched full orbit around the sun each year. It is contentioned at an angle of 23.5 to the perpendicular monotone of its orbital path. For one half of the year when it is summer, the northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun. In the other half when it is winter, the earth is tilted away from the sun. If there was no tilt we would not catch experienced oceansons. Changes in the tilt of the earth can necessitate the severity of the appeases more tilt manner warmer summers and colder winters less tilt means cooler summers and milder winters. The Earths orbit is somewhat elliptical, which means that the distance between the earth and the Sun varies over the course of a year.We usually think of the earths bloc as being fixed, after all, it always seems to charge up toward Polaris (also known as the Pole Star and the North Star). Actually, it is not quite constant the axis does move, at the rate of a littl e more than a half-degree each century. So Polaris has not always been, and will not always be, the star pointing to the North. When the pyramids were built, around 2500 BC, the pole was near the star Thuban (Alpha Draconis). This gradual change in the direction of the earths axis, called precession is responsible for changes in the climate. Ocean currentsThe oceans ar a major component of the climate system. They cover about 71% of the Earth and absorb about twice as much of the suns radiation as the atmosphere or the land surface. Ocean currents move vast piths of fondness across the planet roughly the same amount as the atmosphere does.But the oceans are environ by land masses, so waken transport through the water is through channels. Ocean currents have been known to change direction or slow down. Much of the heat that escapes from the oceans is in the form of water vapour, the most abundant greenhouse gas on Earth. Yet, water vapor also stands to the formation of clouds, which wraith the surface and have a net cooling effect. Any or all of these phenomena can have an impact on the climate, as is believed to have happened at the end of the last Ice Age, about 14,000 years ago.Human causesGreenhouse gases and their sourcesCarbon dioxide is undoubtedly, the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Changes in land use pattern, deforestation, land clearing, agriculture, and other activities have all led to a rise in the firing off of carbon dioxide. Methane is another important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. About of all methane discharges are tell to come from domesticated animals such as dairy cows, goats, pigs, buffaloes, camels, horses, and sheep. These animals produce methane during the cud-chewing process Methane is also emitted from landfills and other furious dumps. If the waste is put into an incinerator or burnt in the open, carbon dioxide is emitted.Methane is also emitted during the process of oil drilling, coal mining and a lso from leaking gas pipelines (due to accidents and poor maintenance of sites). A large amount of nitrous oxide emission has been attributed to fertilizer application. This in turn depends on the type of fertilizer that is used, how and when it is used and the methods of tilling that are followed. Contributions are also made by leguminous plants, such as beans and pulses that add nitrogen to the soil.How we all contribute every dayAll of us in our daily lives contribute our bit to this change in the climate. Give these points a good, serious thought Electricity is the main source of power in urban areas. All our gadgets run on electricity generated primarily from thermal power plants. These thermal power plants are run on fossil fuels (mostly coal) and are responsible for the emission of huge amounts of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Cars, buses, and trucks are the principal ways by which goods and people are transported in most of our cities. These are run mainly on petr ol or diesel, both fossil fuels. We generate large quantities of waste in the form of plastics that remain in the environment for many years and cause damage. We use a huge touchstone of paper in our work at schools and in offices. Have we ever thought about the public figure of trees that we use in a day? Timber is used in large quantities for construction of houses, which means that large areas of forest have to be cut down. A growing population has meant more and more mouths to feed. Because the land area available for agriculture is limited (and in fact, is actually shrinking as a result of ecological degradation), high-yielding varieties of work are being grown to append the agricultural issue from a given area of land. However, such high-yielding varieties of crops require large quantities of fertilizers and more fertilizer means more emissions of nitrous oxide, both from the field into which it is put and the fertilizer industry that makes it. Pollution also results fr om the run-off of fertilizer into water bodies.Effects of Climate Change TodayOver coke years ago, people worldwide began enthusiastic more coal and oil for homes, factories, and transportation. Burning these fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These added greenhouses gases have caused Earth to warm more quickly than it has in the past. Sea level is rising. During the 20th century, sea level move up about 15 cm (6 inches) due to melting glacier ice and expansion of warmer seawater. Models predict that sea level may rise as much as 59 cm (23 inches) during the 21st Century, dense coastal communities, wetlands, and precious coral reefs. Arctic sea ice is melting.The summer thickness of sea ice is about half of what it was in 1950. Melting ice may lead to changes in ocean circulation. Plus melting sea ice is speeding up warming in the Arctic. Glaciers and permafrost are melting. Over the past 100 years, mountain glaciers in all area s of the world have decreased in size and so has the amount of permafrost in the Arctic. Greenlands ice sheet is melting faster too. Sea-surface temperatures are warming. Warmer waters in the shallow oceans have contributed to the death of about a quarter of the worlds coral reefs in the last few decades. some of the coral animals died after weakened by bleaching, a process tied to warmed waters.The temperatures of large lakes are warming. The temperatures of large lakes world-wide have risen dramatically. Temperature rises have increased algal blooms in lakes, favor invasive species, increase stratification in lakes and lower lake levels. Heavier rainfall cause flooding in many regions. Warmer temperatures have led to more intense rainfall events in some areas. This can cause flooding. Extreme drouth is increasing. Higher temperatures cause a higher rate of evaporation and more drought in some areas of the world. Crops are withering. Increased temperatures and extreme drought are causing a decline in crop productivity around the world.Decreased crop productivity can mean food shortages which have many social implications. Ecosystems are changing. As temperatures warm, species may either move to a cooler habitat or die. Species that are particularly vulnerable include endangered species, coral reefs, and polar animals. Warming has also caused changes in the timing of spring events and the length of the growing season. Hurricanes have changed in frequency and strength. There is evidence that the number of intense hurricanes has increased in the Atlantic since 1970. Scientists continue to study whether climate is the cause.More frequent heat waves. It is likely that heat waves have become more common in more areas of the world. Warmer temperatures affect human health. There have been more deaths due to heat waves and more allergy attacks as the pollen season grows longer. There have also been some changes in the ranges of animals that carry disease like mosqui toes. Seawater is comme il faut more acidic. Carbon dioxide dissolving into the oceans, is making seawater more acidic. There could be impacts on coral reefs and other marine life.