Transcript Case Study Global Warming

What is Global Warming?
 Global warming is the unusually
rapid increase in Earth’s average
surface temperature over the past
century primarily due to the
greenhouse gases released by
people burning fossil fuels.
 Link to Explanation of Global
Warning
Definitions
 Greenhouse gases -- Those gases, such as water
vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane,
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons
(PFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride, that are transparent
to solar (short-wave) radiation but opaque to longwave (infrared) radiation, thus preventing longwave radiant energy from leaving Earth's
atmosphere. The net effect is a trapping of
absorbed radiation and a tendency to warm the
planet's surface (McCracken).
The Oregon Project
("Ten Indicators of a Warming World from the NOAA")
Raising Surface Air
Temperature
 It was my intent to show a histogram for
temperatures in Clark Country going back at least
100 years. I was not able to find this data.
Evidence of Raising Sea Levels
in Washington State
Extremely high tides on the Washington Coast line
and the impact.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk0nvIk3SJ0
Actual Tide for Seattle
January 5, 2009
Actual Tides for Seattle
January 5, 2010
Tide Prediction for Seattle
on January 5, 2010
Sea Level Trends for
Seattle Washington
Evidence of Global Warning in
Washington State
 According to the Washington State Department of
Ecology’s web site
“….more than 50 glaciers have disappeared from
the Cascade Mountains, sea levels are changing
along Washington’s coastlines and snowpack totals
are expected to decline by 40 percent by 2040. “
Evidence of Glaciers Disappearing
in Washington
Works Cited

Anonymous, . "Global Warming Petition Project.” N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Aug 2010.
<http:www.petitionproject.org/.

Anonymous, . "Center of Operational Oceanographic Products." NOAA Tides and Currents. NOAA, n.d.
Web. 17 Aug 2010. <http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/index.shtml>.Ten Indicators of a Warming World."
NOAA: Last decade was warmest. Web. 6 Aug 2010.
<http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/green-house/2010/07/28/NOAAx-large.jpg>.

Anonymous, . "South Cacade Glacier." USGS, Science for a Changing World. USGS, 27 Feb 2009. Web. 14 Aug
2010. <http://ak.water.usgs.gov/glaciology/south_cascade/index.html>.

Preston, Seth. "Climate Change in Washington State." Department of EcologMcCracken, M. "Definition of
Greenhouse gases.” teachmefinance. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Aug 2010. <http://www.teachmefinance.com/
Scientific_Terms/Greenhouse_

State of Washington. DOE, 27 Feb 2009. Web. 14 Aug 2010.
<http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/index.htm>.

Preston, Seth. "Data on Climate Change." Message to Judy Thompson. 17 Aug 2010. E-mail.