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Climate Change: Factors and Mechanisms

Explore key factors influencing climate change, from tectonics to orbital forcing mechanisms. Learn how ocean circulation patterns and the thermohaline cycle impact global temperatures. Discover how atmospheric variations and proxy records aid in climate reconstruction. Dive deep into the complexities of the thermohaline cycle, orbital forcing mechanisms, and atmospheric variations, shedding light on the intricate interplay shaping our planet's climate.

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Climate Change: Factors and Mechanisms

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  1. Factor Influencing Climate Change • Tectonics • Ocean Circulation Patterns and the Thermohaline Cycle • Orbital Forcing Mechanisms • Atmospheric Variations

  2. Climate Reconstruction Using Proxy Records • Ice Cores • Marine Sediments • Banded Corals • Pollen • Tree Rings • Loess • Speleothems • Varved Lake Sediments • Peat • Geomorphological Evidence • Historical Evidence

  3. Thermohaline Cycle • Driven by TEMPERATURE and SALINITY • Shutdown of the system causes periods of cold -Shutdowns caused by: Freshwater pulses and changes in temperature which causes changes in density • The “bipolar seesaw” theory -Shutdown of the thermohaline cycle causes cold in the Northern Hemisphere and warming in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.

  4. Orbital Forcing Mechanisms • Obliquity - tilt of the Earth • Precession – Shape of the Earth Orbit about the Axis (think top) • Eccentricity – Shape of the Earth’s Orbit about the Sun

  5. Orbital Forcing Mechanisms cont. • All factors influence insolation -How much of the radiation from the sun is being trapped within the Earth’s Atmosphere • Insolation decrease promotes cooling and ice sheet growth • Insolation increase promotes warmth and ice sheet melting

  6. Atmospheric Variations • Rising concentrations of Greenhouse gases • Methane, CO2, water vapor, SO4 • Rises caused by: • Anthropogenic effects • Shutdown of Thermohaline Cycle • Orbital Forcing • Increased plant life (burial vs. growth)

  7. Atmospheric Variations cont. • Volcanic Eruptions • Albedo (positive feedback) • Reflection of radiative heat

  8. Final Thoughts • Dating is the most crucial aspect of climate reconstruction, but is the most difficult to perfect, • No one record, or person, has all of the answers. You need to put together all of the information, and ask questions, in order to understand picture being painted.

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