Trade-off da – gdi 2011 1 Earth Science D/A 2
Satellites !—Climate Monitoring Good—Warming
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- Satellites !—Climate Monitoring Good—Oceans
Satellites !—Climate Monitoring Good—WarmingClimate data key to understanding and solving warming Stop Global Warming 9 (9/4, http://stopglobalwarmingtogether.com/about-climate-and-its-periodic-change, accessed 7-2-11, CH) Climate monitoring is vital to further advance our understanding of the complexity of the climate system and its predictability. The data and associated climate information that are collected and disseminated to users, keep all stakeholders informed of the state of the climate and the natural environment. Climate is sometimes referred to as “average” weather for a given area. The National Weather Service uses data such as temperature highs and lows and precipitation rates for the past thirty years to compile an area’s “average” weather. Climate.org seeks to provide reliable information on climate change, energy and the environment. The site is regularly updated with recent news and articles. Climate change is with us. A decade ago, it was conjecture. Climate change and the energy hunger of the developed world and newly emerging economies like China and India are driving forces behind higher food prices, which directly affect the poor in a country like Egypt. As the First Lady has stated it in her Opening Address on Saturday, the rich subsidize the transformation of food into biofuels, thus subsidizing the burning of food of the poor to drive the cars of the rich! Climate is the atmospheric condition in a certain location near the surface of the Earth. Is there such a thing as a global climate ? Climate change and related impacts are becoming increasingly relevant to environmental, economic and security issues. This raises convergent points of interest and thematic platforms for those interested in confronting this global challenge from a multidisciplinary perspective. Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. Rising global temperatures will bring changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather. Climate change is the single biggest environmental threat facing our planet. Burning too much coal, oil and gas pollutes the atmosphere with greenhouse gases that heat up the planet. Temperature, humidity, and rainfall, which are discussed hereunder, are the most important elements of the country’s weather and climate. Temperatures range between 70F and 90F (20C to 33C). Climate simulations at NCAR have shown that changes in the Sun’s intensity explain less than a third of the global warm-up during the last century. The most likely explanation for a warming Earth is the greenhouse gases emitted when fossil fuels are burned. Climate data are used extensively in airport design and aeronautical engineering. Monitoring solves warming Van Engelen, No Date (Angelique, journalist, Global Warming is Real, http://globalwarmingisreal.com/2009/06/11/nasas-carbon-monitoring-plans/, accessed 7-2-11, CH) So now what? Two more projects are still in the making that will provide more or less similar data. The Aquarius, originally scheduled for launch in September 2008 but delayed until May 2010, will monitor salinity levels in the world’s oceans. And another space-based mission, Hydros, will measure Earth’s changing soil moisture and the amount of frost in the land surface. These two factors combined define the state of the Earth’s hydrosphere, which has determining effects on water, energy and carbon cycles. The Aquarius data might lead to a breakthrough in the knowledge of the role the oceans play in global warming. Scientists have speculated for the past decades that man-made climate change contributes to the increased saltiness of the oceans. The North Atlantic Ocean especially affected by increased levels of salinity and this in turn affects the circulation of ocean currents. The redistribution of heat within the waters (a huge factor in climate temperatures) and the overall water cycle is affected by these salinity levels. “NASA plans to [ ..] address key scientific questions regarding how Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and land work together to shape our weather, climate and environment,” said Dr. Ghassem Asrar, NASA’s associate administrator for Earth Science in an interview with Science Daily which detailed the specifics of the Aquarius mission. What’s needed is a global effort to find out what exactly is happening, where, and to what degree. Scientists are especially keen to discover the role ocean salinity plays in big climate events. Aquarius will pass on monthly data plotting out global maps of how salt concentration varies on the ocean surface. The data will fill in the blanks that exist on evaporation, precipitation, ice melt and river runoff on seasonal and inter-annual time scales. The impact of these combined factors on fresh water resources is going to be an eye opener in many respects. Satellites !—Climate Monitoring Good—OceansClimate monitoring key to ocean biodiversity Environmental News Service 3 (2/26, http://www.enviroalternatives.com/globalwarming.html#Satellites%20Help%20Monitor%20Warming%20Coral, accessed 7-2-11, CH) Using satellite derived information, DHWs monitor the cumulative thermal stress of several coral reefs throughout the globe, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Galapagos, the Bahamas, and others. The extent and acuteness of thermal stress - key predictors of coral bleaching - contribute to coral reef degradation worldwide. Coral reefs compose a large and integral part of the coastal ocean, supporting a variety of sea life and providing resources of significant economic importance. Coral bleaching, caused by high water temperatures, occurs as coral tissue expels zooxanthellae, a symbiotic algae essential to coral survival that lives within the structure of the coral. Directory: 2011 2011 -> Enterprise Network Management iPost: Implementing Continuous Risk Monitoring at the Department of State 2011 -> Voices of the Old Sea Norman Lewis 2011 -> Malevil Robert Merle 2011 -> The Elephant Keeper’s Children Peter Hoeg 2011 -> January 1: Ecstasy zZz January 2: King of Anything Sara Bareillis 2011 -> Tracks, Mixes, Masters, and More!: Analyzing Preservation Priorities for Multitrack Recordings 2011 -> Department of Electrical Engineering 2011 Annual Report 2011 -> Jv packet •Mars Colonization Affirmative •Mars Colonization Negative 2011 -> Asian Pacific Mathematical Olympiad(apmo) 2011 -> Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) omb no. 1024-0018 Download 0.9 Mb. Share with your friends:
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