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| Global
warming
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Global
warming is the
extraordinary increase
of Earth's surface temperature due to the increase
of greenhouse gases
concentration on the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases are the
heat-trapping gases in the
atmosphere (carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, and CFC).
They are the fundamental parts
of the greenhouse effect,
the role played by the
atmosphere to continually warm
the earth, by trapping some
portions of heat that came from
the solar energy (sun radiation)
from reflecting back to space
--- just like the work of a
greenhouse.
Below
is a table explaining some
important pointers for global
warming:
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| Causes of Global
Warming |
-
Rapid
use of fossil fuel
Rapid use of fossil
fuel will emit large
amount of greenhouse
gases, especially
carbon dioxide.
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Deforestation/clearing
of lands
The increase of
human population
coincidentally
demands for more
lands to use. This
leads to clearance
of forest area in
many regions. By
eliminating forests,
carbon dioxide that
actually should be
photosynthesized is
left in the
atmosphere and
accumulate to
contribute to the
increase.
-
The
use of CFC in
electronic
appliances
CFC, or
chlorofluorocarbon
is a gas that
decreases ozone (O3)
in the atmosphere,
causing ozone
depletion that
increase the amount
of solar radiation
arriving to the
Earth. (See
ozone
depletion)
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Open
burning of trash
Open burning of
trash worldwide
emits greenhouse
gases.
-
Vehicle
and industrial
emissions
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Volcanic
eruptions
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| Signs
of Global Warming |
- The
receding of ice
formations on Earth
(snows at
mountain-tops,
glaciers, and
Antarctic and Arctic
ice)
- The
increase of
shrubbery in Arctic
- Thinner
clouds over the sky,
that decrease the
ability to reflect
heat from the sun
(as studied by NASA)
- The
discovery of the
decrease of Earth's
albedo (the amount
of sunlight
reflection by the
Earth surface to the
Moon) by 2.5
percent, which means
the Earth has loosen
some levels of
capability
to reflect sunlight
to the Moon.
- Change
in wind directions
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| Impacts |
- Stormy
weather (more
chances for
hurricanes, floods,
cyclones, and storms
to happen)
- Increased
severity for
drought, hunger and
spread of diseases,
especially in poor
countries
- Declines
of amphibians,
caused by altered precipitation
patterns resulted in
lower levels of pond
and lake waters,
where amphibians
survive.
- Damages
to coral reefs
- Marine
diseases
- Rising
ocean temperature
- Ecosystem
degradation
- Declining
of biodiversity
- Economic
and social downturn
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Climatic pattern change |
Next:
El
Nino & La Nina
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