The global carbon cycle and climate ± human actions such as burning of fossil fuels and
deforestation result in carbon dioxide inputs to the atmosphere, where it acts as a greenhouse
gas, causing harmful climatic changes.
Therefore, this is an example of processes that occur at the interface of human activities,
the atmosphere and the biosphere and its study belongs to the domain of Physical Geography.
ï Simple Model of the Earth System ± The Four Great Realms
Lithosphere h ï
ydrosphere h ï
ïtmosphere h ï
0iosphere h ï
Global ydrologic
Cycle
System Interactions and Dynamics
Equilibrium
hen interactions between subsystems exactly balance one another (what comes in goes
out) Example ± Thermostat
Quasi-equilibrium
hen interactions aren¶t exactly balanced at one point in time, but balance out over a long
time Example ± Surface Temperature
Feedbacks
Changes in the system that lead to further changes in the system
Positive Feedback
hen changes in the system lead to additional changes that rehenforce the initial change
Example h Credit Cards
Negative Feedback
hen changes in the system lead to additional changes that dampen the initial change
Example ± Students Attitude and Classroom Ambience
Positive Feedback: Ice-ïlbedo Feedback
|
Mor
owovr
L
rgy
or
ro
armer temperatures
þess snow cover
More energy absorbed from the sun
Space and Time Scales
Spatial scales
Global ± þong term climate changes
Continental ± El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
Regional ± Geographic shifts in climate regimes (e.g. dust bowl
of the 1930¶s)
þocal ± Extreme events (e.g., short duration droughts;
Hurricanes)
Time scales
Short ± Atmospheric disturbances (hourly to weekly)
Seasonal ± þand vegetation
Interannual h ENSO
Decadal ± Solar influences
þong scale ± Ocean related
Very very long scale ± distribution of continents
eather?
Climate is defined as averaged weather, typically defined in terms of mean and other statistical
quantities (higher order moments), that measure variability over a period of time and over a
geographical region (space).
Climate = hat you expect,
eather = hat you get.