Global Warming

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What are the 5 greenhouse gasses?
- water vapor
- carbon dioxide
- methane
- nitrous oxides
- ozone
Water vapor:
- most abundant greenhouse gas
- H20
Carbon dioxide:
- concentration has been increasing since mid-1800s
- increase correlates with burning of fossil fuels
- CO2
Methane:
- has been increasing
- naturally occurs due to decay of organic matter, digestive processes of organisms, leaks from petroleum reservoirs
- humans have contributed through domestication of animals, rice production, and leaks from gas pipelines
- CH4
What is the ocean conveyor belt?

circulation of ocean water in oceans that can cause fast changes in climate
What is happening in the Atlantic Ocean conveyor belt?
- northward movement of surface waters are cooled when they hit Greenland
- water cools, becomes saltier and denser, sinks to bottom
- then flows southward to Africa
- huge amounts of warm water keep Europe way warmer than it would be
What are the effects of global warming?
- precipitation changes
- changes in vegetation patterns
- increased storminess
- climate pattern changes
- ice pattern changes
- thawing of frozen ground
- sea level rise
- changes in hydrologic cycle
- decomposition of organic material in soil
- breakdown of gas hydrates
- wildfires
- changes in biosphere