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The cryosphere consists of those regions of the globe, both land and sea, covered by snow and ice. These include Antarctica, the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Northern Canada, Northern Siberia and most of the high mountain ranges throughout the world, where sub-zero temperatures persist throughout the year. The cryosphere plays another […]

The global climate change organization and Figure 1.3 illustrates how the energy transfers of the Earth-atmosphere system are in equilibrium. On a global scale and over a time period of several days and more this assumption is valid, and is adequate for an understanding of the causes of climate change […]

Table 6.9 illustrates the reductions in emissions of the most important greenhouse gases that would be required now to stabilise atmospheric concentrations at present day levels (IPCC, 1990a). Table 6.9. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions required to stabilise atmospheric concentrations Greenhouse Gas Reduction Required Carbon Dioxide 60% Methane 15 – […]

In section 6.4.1.5, the atmospheric adjustment time of CO2 was discussed. How quickly the additional influx of anthropogenic CO2 is removed from the atmosphere depends upon the time constants of the removal processes. Similarly, for other greenhouse gases, the adjustment time describes the rate at which the compound is removed […]

Radiative-convective models (RCMs) are 1-D or 2-D, with height the dimension that is invariably present. RCMs simulate in detail the transfer of energy through the depth of the atmosphere, including: a) the radiative transformations that occur as energy is absorbed, emitted and scattered, and; b) the role of convection, energy […]

This final chapter has comprehensively reviewed the evidence for contemporary anthropogenic climate change. The changing composition of the atmosphere (involving both greenhouse gases and aerosols) was discussed and its potential influence on greenhouse forcing and climate change examined. Despite the lack of unequivocal attribution for the enhanced greenhouse hypothesis, the […]

Glacier fluctuations result from changes in the mass balance of glaciers; if snow accumulation at the source outweighs glacier ablation, glacier thickening and the forward advance of the glacier snout occurs; conversely, if the rate of ablation exceeds snow accumulation, the glacier thins and recedes. Such glacial movements will always […]

Numerous proxy records have been used to reconstruct Pleistocene climate variations. Before the widespread use of deep-sea sediment cores, it was known that there had been a number of fluctuations of Pleistocene glaciers. Windblown loess deposits have also been used to demonstrate climate change on the continents (Kukla, 1970). However, […]

Variations in cryospheric variables, such as snow, ice and glacial extent occur in response to changes in temperature, sunshine amount, precipitation, and for sea-ice, changes in wind-stress. Since 1966 Northern Hemisphere snow cover maps have been produced using National (U.S) Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite imagery. Consistent with the […]