SMT 416: Assignment #1

Name: Carla Romero Hermosillo

Summary
The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to the how we study the
global climate system. This assignment will touch on five Key Indicators
of climate change: Global Temperature, Carbon Dioxide, Sea Level, Sea Ice
and Land Ice displayed on NASA's website (see below). We will often make
use of three mathematical expressions Magnitude, Anomaly and Rate,
to highlight different climate change processes. While magnitude of a
something is difference between an initial and final state (depending on the
question), anomaly is best understood as a departure from average value
and the rate is change of something over a given period of time. All
expressions can have negative numbers.
Visit http://climate.nasa.gov/key_indicators and start by clicking Global
Temperature section at the top of the page.
Global Surface Temperature

Examine the graph of Global Surface Temperature Anomaly from 18802010

by hovering your mouse on the graph. Note: Temperatures are shown as
'anomaly' with respect to average of global surface temperature between
1951-1980 AD interval. Positive and negative anomalies refer to
temperatures that were higher and lower than average 1951-1980
temperature, respectively.
Q1: What is the magnitude of global warming between 1910 and 2010 AD?
1910: -0.46*C
2010: .66*C
-0.46*C - .66*C= -1.12*C
The magnitude is -1.12*C
Q2: What is the rate of warming between 1960 and 2010 (divide the change in temperature by
number of years).
1960: -0.04*C
2010: .66*C
-0.04*C- .66*C= -0.7*C/50 yrs
= -0.014*C
The rate of warming is -0.014*C
Q3: Examine the animated Time Series map (by dragging the cursor from left to right) , which
illustrates global surface temperature from18842010. Notice that the warming trend is increasing
disproportionately in some regions compared to others. By the time you reach 2010, which
regions have warmed the most? And by what amount?
The regions that have warmed the most are the northern regions and by temperature
difference of 2 degrees.

Carbon Dioxide

Now, click on another indicator- Carbon Dioxide. This gas is one of the most effect greenhouse gases,
meaning it does the best job of trapping solar radiation in the Earths atmosphere. Examine the Direct
Measurements:2005Present graph. Carbon Dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have been steadily
rising.
Q4

At what rate is this increase occurring? (hint: divide the change in carbon dioxide
by the number of years)
395.94 ppm-378.21 ppm= 17.73 ppm/8 yrs
=2.216 ppm
The rate it is occurring in is 2.216 ppm

Q5:

Look at the graph on left. What is the range of CO2 concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere over
the 400,000 years?
The range of CO2 concentrations in the Earth atmosphere is from 180 to 380 parts per
million.

Sea Level
Refer to the Sea Level section of the Key Indicators page. Modern sea level is actually quite
low when compared to sea levels throughout the history of Earth.
Q6

Examine the Ground Data: 18702000 chart (left). How much has sea level risen since 1870?
Give your answer in mm. Examine the chart on right now. What is the rate of sea level increase
between 1994 and 2012? Is it higher or lower compared to the rate between 1870 and 1970?
Sea level has risen since 1870 from 0 to 199mm. The rate of sea level increase between 1994
and 2012 is 68mm/18 yrs= 3.777mm. It is higher compared to the rate between 1870 and
1970.

Q7:

Assuming the sea level would continue to rise at the rate typical of 1994-2012 interval, calculate
the rise in sea level by year 2100 AD.
150mm

Q8:

Examine the time series map. As you move your cursor from left to right, you will changes in the
sea level expressed as anomalies (that is, departure from average). Negative numbers mean sea
level below average and positive numbers mean higher than average). Examine sea level maps for
year 1997 and 2008 and focus on the Equatorial Pacific area. How are sea levels in 2008 different
from 1997?
In 1997 sea level was below average in 2008 sea level was higher than average.

Land Ice
Now refer to Land Ice section. While global ice is stored on land (as glaciers and ice sheets) and in the sea
(as the arctic ice cap and ice shelves), it is the melting of land ice that contributes directly to sea level rise.
Q9

Examine and compare the Greenland Mass Variation Since 2002 and Antarctica Mass
Variation Since 2002 charts.
(i)
Which one of the two ice sheets has lost more ice during this period? And by how much?

The sheet of Antarctica lost more ice. It has lost more than 100 cubic kilometers (24
cubic miles) of ice per year since 2002.
(ii)
Greenland
Antartica

What is the rate of loss of ice for Greenland and Antarctica. Make sure you provide
correct units for your answers.
864.74 billion tons- (-1098.21 billion tons)= -233.47 /7 yrs= 33.35 billion tons
955.27 billion tons- (-502.73 billion tons)= 452.54/ 7 yrs= 64.64 billion tons

Sea Ice
Finally, go to the "Sea Ice" section of the web page. While arctic sea ice does not contribute directly to
sea level rise, melting arctic ice does have a great effect on the global climate system.
Q 10

Which year, since 1980, was the arctic ice cap largest? Which year was the arctic ice cap
smallest? What is the rate of melting between 1980 and 2000 AD? Is this rate same or less than
the rate between 2000 and 2012?
Artic ice cap was the largest in 1996. The arctic ice cap was smallest in 2007. The rate of
melting between 1980 and 2000 A.D. is 0.1 million sq. km. The rate is less than rate between
2000 and 2012.