Common Myth-conceptions
"It snowed in Texas last year! Climate change can't be real!"
This describes short-term atmospheric conditions, rather than long-term, cumulative climate patterns.
What is Weather?
These gases absorb and emit infrared radiation, changing how efficiently Earth loses energy to space.
What are greenhouse gases?
Along with pH, scientists (such as *Present Dr. D) will measure this property to help characterize seawater chemistry and its resistance to changes in acidity.
What is alkalinity?
Scientists combine measurements from the air over land and the ocean surface to estimate this.
What is global temperature?
As Arctic permafrost thaws, previously frozen organic matter becomes available for microbial decomposition, releasing greenhouse gases such as CO₂ and this more potent gas.
What is methane (CH₄)?
"It is natural! It can't cause global warming."
Plants use this gas in photosynthesis, but increasing its concentration in the atmosphere strengthens the greenhouse effect.
What is CO2?
Organic matter decomposing in oxygen-poor, waterlogged thawing soils is more likely to produce this greenhouse gas
What is Methane?
The approximately 7.7 Pg of carbon released by human activity is shown going into these three major places.
What are the atmosphere, ocean, and plants?
This gas contributes to global warming and changes ocean chemistry when absorbed by seawater.
What is Carbon dioxide (CO2)?
As sea levels rise, seawater can infiltrate coastal aquifers, contaminating freshwater supplies through this process.
What is salt water intrusion?
"The weather man can't even predict yesterdays weather, so theres no way he can predict the future global climate."
Scientists measure these to track global changes over time and compare with 'normal' fluctuations.
What are Anomalies?
Scientists analyze the ratio of this in ice to help reconstruct past temperatures.
What are oxygen isotopes?
In both Freshwater and Salterwater these types of waters absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere and have been hit first by ocean acidification.
What are colder/cooler waters?
When CO₂ reacts with seawater, it forms this weak acid, which can release hydrogen ions and lower pH.
What is Carbonic acid?
Coral reefs provide habitat for approximately this percentage of marine species, making their degradation a major threat to marine biodiversity.
What is 25%?
"The coldest places on Earth can't have the strongest warming."
Due to this feedback loop, melting ice uncovers darker land or ocean beneath, which then absorbs more sunlight, causing more heating.
What is Ice-Albedo Feedback?
As ocean temperatures increase, seawater generally becomes less capable of holding dissolved carbon dioxide. This gas-solubility principle helps explain how warming can affect the ocean's role in the carbon cycle.
What is Henry’s law?
On the R/V Roger Revelle, CO₂ in ocean water was measured in this carbon pool.
What is dissolved inorganic carbon?
As ocean acidification increases, the availability of these ions decreases, making it more difficult for corals to build their skeletons.
What are Carbonate ions?
Global warming may weaken this ocean circulation system, which redistributes heat around the planet through differences in seawater temperature and salinity.
What is thermohaline circulation?
"There is nothing to be done to fix global warming."
While we are nearing the 1.5 °C new equilibrium threshold, mitigation practices such as this are important for reducing the negative effects of climate change.
What is Reducing Emissions?
These compounds damage stratospheric ozone, and many are also powerful greenhouse gases, creating two distinct environmental concerns
What are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)?
In addition to dissolved inorganic carbon, the cruise measured this especially combustion-associated form of carbon.
What is black carbon?
Scientists measure the saturation state of this form of calcium carbonate to evaluate conditions for coral skeleton formation.
What is Aragonite?
Under an extreme warming scenario presented in lecture, oceans could become sources of this toxic gas, recognizable by its characteristic rotten-egg odor.
What is hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)?