I WORK ON THE WEBSITE ON A 'PER LECTURE' BASIS, SO DO NOT GO PAST 'WHERE WE ARE'
PROJECT PAPERS: SOLAR COOKERS, CLIMATE POLICIES SEQUESTRATION, PLANTS, NIR absorption, Joops World, CO2 in water
Professor Joop Varekamp Teaching Assistants:
TRISTAN KADING, JOEL LABELLA
The role of CO2 in earth processes is very large relative to the modest quantities of it that are present in the atmosphere. In this course we will study all aspects of the physics, chemistry and biology of CO2. The course is structured loosely around the atmospheric CO2 monitoring facility in the E&ES department through a variety of projects that involve CO2.
Course Outline:
==>Introduction Roles of CO2 on earth
- Venus-Earth-Mars:
3 planets - three climates, composition of the terrestrial
atmosphere 3.5 billion years ago, similarities with Venus; composition
now ==> dominant influence of plant life
LECT 1. PAPER BY KASTING ET AL - CLIMATES ON THE PLANETS
How much CO2 is there on other planets? planetary CO2 inventory

LECTURE 2. THE RADIATIVE BUDGET OF THE EARTH
version 2 of the radiative budget
RADIATIONBUDGET FOR THE BLOCKY EARTH
LECTURE 3. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
good and simple overview of radiation budget / greenhouse effect
Good review of insolation on earth
LECTURE 4. MORE GREENHOUSE EFFECT -
ANIMATIONS OF RAD BUDGET REAL TIME ILLUMINATION EARTH
A. ALBEDO B. CO2 SPECTRUM C. OVERALL SPECTRUM D. SUN EARTH REAL EMISSIONS SPECTRA
E. RADIATION OVERVIEW F. TEXT FILE WITH ABSORPTION LAWS AND MODEL APPROACH
G. net radiation balance by lat
ONE LECTURE OFF - WORK ON PROB SET AND EXPERIMENTS
NICE PLANCK CALCULATION FILE - GOT IT ALL (PLANCK-BOLTZMAN, WIEN)
TEXTBOOK ON RADIATION AND CLIMATE (UNFINISHED BOOK)
read chapters 1+3. you may want to survey the other chapters according to applicability to your research project.
LECTURE 5. last greenhouse remarks
climate sensitivity (bit upper level)
Greenhouse absorption details 1.
semi-quantitative review of single layer greenhouse (some pictures broken)
Now we will start talking about our favourite gas - CO2
simple overview of carbon cycles from Univ of San Diego
February 19 ==> CO2 Forms of CO2 on earth - CO2 gas, H2CO3 and other species in water; carbonate equilibria; Lecture notes 1 + 2
the short carbon cycle - websites with info
MARCH 3 - READINGS DEALING WITH THE SHORT CARBON CYCLE
THE MARINE CARBON CYCLE
March 6 --The Biological carbon pump as a CO2 sink - more biological details.
Guest speaker -
ppt and links for the BIO-BEASTIES lecture
SPRING BREAK
March 25 ==> MODELLING CLIMATE - A REHEARSAL AND OVERVIEW OF BOX MODELLING OF THE SHORT CARBON CYCLE AND CLIMATE MODELLING.
March 27 ==> More modelling and more discussions about climate change.
April 1 - The photosynthetic process, C3 and C4 pathways, energy, chemistry
How does photosynthesis work? A, B, C, D, E photosynthesis diagrams
==> The isotopes of carbon 14C, 13C
and 12C, formation, applications
You
are what you eat
April 3-8: The younger Dryas, radiocarbon, and disasters around 13K BP.
files to read:
NAS report abrupt climate change (still holds on to the thermohaline circulation model)
Clovis 1 - Clovis2 - Clovis2b - Clovis3 - people migrate

==> 1. The long carbon cycle - readings, limestones, chemical weathering
==> climate history
==> The earth climate record (long-term) and variations
in atmospheric CO2
(articles)
==> The human impact: Increase in CO2 levels
since AD 1850, ice core records, comparison with last 20,000 years
Monitoring CO2 Techniques for monitoring,
analytical devices, computer data storage
Quantitative techniques Plotting, integrating,
data precision
Local versus global signals, mixing times of the atmosphere,
problems with public policies
Limiting CO2 emissions The CO2
treaties (Rio de Janeiro, Kyoto)
CO2 disposal Burial in aquifers, deep ocean
storage
CO2
sequestration in the deep ocean
Conclusions
To learn more about photosynthesis in the oceans, go to Emiliani Huxleyi
Questions addressed:
What is the role of CO2 in global climate (greenhouse gas)?
Related Links:Emissions in U.S.
CO2 Cycling
GLOBAL WARMING
How does CO2 acidify surface waters?
Related Links:Urinary bicarbonate effects
CO2's relationship with pH
How has atmospheric CO2 varied over the course of earth's history?
Related Links: CO2 and Global Climate Change
Lecture notes on Clathrates and Paleocene warming
Influence of PLANTS
What should we do to prevent further global warming - the Kyoto treaty
Related Links: Kyoto protocol
EPA's Global Warming Site
EMISSION TRENDS
Sources of anthropogenic CO2 Fossil fuel burning, the missing carbon
How much CO2 is arriving at the surface from volcanic activity? see the lake Nyos movieclip and click on my picture (needs real video)
Volcanic Sources of Carbon Dioxide: Volcanic Degassing at Mammoth
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False colour images of the world indicating the abundance
of chlorophyl ("plants") on land and in the oceans
Upper figure: green areas have high biomass density, orange have little
plants
Lower Figure: red zones: highest chlorophyl concentrations; blue lowest
chlorophyl concentrations