FINAL EXAM

  Syllabus
 

       Professor Joop Varekamp                                 Teaching Assistants:
                                                                                                                                  Eli Fierer  343-9273
                                                                                                                           Cara Smith
RESULTS OF OUR CO2 MONITORING PROJECT  CLICK HERE
 
 

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 around the new atmospheric CO₂ monitoring facility in the E&ES department.

In addition we will look into the structure of CO₂ molecules, techniques to measure CO₂ , and carry out experiments with growing plants.

The E&ES CO₂ monitoring site will begin collecting data when the course starts. We will compare the Wesleyan CO₂ record with those from elsewhere and interpret variations in measured CO₂ contents at different time scales (day/night; weekly, seasonal, long-term) in terms of local and regional fluxes of CO₂.

We will extract CO₂ databases from the WEB and replot them with our data, calculate fluxes of absolute amounts from data series, and other computer exercises.

We will do some class lab exercises with the program SIMEARTH - you can manipulate the intensity of the sun, the extent of the biosphere, atmospheric CO₂ and more, and create your own ice ages and global warming scenarios.

Student groups will create scenarios of global warming for emission densities of CO₂ in the world, and write essays or give presentations on scientific and political aspects.
 

To learn more about Earth Science go to the UC Berkeley Geology website

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

ENN

Ocean warming

CLIMATE AND CO2
 

How does photosynthesis work?
                    Related Links:  photosynthesis diagrams

  Lecture notes Kristina Beuning
 

     How does CO₂ acidify surface waters?
                         Related Links:Urinary bicarbonate effects
                              CO2's relationship with pH
 

     How much CO₂ is there on other planets?
                    Related Links: planetary inventory
 

     How has atmospheric CO₂ varied over the course of earth's history?
                     Related Links:    CO2 and Global Climate Change
Lecture notes Ellen Thomas on Clathrates and Paleocene warming

SNOWBALL EARTH
 

POPSICLE PLANET
 

CLIMATES OF THE PAST

A TEMPERATURE RECORD

Influence of PLANTS

THE WEATHERING NOTES

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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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

==> CO₂  Forms of CO₂ on earth - CO₂ gas, H₂CO₃ and other  species in water; carbonate equilibria; limestone  Lecture notes 1 + 2 + problems

==> The carbon cycles: The long and the short carbon cycle, limestones, chemical weathering Lecture notes 3+4 + problemset # 2.  The long carbon cycle - readings

==> The Black Sea - an environment loaded with organic carbon
second black sea link

==> The photosynthetic process, C₃ and C₄ pathways, energy, chemistry

==> The isotopes of carbon ¹⁴C, ¹³C and ¹²C,  formation, applications
Isotopes of Carbon

Geochemical markers

You are what you eat
 
 

==> CLIMATE FUNDAMENTALS (HANDOUTS)

Problem Set: Calculate the "blackbody temperature" of Venus, Earth and Mars, assuming no atmosphere on these planets. The distances from the center of the sun to the center of the planets are as follows: Venus:108 million km; Earth: 150 million km; Mars:228 million km. All other constants are in the table in the back of the handout. To do it right, you can express the distance from the sun to the planets in units of solar radii. Use Boltzman and Wien, knowing that the maximum wavelength in the solar spectrum is around 0.48 micrometer.
 
 

==> 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
 
 
 

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