Climate Change Observation, Inference

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Climate Change Observation,InferencePredictio
n

• http//climate.nasa.gov/evidence

www.chicagobotanic.org
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Temperature Increase
(July 2014)
All three major global surface temperature
reconstructions show that Earth has warmed since
1880. 2 Most of this warming has occurred
since the 1970s. All 10 of the warmest years
occurred in the past 12 years. 3 Despite a solar
output decline, surface temperatures continue to
increase. 4
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Images 2 and 3
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Another 2012 study links extreme precipitation
and weather events with human caused temperature
increases.7
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A 2012 study found that soil moisture in already
dry areas around the world could decrease as
much as 15 by 2099.6
Wet regions will get wetter and dry regions will
get drier.8
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Image 4
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Declining Arctic Sea Ice

• Both the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice
  has declined rapidly over the last several
  decades.

Between 1984 and 2012 more than 50 of sea ice
cover has been lost. A reduction of 3.29 million
sq. km.14 Monthly averaged ice volume for
September 2013 was 67 lower than the maximum in
1979. 15
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Image 5
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Sea Level Rise
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Images 6 7
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Image 8
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Carbon Dioxide Levels
PPM
The Keeling Curve shows a pattern of steadily
increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since
1958.
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Carbon Dioxide Levels

• Levels of Carbon Dioxide are higher today than at
  anytime in past 650,000 years.
• Human activity (fossil fuel burning,
  deforestation, land use) add CO2 to the
  atmosphere.

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Do you think there is evidence for climate
change?
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CO2 and Temperature
July 2014 399.0 ppm
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CO2 and Temperature