Dear Glenns Students- It is not coincidental that all M&E classes right now from the sophomores to the seniors are studying climate change. In Foundations, we are looking at the natural astronomical and geological forcings on our climate, that tend to produce changes with periods from centuries to millennia. Milankovitch cycles, plate tectonic changes, and solar output are well known drivers of large-scale, slow climatic change. In M&E I, we are looking at how Earth's atmosphere moves, what it is made of, how the interaction between the oceans and the atmosphere create a dynamic fluid envelope for life and the overall organization of Earth's biomes. Finally in Oceanography, we are studying global ocean circulation which acts as the Earth's heat pump, moving warm air from the tropics and redistributing it to the poles, ventilating the deep ocean and delivering oxygen to the benthos and nutrients to the surface. Current global warming and rapid glacial melt could threaten to stabilize the water column around the zones of deep and bottom water formation, capping the water column with stable, fresh water. This potential negative feedback could lead to rapid global cooling according to some researchers.
Let's see what scientists are talking about with a couple of interesting readings to put our learning into a larger context. The first article is very concerning as we have a lot of unknowns about what is actually happening out in the extremes of the environment, the poles, and little money being allocated to study the areas where we have so many big questions. The second article has been around for a while now, but is a very interesting analysis of Global Ocean Conveyor Belt shutdown, how it could occur and what it might mean. Many folks consider climate change to be some far off, future generational potential- what if we are living it right now in fast forward? Some things to think about.
Ready or not - quick climate changes worry scientists most
Abrupt Climate Change should we be worried?
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