The Effect Of Plate Tectonics On Global Climate

Two of the earth's biggest structures are our oceans and continents, which sit on tectonic plates. The interactions between tectonic plates and oceans are one big influence that can determine the earth’s climate and as a result of that can contribute to climate change.

The Earth has been experiencing a considerable amount of climate change for the last several decades. Natural factors that contribute to the climate system consist of: solar output, volcanic activity and earth’s orbit around the sun. The two factors relevant on timescales of contemporary climate exist in volcanic activity and changes in solar radiation. The earth’s energy balance primarily influences the amount of incoming energy from volcanic eruptions, which have a relatively short-term effect on climate. Changes in solar output have contributed greatly to climate trends over the past century. The effect of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has been at least ten times that of changes in the Sun’s output and the ocean covers more than 70 percent of the earth’s surface, receiving twice the amount of earth’s radiation. Although the sun is the engine that drives all the weather, oceans and atmosphere control the sun 's energy along certain

To compare, all three planets have secondary atmospheres that were produced by volcanoes. To contrast, Venus is too close to the Sun, and was too warm for liquid water to form and without liquid water; the CO2 could not settle out of the atmosphere and dissolve into the oceans. This caused Venus to suffer from runaway greenhouse effect and became hot with an extremely dense and vastly insulated atmosphere. Along with this, UV sunlight destroyed the H2O in the atmosphere. On the other hand, Earth had enough distance from the Sun for liquid water to form and precipitate out into the ocean while the CO2 in the atmosphere dissolved into the oceans and was removed from the atmosphere. The trace amounts of H2O and CO2 in the atmosphere create an insulating layer which is enough to keep the Earth at a mild temperature. Out of the three planets, Mars is the farthest from the Sun. It is possible that Mars had liquid water earlier in its history. The CO2 dissolved into water; however, Mars has less mass than Venus or the Earth. Because of Mars’ smaller mass, it has less tectonic activity and Volcanism stopped early in its formation. This did not allow the atmosphere to be renewed from CO2 or H2O

Plate tectonics move land masses around, and occasionally, interactions between different plates causes new land to form, and can even join two separate continents together, changing ocean currents and causing climate change. This is evident in the collision of the North and South American continents, which created the Isthmus of Panama, and separated the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Approximately 15 million years ago, the North and South American continent was cut off from each other by a seaway about 200 km wide. Over time, the South American plate collided with the Caribbean and Cocos plate, and gradually closed the exchange of the Caribbean and Pacific waters 3-4 million years ago. This resulted in several consequences.

Damon Matthews, a professor in Concordia University’s Department of Geography, found a direct connection between carbon dioxide and global warming. Matthew’s studies show that same global temperature increase, regardless of when or over what period of time the emission occurs. The effect of adding more carbon dioxide is predicted in the theory of greenhouse gases. Swedish scientist, Syante Arrhenius, first proposed the theory in 1896, based on earlier work by Fourier and Tyndall. At the same time, many scientists have reached the same conclusion. If we increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the Earth’s temperature will increase. Energy is absorbed from the sun in the form of visible light and ultraviolet radiation. The earth then releases some of this energy as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere captures some of this heat, then re-emit it in all directions. During this process, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases keep the Earth’s surface 33 degree Celsius warmer than it would be without them. According to an ongoing temperature analysis conducted by a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), the average global temperature on Earth has increased by about 0.8 degree Celsius. Since 1975, two-thirds of the warming has occurred at a rate of roughly 0.15-0.20 degree Celsius per decade.

Scientist know the earth has undergone a series of ice ages that last for millions of years. We are in the Cenozoic period, which has seen ice ages from 36, 15, and 3 million years ago, with the most recent glacier development peaking about 20,000 years ago during the Ice Age. Scientists believe that during the first two steps of this cooling, the yearly average air temperature in North America dropped by about 12 degree Celsius, a shift that would have had immediate effects on the plants, animals, and ecosystems of the continent. Scientists also feel confident that the movements of continental plates affects climate by altering the contours of the earth and seabed. By altering the earth’s surface, plate tectonics might also affect the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. For example, a volcanic explosion will create more carbon dioxide through a degassing process, but will cut down on emissions by burying organic material that normally releases carbon dioxide as it decays. Plate tectonics might also alter greenhouse gas concentrations when mountains are created, exposing silicate rocks which also release carbon dioxide through

Scientists examined the Venusian atmosphere and found out that above the clouds the temperature is about 13oC, in contrast, at the surface of Venus the temperature gets as high as 465oC. It is believed that the principle cause of the extreme surface temperature is the consequence abundant carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Scientists concluded that Venusian atmosphere undergoes greenhouse effect. In essence, the heat delivered from the Sun enter the atmosphere and is radiated out, then again, it does not leave the atmosphere due to its heavy clouds that impede it from such. For this reason, Venus’ surface temperature is higher than that on Mercury – higher than any other planet! – leaving no chance of life.

Climate change or colloquially known as global warming, now pose a new threat to civilization as the levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) are soaring to new levels. The most significant contributor to greenhouse gasses would be Carbon Dioxide (Co2). The levels of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) gas have risen to levels civilization has not seen before. As such, the effects of these levels are not known to civilization as data gathered from the ice cores drilled in the Antarctica only shows data up to 650,000 years ago. However we can conclude that present CO2 concentrations are higher compared to any time in the last 650,000 years (IPCC 2007). Current carbon dioxide concentrations are hovering around 389 parts per million (ppm) as of September 2011,

The tectonic plates are all over the earth’s surface. Over the years, these plates and their characteristics have become common knowledge. These plates move around 3cm at least every year and they move in different directions due to the convection currents of molten magma that flows beneath them. [Raunekk 2010] A convention current definition is “a current in that a fluid is that a results from convection.” [Earth’s dynamic] Then the movement of these plates are the main forces behind catastrophic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions as well as the development of mountains. In addition, this means that these plates are the main reason why our planet surface looks the way it does today. When processes such as pushing, folding and tilting (as well as other forms of tectonic movement) take place, it shapes our planet [Weather Wizkids 2015] as well as playing its part in heating it to an unbearable degree along with the aids of ocean currents. In comparison to the plates that mainly produce heat through its products the ocean current move the heat all over the earth’s surface.

Venus, like Earth, once had a moon. Unlike Earth, however, Venus' moon was positioned closer, and instead of slowly drifting outwards, it moved in towards Venus until in began disintegrating into its atmosphere and literally rained down upon its surface. This bombardment causes catastrophic damage to Venus' crust and lithosphere, allowing for excess heat to radiate outwards. The force of the impacts created their own heat as well. As the moon drifted inward and disintegrated, Venus' rotation became slowed, weakening its magnetic field, adding further to the planet's rise in temperature, as it could not protect itself against the sun. Eventually, temperatures rose so high that the oceans evaporated along with other minerals, creating the thick smog that encases Venus today. This friction caused by this dense atmosphere slowed the planet further and even caused a reverse in rotation. During this period, Venus' magma was released to the surface, covering the damage of its fallen moon.

A single gallon of gasoline, when burned, puts nineteen pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When you think of the amount of gasoline is put into millions of motor vehicles every day, that is a way bigger number. More alarming is that Venus, Earth’s sister planet, has an atmosphere almost entirely made up of carbon dioxide, trapping so much heat that Venus’ surface temperature is an average of 872 degrees fahrenheit, and the pressure is 9.3 bar--about that of the pressure of 3,000 feet under the ocean. Our atmosphere will probably never reach that state, but CO2 amounts it steadily increases, drastic changes can and will occur. For these reasons and many others people should show larger concern for our planet’s climate for their

Bouttes et al (2011). We compared maps presenting our main factors (planetary albedo, precipitation, snow and ice cover, surface air temperature) with doubled levels of carbon dioxide alone, or doubled levels of carbon dioxide and methane together. Each and every comparison revealed what little impact methane has compared to carbon dioxide. Globally, surface air temperature average lowered 0.07 degrees C, snow and ice coverage average increased 0.7%, precipitation did not change at all, and average planetary albedo increased 0.02%. These minute changes were nothing compared to the vast changes caused by doubled carbon dioxide, which models we ran to compare the see the effect of extreme variations in greenhouse gas levels. Our research led us to discover that greenhouse gases had a strong impact on the Last Glacial Maximum, and carbon dioxide was the greenhouse gas that specifically caused most of this impact in both warming and, more importantly, in

• Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere. • Since pre-industrial times, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased from about 280 parts per million (ppm) to over 380 ppm. Current concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are unprecedented in at least the last 650,000 years, based on records from gas bubbles trapped in polar ice. • Independent measurements demonstrate that the increased CO2 in the atmosphere comes

The second main “driver” of global temperature change is reflectivity. Changes in reflectivity affect how much energy enter Earth’s system. When the sunlight reaches Earth, it can be reflected or absorbed, and that depends on the Earth’s surface and atmosphere; light colors reflect the most sunlight, while dark colors absorb more sunlight. Albedo, the amount of solar radiation reflected from an object or surface, indicates the amount of sunlight reflected as a percentage. Earth has an albedo of about 30%, which means that 70% of the sunlight is absorbed (NRC, 2010). This is important because the sunlight absorbed warms the land, water and atmosphere. In the past, this can be seen in the melting of sea ice or increases in cloud cover.

A large portion of the population has claimed that the earth is going through a natural phase and in part that is true, but we also need to analyze the evidence that we have sped it up and made the Carbon Dioxide levels rise much more and much faster. To look at these changes, scientists have sent out satellites to measure the fluctuations in the sun’s energy. The historical record shows that the climate system varies naturally over a wide range of time. These variations have been minuscule in comparison to human influences in the past several centuries. This means that humans, since the industrial age, have produced six billion tons of carbon dioxide from the factories that have been built. The main component that is burnt is coal, which is one of the main sources of energy for