49004 Systems Engineering for Managers- Mechanisms of Internal Forcing

Causes of Climate Change

The level at which energy is being received from the sun and the level at which the same energy is being lost to space is what determines the earth’s climate and temperature equilibrium. The factors which determine the climate of a place are communing know as climate forcings, these factors include the change in radiations of solar, change in the orbit of the earth, change in albedo, variations in the concentration of greenhouse gases, and continental drift and mountain-building (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 215).

These factors causing the climate change can either respond slowly in reaction to forcings of climate or respond faster to the climate forcings. These factors which will respond slowly include ice caps and oceans. The mechanisms of forcing may either be external or internal. The internal mechanism of forcing are those processes which are natural within the system of climate itself such as the circulation of thermohaline. The external mechanisms of forcing may either be anthropogenic or natural. The anthropogenic factors include the rise in emissions of dust and greenhouse gases while the natural factors include volcanic eruptions, the orbit of the earth, and the variations in the solar output (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 247).

The Mechanisms of Internal Forcings

The five components of the climate change of the earth have been defined to include lithosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere which are restricted to the sediments, soil, and rocks of the surface, and biosphere.

Variability in Ocean-atmosphere: the atmosphere and ocean may function together in generating the variability in internal climate spontaneously which may continue for many decades. These variabilities include the oscillation of the Atlantic multidecadal and the oscillation of Pacific decadal, this changes may affect the earth average temperature of the surface through heat redistribution between the atmosphere and the deep ocean hence leading to the alteration distribution of water vapour, cloud and sea ice which may affect the total budget of energy of the globe (David Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 158).

Life: the general life affects the change in climate through its role in the water and carbon cycles and through many mechanisms such as weathering, albedo, cloud formation and evapotranspiration. The process of glaciation which occurred 2.5billion years ago caused by the development of oxygenic photosynthesis leading to the depletion of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and an introduction of oxygen into the atmosphere. The process of global cooling which occurred 40 million years ago was caused by the expansion of ecosystem’s green grazers (David Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 174).

 The Mechanism of external forcings.

Variations in the orbit: a slight change in the orbit of the earth may result in the variation in the distribution of seasons of sunlight reaching the surface of the earth and its spreading across the earth. It has been proved that there is less variation in the yearly normal sunlight but there may be huge variation in the seasonal and geographic distribution. The three categories of changes in orbit include changes in the eccentricity of the earth, the precession of the axis of the earth and the variation in the tilt angle of the axis of rotation of the earth. These variations have a huge effect on the climatic change and their connection to an interglacial and glacial period (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 185).

Solar variation: The sun has been the dominant energy source to the whole globe. Other sources of energy include the tidal energy from the moon, geothermal energy from the core of the earth, and heat from the decay of the compounds which are radioactive. Both short term variation and long term variation in the intensity of the sun have been proved to have some effects on the climate on the earth (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 190). The figure 1 below shows the changes in solar activities in the last centuries.

Volcanism: the eruption during the volcanism has been proved to have the sufficient effect on the climate of the earth on a scale which is greater than one year which are the ones that injected more than 100,000 tonnes of sulphur oxide into the stratosphere. The property of sulphate aerosols and sulphur dioxide that enable them to have a strong absorption or scatter the solar radiation leading to the creation of the global layer of Sulphuric acid haze. These eruptions happened many times in a century leading to the cooling through partly blocking the solar radiation transmission to the surface of the earth to the period of many years (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 198). Figure 2 below shows atmospheric temperature between 1979 and 2010 after a volcanic eruption.

Plate tectonics: the movement of the plate tectonics changes ocean and areas in the globe leading to the generation of topography which can affect both the local and global patterns of climate and circulation of the ocean-atmosphere. The location of the continents regulates the geometry of the ocean hence influencing the patterns of the circulation in the ocean. The position of the seas is significant in regulation the moisture and heat transfer across the world hence influencing the climate of the earth (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 167).

Human influences: the anthropogenic factor is a term used in referring to activities human deed which affects the changes in climate. The most important human influence is the increase in the level of carbon dioxide which is caused by the emissions from combustion of fossil fuel, emission from the manufacture of cement and aerosols. Other factors causing the emissions of carbon dioxide include deforestation, land use, animal husbandry especially animals such as cattle which releases methane, and the depletion of the ozone (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 173). Figure 3 below shows the increase in the level of CO₂ in the atmosphere.

Physical Evidence of Climatic Change

The evidence of change in climate is taken from many sources that can reconstruct climate in the past. Practically the records of global surface temperature that is complete are present from mid-late 19^th century. From the early time, many indications are changes of indirect climate which are conditional from proxies changes, those displays that replicate climate, like cores of ice, change in sea level, vegetation, glacial geology and the dendrochronology (David Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 168).

Archeological and historical evidence: the change in climate in the past years can be detected in the corresponding variation in the agricultural and the settlement patterns. The historical documents, archaeological evidence, and oral history can provide the understandings in the past climatic changes (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 217).

Glaciers: this factor is viewed as the most thoughtful pointer in the change in climate. Due to the warming in temperatures, the glaciers reduces unless the precipitation of snow increase to recover for the additional melt. The temperature variation, precipitation, and subglacial and englacial hydrology may determine the glacial evolution for a given season (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 176). The figure 4 below shows the thickness of glaciers has declined globally in the first century.

Vegetation: the variation in the distribution, coverage, and type of vegetation may take place in case of climate change. Most of the climatic change may result in the warmth and precipitation which may result in the growth of plants, fruiting and flowering time.

Precipitation and cloud cover: in the previous precipitation, it has been estimated in the current period with a precipitation gauges of the global network. The surface coverage over a remote areas and ocean is relatively low however reducing the data of precipitation, interpolation, and satellite clouds have been accessible since the 1970s. Other physical evidence explaining the climate change include the change in sea levels, ice cores, animals, pollen analysis, ice loss in arctic sea, and dendroclimatology (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 167).

Current Initiatives put in Place to Mitigate Climate Change

The climatic change mitigation involves the actions put in place to minimize the rate or magnitude of long-term change in climate. The mitigation of climatic change normally involves minimization of human greenhouse gases emissions or improving the carbon sinks capacity through processes such as reforestation. Some of the mitigation measures that have currently been put in place include greenhouse gas stabilization and concentration, energy consumption through the power source, intergovernmental and governmental actions, and non-governmental approaches (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 149).

Greenhouse gas stabilization and concentration: the climatic change can be mitigated through the stabilization of the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level in which the ecosystem may adapt to the change, development of economy can proceed and the production of food is not threatened. It is important to reduce the rate of adding carbon dioxide to be at the same level as the atmospheric concentration of the gas. The reduction in emission is necessary to stabilize the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere (David Leonard Downie, 2014, p. 178).

Consumption of energy consumption by power source: the power sources which high emission intensity of the carbon should be replaced with a view of creating lasting mitigation measures of the climate change. The power sources which can be used to replace this high carbon sources include nuclear power and hydroelectricity.

Intergovernmental and governmental organizations: The developing and developed countries have come up with ways of using cleaner technologies. There are policies put in place to reduce the emissions, increasing the utilization of renewable energy, and improving the efficiency of energy (Lovejoy, 2014, p. 217).

Non-governmental approaches: individuals and groups can come up with ways of mitigating the climate change such as educating the society on using renewable resources, burning less gasoline, lowering home heating, and buying local products.

Conclusion

The research paper is an individual assignment on climate change. The change in climate may denote to the alteration in the average conditions of weather or the variation of time of the weather within a given period. Some of the factors causing climatic change include internal and external forcing mechanisms, and human effects. The physical evidence of climate change includes vegetation, glaciers, and pollen analysis. The mitigation measures which can be implemented to limit the change in climate include greenhouse gas stabilization and concentration, intergovernmental and governmental actions, and non-governmental approaches.

References

David Leonard Downie, K. B. (2014). Climate Change: A Reference Handbook. London: ABC-CLIO.

Lovejoy, T. E. (2014). Climate Change and Biodiversity. Michigan: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).