Name: ancient clues to climate change
Uploaded: 2019-03-11T09:21:43.000Z
Duration: 1 min 50 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Biology

ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics

Ecosystems- Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

LS.Bio.5.2

Global Climate Change

The earth has undergone period of warming and cooling throughout its history. However, for the last few centuries, there has been a drastic increase in global temperatures, outside of the earth&#39;s cyclic norms. Warming occurs when atmospheric greenhouse gasses, like carbon dioxide become trapped between the earth and the ozone layer. Carbon dioxide can absorb solar energy of long infrared wavelengths, preventing it from traveling back into outer space, thus increasing atmospheric temperatures.

Although this is a natural process called the greenhouse effect the sharp increase in the amount of carbon dioxide present in the earth&#39;s atmosphere caused by the burning of coal and petroleum, is not. The results of this temperature increase can be see around the globe.

For example, in the Arctic, polar ice caps are melting resulting in sea level rise and island submersion. This not only threatens coastal cities, but also can increase the occurrence of extreme meteorological events, like droughts, hurricanes, and severe storms.

Also migration and breeding patterns of many animals are occurring earlier in the year than they did decades ago and the size of species distributions are decreasing.

As global warming becomes recognized by more skeptics, the increase in environmentally friendly practices by industries may provide opportunities to reverse human impact and help to avoid severe consequences of global climate change.

global climate change

Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth&rsquo;s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.

<h4>Past Periods of Warming and Cooling</h4>

In the last 650,000 years alone, there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. Over 11,000 years ago, the most recent ice age abruptly ended&mdash;marking the beginning of our modern climate era, the Holocene geological epoch. Most historical climate changes are associated with small variations in earth&rsquo;s orbit that changed the amount of the solar radiation received by the Earth.

<h4>Paleoclimatology</h4>

Paleoclimatology is the study of climatic conditions and their causes and effects throughout the Earth&rsquo;s geologic past. Paleoclimatologists employ a variety of scientific methods to deduce the past conditions of Earth&rsquo;s climate and atmospheric system.

<h4>Ice Core Data</h4>

Ice core samples taken from thick mountain glaciers and polar ice sheets can reveal information about global climate change. Seasonal pauses in ice accumulation can lead to observable layers in ice cores. These layers can be used to establish a chronology, with the lowest layers being the oldest. Researchers can then analyze properties of the ice and the material trapped inside it (e.g., air bubbles and ratios of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes) to reconstruct the Earth&rsquo;s ancient climate. The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica analyzed volcanic ash trapped in ice cores from Antarctica to provide a detailed record of Holocene volcanic history. This record revealed 96 eruptions during the Holocene, with 33 of those eruptions occurring during the last 2,000 years.

<h4>Dendroclimatology</h4>

Scientists can also study past climate by examining annual tree rings&mdash;a field called dendroclimatology. Essentially, tree rings are wider under favorable conditions and narrower during harsh times. Tree rings can be accurately dated by matching rings from sample to sample&mdash;even samples from archaeological digs. Although dendroclimatology has limitations, tree rings are useful climate proxies that can be used to create high-resolution climate records for specific geographic locations.

Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global ...

Education

JoVE Core

Ecology

Biodiversity and Conservation

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

ancient clues to climate change

Ancient climate clues help scientists track global climate change. Paleoclimatology is the study of climate conditions in Earth’s past and the causes and effects behind them. By comparing recent climate patterns with older records, researchers can find strong evidence for human-caused warming.

Earth’s climate has changed many times over its 4.5 billion year history. In the last 650,000 years, there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. The most recent ice age ended more than 11,000 years ago and began the Holocene, the modern climate era. Many earlier changes were linked to small shifts in Earth’s orbit that altered the amount of solar radiation reaching the planet.

Paleoclimatologists use several scientific methods to study the past climate and atmosphere. One major source is ice core data from thick mountain glaciers and polar ice sheets. Seasonal pauses in ice buildup create layers in the ice, and the lowest layers are the oldest. Scientists can study the ice itself and the trapped material inside it, such as air bubbles and ratios of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes, to reconstruct ancient climate conditions.

Ice cores can also preserve volcanic ash. The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica used ash trapped in Antarctic ice cores to build a detailed record of Holocene volcanic history. That record showed 96 eruptions during the Holocene, including 33 eruptions in the last 2,000 years. Another useful climate proxy is tree rings. Dendroclimatology, the study of annual tree rings, shows that rings are wider in favorable conditions and narrower in harsh ones. Tree rings can be matched and dated across samples, even from archaeological digs, and they help create high-resolution climate records for specific places, although the method has limits.

Ancient Clues to Climate Change

what is weather?

How Sunlight Shapes Daily Weather

Weather is the current state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. It is temporary and changes from one location to another. Weather is shaped by the interaction of the sun, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Solar radiation reaches Earth and interacts with water and land. These surfaces release that energy as thermal radiation, or heat, which warms the air above them. Some of that heat escapes back into space, but some is trapped by atmospheric gases. This heat retention is...

Ancient climate clues help scientists track global climate change. Paleoclimatology is the study of climate conditions in Earth’s past and the causes and effects behind them. By comparing recent climate patterns with older records, researchers can find strong evidence for human-caused warming. Earth’s climate has changed many times over its 4.5 billion year history. In the last 650,000 years, there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. The most recent ice age ended more than...

what is biodiversity?

Biodiversity Across Genes, Species, and Ecosystems

Biodiversity is the variety of living things at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. It includes not only how many kinds of organisms exist, but also how they are related and how they interact with the world around them. Species diversity spans the full evolutionary tree. It includes single-celled prokaryotes such as bacteria and archaea, as well as the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants, animals, fungi, and protists. About 1.75 million species have been identified so far, and scientists...

threats to biodiversity

How Humans Change Biodiversity

Human activity is changing biodiversity and pushing Earth toward a sixth extinction event. Earlier mass extinctions ended many species, and then new species spread into the changed environment. Today, the Holocene epoch is seeing a mass extinction linked to human actions, and it is often called the Anthropocene. Human numbers and human biomass show how large this impact has become. In 2019, the human population reached 7.7 billion and is projected to rise to 10 billion by 2060. By biomass,...

conservation of declining populations

Saving Species Through Population Recovery

Conservation of declining populations focuses on detecting a population drop, finding its cause, and stopping further loss. The goal is to prevent extinction by using scientific methods to identify the agents behind the decline. Once the cause is known, conservation teams can remove, oppose, or neutralize it. A common step is to test possible causes with a small trial group. If the cause is confirmed, the remaining animals may be moved to an unaffected area. When the population is too small or...

biodiversity and human values

Biodiversity in Food, Tools, and Medicine

Biodiversity supports human life through food, tools, medicine, and many other needs. Changes in the variety of species can also change the environment. Those environmental shifts can alter weather patterns and affect human civilizations. People have depended on biodiversity for agriculture since early human history. Agriculture began when ancestral humans found species that were good sources of food. At least 11,000 years ago, people started selecting plant and animal species to raise on...

what is conservation biology?

Protecting Biodiversity in Conservation Biology

Conservation biology is the science of protecting biodiversity and keeping ecosystems healthy. It looks at how living things, habitats, and human needs are connected. The goal is to preserve biodiversity so ecosystems can continue to function well. Healthy ecosystems provide people with important natural resources. These include food, medicines, and building materials. Ecosystems also deliver key services, such as cleaning air and water. Evidence shows that these services depend on...

what is climate?

Climate Patterns and Earth’s Energy Balance

Climate describes the usual weather conditions in a place over a long period of time. The idea is simple: climate is what you expect, while weather is what you get. Climate is shaped by geographic factors such as latitude, terrain, and how close an area is to bodies of water. Weather and climate are related, but they work on different time scales. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. Climate is the average pattern of weather over much longer periods. Because of...

sustainable development

Protecting Oceans for Sustainable Development

Sustainable development depends on protecting oceans while meeting human needs. As the human population grows and uses more resources, people must stay aware of the planet’s natural limits. The goal is to improve life now without taking away the resources future generations will need. Long-term sustainability depends on understanding how human actions affect ecological systems. Oceans are a major part of this balance. They provide food for people, produce much of the atmosphere’s oxygen, and...

conservation of small populations

Saving Small Populations with Genetic Diversity

Small populations can be hard to save because they often lose genetic diversity. When variation is low, a species has fewer traits that may help it adapt to climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. That makes extinction more likely. Large populations usually have a better chance of surviving new stresses. They are more likely to include individuals with genetic variants that are helpful in changing conditions. Small populations are much less likely to contain this kind...

habitat fragmentation

How Fragmented Habitats Affect Wildlife

Habitat fragmentation breaks one continuous habitat into smaller, separate patches. Human land conversion is a major cause of this change, and slower geological shifts in the physical environment can also fragment habitats. The process usually follows the same stages: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition. Perforation and dissection often begin during land development. Perforation happens when undeveloped land is cleared for something like a home, and dissection...

key terms and concepts

Explore how ice cores and tree rings reveal Earth’s past climate. Learn how paleoclimatology helps scientists study ancient warming, cooling, and volcanic history.

Ancient Clues to Climate Change | JoVE K12

JoVE Core series brings biology to life through over 300 concise and easy-to-understand animated video lessons that explain key concepts in biology, plus more than 150 scientist-in-action videos that show actual research experiments conducted in today’s laboratories.

Ancient Clues to Climate Change

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