Human Responses to Climate Change
Document ID: 239
Presentation
Presented: ENCORE Lecture, April 20, 2011
Abstract
Life on Planet Earth – Supporting and Sustaining Conditions
Long-lifetime star (late development of our galaxy)
Close enough to galaxy center to have heavy isotopic masses
Far enough from galaxy center to have low energetic radiation levels
Distance from Sun in life sustaining region (temperature)
Atmosphere that supports life forms – water, oxygen
Atmosphere removes (cosmic rays, particles, γ-radiation, x-ray, UV)
Atmosphere protects against interplanetary dust and meteors
Magnetic field rigidity protects against high energy ionized particles
Water vapor transports latent heat, distributes energy to polar regions
Global radiation balance is controlled primarily by the “greenhouse” gasses and the planetary albedo (and radiation from Sun)
| Citation: | Human Responses to Climate Change, Philbrick, C. Russell, Presentation, 2011, 49 pages |