Which climate forcings and feedbacks are most prevalent in either your local area or in the United States as a whole and why might this be so?
What resources have you located to help you and your students understand climate forcings and feedbacks?
In the area of the US where I live (Ohio) I feel one of the main forcings that is present is from aerosols, dust, smoke, and soot. Much of our energy is generated by burning coal, which is evident at the power plants scattered along the Ohio River. Cincinnati is located in a river valley which exasperates the problem. Not only are the aerosols, dust, smoke and soot produced locally, but they seem to get trapped here to some extent. During summer months we experience problems due to the SMOG and issue SMOG warnings as a result. I am sure there are other factors contributing to this situation, but geography and industry seem to be largely connected.
Clouds, carbon cycle, and precipitation all seem to be logical feedbacks that occur in our area. We are not located near an ocean so feel this eliminates both ocean circulation and sea level rise at least directly. It would be silly to say that our local emissions have only a local effect though. I believe the effects or natural resource usage and pollution extends far beyond our local areas.
I have accumulated and shared many great resources for my students with this course. I continue to enjoy the short videos on each topic. They are short, but concise. I will refer my students to many of the links on this page, especially the tutorials that have an interactive element.
What resources have you located to help you and your students understand climate forcings and feedbacks?
In the area of the US where I live (Ohio) I feel one of the main forcings that is present is from aerosols, dust, smoke, and soot. Much of our energy is generated by burning coal, which is evident at the power plants scattered along the Ohio River. Cincinnati is located in a river valley which exasperates the problem. Not only are the aerosols, dust, smoke and soot produced locally, but they seem to get trapped here to some extent. During summer months we experience problems due to the SMOG and issue SMOG warnings as a result. I am sure there are other factors contributing to this situation, but geography and industry seem to be largely connected.
Clouds, carbon cycle, and precipitation all seem to be logical feedbacks that occur in our area. We are not located near an ocean so feel this eliminates both ocean circulation and sea level rise at least directly. It would be silly to say that our local emissions have only a local effect though. I believe the effects or natural resource usage and pollution extends far beyond our local areas.
I have accumulated and shared many great resources for my students with this course. I continue to enjoy the short videos on each topic. They are short, but concise. I will refer my students to many of the links on this page, especially the tutorials that have an interactive element.
No comments:
Post a Comment