Lab11
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Porterville College *
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Course
110
Subject
Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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5
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PART 1: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Levels in our Atmosphere over Time
Figure 1: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration at Mauna Loa, Hawaii 2017-2019.
1.
Referring to Figure 1, describe how much the amount of CO2 levels vary over the course
of one year.
Figure 2: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration at Mauna Loa,
Hawaii since 1957.
2.
Referring to Figure 2, calculate the total change in CO2 concentrations from 1957 to 2019.
From 1957 to 2019, the overall change in CO2 concentration is 95.56 ppm.
3.
What is the Average Annual Change in CO2 concentration?
The average annual change in CO
concentration is 1.54 ppm/year Remember: Total change ÷ Number of years of data collection =
Ave. Rate of Change 2
4.
The zig-zag pattern seen in Figure 2 represents seasonal changes in CO2 concentration. This is
due to changes during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter season. The northern hemisphere is
more densely populated and contains more land mass than the southern hemisphere thus there is
a greater effect on CO2 levelsSuggest 2 reasons why CO2 concentration would increase when it
is winter in the Northern Hemisphere. (Hint: consider what happens to plants in the winter time
and how this would affect CO2 levels in the atmosphere and consider how the behavior of
humans changes in the winter time.) .
The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere rises
throughout the winter for two reasons.
Figure 3: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration over the past
800,000 years.
5.
What are the maximum and minimum CO2 levels before “0” years ago,
and what is the natural
range (difference between max and min) in CO2?
Maximum: [level1]
Minimum: [level2]
Natural Range: [level3]
6.
What is the minimum number of years it takes for the natural system to
change from high CO2
levels to low CO2 levels? (= What is the fastest time in which this has
occurred naturally?).
7.
What is the current CO2 value (refer to Fig. 3, although it is higher now)
and how much higher is this than the maximum
level of CO2 before the year “0” (approximately 1800).
How much higher:__________
8.
Considering your answer to #7, what does this suggest about changes in
CO2 over the past 200 years? (i.e., what could be the cause?)
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Figure 4. Global Fossil Carbon Emissions
9. What was the major source of carbon emissions between 1850 and 1900
(refer to Fig. 4)?
10. Considering your answer to #9, how did this change after 1950?
11. What other cause of increasing CO2 levels is shown on this graph besides
the burning of fossil
fuels?
PART 2: Regional Temperature Records (The United States)
Figure 5: Global land and ocean temperature anomalies. Image
source: NOAA
12. Examine the graph (Fig. 5) or check out a table of the data shown above
(on the website) and fill
in the table here, below. Then, determine whether or not temperature shows
a trend over
time (is there a definite change?).