Lab 13 Changing atmospheric composition and climate change
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111
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Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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ESC 111 Lab 13 Changing
Atmospheric Composition
and Climate Change
Introduction
Direct measurement of CO
2
in the atmosphere has been made at the Mauna Loa
Observatory in Hawaii since 1959 and has been used to explain how it’s composition
has been changing due to human influence. In this week’s lab, you will investigate this
data set, and make comparisons with the ice core data from lab 12.
Where to get the Data
The data is available from
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/data.html
,
but is listed in the spreadsheet “Mauna Loa CO2”, available on Blackboard. We have
seen this dataset visualized before in Lab 3, but today we are going to be making our
own graph so we can use it to compare with our paleo climate data from Lab 12.
Making the Graphs
Just like in lab 12, you are going to make a scatter plot of the carbon dioxide data from
Mauna Loa. If you need a refresher these steps on how to make a scatter plot can be
found in Lab 6.
The graphs should be set up in the same way:
●
Time before present on the x-axis
●
Plot both the annual and monthly data on the same graph (scatter plot with line
only graph, with year on the x-axis and CO
2
on the y-axis).
○
If you're having problems you can do this by plotting them as individual
series.
○
The monthly values are the ones that have a decimal point. This is
because Excel is weird when plotting time and it converts your months into
decimal places sometimes. Do not try to convert this into actual dates as
it's harder than it looks and we want it to plot with the annual data.
●
Be sure your graphs have the appropriate chart elements:
○
Title
○
Labeled axes with units
○
A legend
Adding this Data to Last Week's Lab
We now want to add the annual data from this week's lab into the fourth graph we made
in Lab 12 last week. To do this:
●
Copy and paste the graph from Lab 12 into the spreadsheet for Lab 13.
●
Click on Chart Design
●
Click on Select Data
●
Click on Add
●
Be sure to name this data series appropriately.
●
For your X values you want to use the age column.
○
This column is age before the present oh, just like the X data in Lab 12 is
time before present. They both represent the same type of values which is
why we can use this to plot them both on the same x-axis.
●
For your Y values select the annual carbon dioxide values.
Calculating the Rate of Carbon Dioxide Increase
Using the line for the “Annual mean”, calculate the average annual rate of increase
between 1959 and 1969, and between 2009 and 2019. To do this you're going to
want to utilize the following formula:
●
Annual rate of increase = (final value – initial value)/(number of years)
Things to Consider Before You Write Your Report
●
Has the rate of increase become higher or lower?
●
If carbon dioxide continues to increase at the same rate as now, what level will it
reach by 2030?
●
Explain the reasons for both the increase in CO
2
over time, and the annual
fluctuations.
●
How does this data from Mauna Loa compare to the long term, natural variations
in CO
2
from the ice core data? Consider both the absolute values and the rates
of change.
Lab Report
Write up your findings from labs 12 and 13 combined in a lab report. This lab report will
be longer than many of the other ones that you have done during this class, that's
because it's a combined lab report for two labs. Do not wait to start this lab report last
minute! It can feel overwhelming to do this, especially if there is a break from one week
to the next. If you're having problems get in touch with me.
Title
●
Brief, but descriptive.
Introduction
●
What was the topic of this lab?
●
What was the purpose? Focus on the purpose of the work you did and what it
accomplished, not the learning experience.
Methods
●
In this section, you should describe what you did, but do NOT include the actual
data or results. Where did you obtain the data on greenhouse gasses and past
temperatures?
●
What information (describe, not the actual data) did you record (the graphs)?
What observations did you make?
●
What information (describe, not the actual data) did you record on your graphs?
What calculations and observations did you make from the graphs?
Results
●
Summarize your results, starting with the data from the ice cores.
●
Describe the variations over time, the maximum and minimum values, and any
correlations between greenhouse gasses and temperature that you observed.
●
Describe the data from Mauna Loa, and the rates at which the CO
2
in the
atmosphere is increasing. What is your predicted level for 2030?
●
Include the graphs you plotted, and
refer to them in your report
.
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Discussion
●
In the first paragraph, explain what has been responsible for the variations in
climate illustrated in the ice cores from the past 400,000 years.
○
What is the relationship between greenhouse gasses and temperature,
and is it possible to say which leads or lags the other?
●
In the second paragraph, explain the reasons for both the increase in CO
2
over
time, and the annual fluctuations seen in the data from Mauna Loa.
●
In the third paragraph, explain how this data from Mauna Loa compares to the
long term, natural variations in CO
2
from the ice core data?
○
Refer to both the absolute values and the rates of change.
○
What are the possible consequences of this?
○
Refer to your graphs throughout your discussion.
Conclusions
●
Brief summary of your findings.
Include with report:
●
5 graphs:
○
3 ice core data graphs (temperature deviation, carbon dioxide, and
methane)
○
1 of combined data from Labs 12 and 13
○
1 of Mauna Loa only data from Lab 13
All materials for the lab report MUST be submitted as a single pdf file.