Science- climate change

  • the greenhouse effect was first mentioned by Joseph Fourier

    the greenhouse effect was first mentioned by Joseph Fourier
    A French physicist named Joseph Fourier mentions the Earth's natural "greenhouse effect". Fourier studied the earth's temperature from a mathematical perspective and he was the first person to scientifically describe the greenhouse effect. in his paper, he wrote: "The temperature can be augmented by the interposition of the atmosphere because the heat in the state of light finds less resistance in penetrating the air than in re-passing into the air when converted into non-luminous heat."
  • Irish physicist John Tyndall proves the green house effect theory

    Irish physicist John Tyndall proves the green house effect theory
    Irish physicist John Tyndall made the discovery that water vapour and other gases create the greenhouse effect. This was a significant discovery resulting over a century later of the naming of a British climate research organisation being called the Tyndall centre
  • chemist Svante Arrhenius concludes that industrial-age coal burning enhances the greenhouse effect

    chemist Svante Arrhenius concludes that industrial-age coal burning enhances the greenhouse effect
    Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius concluded that coal-burning gases would add to the greenhouse effect and that it was important to be monitored for future generations. His discovery is similar to what is discovered in modern-day climate models.
  • Discovery that CO2 in tiny concentrations can absorb parts of the infrared spectrum

    Discovery that CO2 in tiny concentrations can absorb parts of the infrared spectrum
    Knut Angstrom from Sweden found that CO2 will absorb parts of the infrared spectrum no matter how small the particles. He unintentionally showed that even a trace gas could produce greenhouse warming.
  • Guy Callendar shows that temperatures had risen over the previous century

    Guy Callendar shows that temperatures had risen over the previous century
    Although widely dismissed by scientists British engineer Guy Callendar showed that over 100 years temperatures had risen and that CO2 concentrations would continue to rise thus causing warming.
  • Gilbert Plass concludes that doubling CO2 concentrations would increase temperatures by 3-4C.

    Gilbert Plass concludes that doubling CO2 concentrations would increase temperatures by 3-4C.
    Gilbert Plass through the use of early computers was able to analyze how various gases absorbed infrared. temperatures would increase by 3-4 degrees if CO2 was doubled.
  • It is proven that seawater will not absorb all the additional CO2 entering the atmosphere

    It is proven that seawater will not absorb all the additional CO2 entering the atmosphere
    Although it was believed seawater would absorb any additional CO2 entering the atmosphere Rodger Revelle an oceanographer and Hans Suess a Chemist disproved the theory and said that more experiments would need to be carried out to better understand this new discovery.
  • Charles Keeling begins systematic measurements of atmospheric CO2

    Charles Keeling begins systematic measurements of atmospheric CO2
    Charle Keeling with his own equipment began to work on a project in Mauna Loa in Hawaii as well as in Antarctica which systematized the quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere.
  • Period: to

    worldwide countries unite to monitor global warming.

    By this time world countries are well aware of the effects of CO2 and its effect on the atmosphere and so many governments formed scientific groups with objectives to monitor and collate data. Many stated that humans were largely responsible for the climate change
  • Kyoto Protocol agreed

    The Kyoto Protocol was a United Nations pledge which was made in the hopes to reduce carbon emissions by 5% by limiting high greenhouse gas-producing countries.
  • A graph proves that temperature in the northern hemisphere is unusual compared to the last 1000 years

    A graph proves that temperature in the northern hemisphere is unusual compared to the last 1000 years
    evolving weather conditions combined with climate change produced the hottest year ever recorded. The mean global temperature exceeded 0.52 degrees above the average from the period 1961 to 1990.
  • The Kyoto Protocol becomes international law

    In 1997 the Kyoto protocol was formed for international communities to set targets and measures in a bid to limit and reduce global warming. not all countries agreed with the conditions set but in 2005 the Kyoto protocol became international law for those countries still involved. currently, 192 parties belong to the Kyoto protocol.
  • The Stern Review concludes that climate change could damage global GDP

    The Stern Review's concluded that the benefits of premature actions on climate change outweigh the costs of not acting at all. The Review put forward that 1% percent of the world's global GDP yearly is essential funding to help avoid climate change's worst effects.
  • The keeling project has proven CO2 levels have risen

    The keeling project has proven CO2 levels have risen
    Keeling's project results showed CO2 concentration continued to rise from 350 ppms in 1958 to 380 ppms in 2008.
  • A new analysis of the Earth's temperature record by scientists

    A new analysis of the Earth's temperature record by scientists
    Scientific data this year showed that greenhouse gas concentrations were rising faster and that over the last century the earth land surface had also warmed
  • satellite images show arctic sea ice is melting

    satellite images show arctic sea ice is melting
    Since Beginning mesurments of arctic sea ice in 1979 satellite pictures showed that in 2012 the summer cover was the lowest it had ever been at 3.41 million sq km.
  • CO2 in the atmosphere has passed 400 ppm

    CO2 in the atmosphere has passed 400 ppm
    CO2 in the atmosphere has surpassed 400ppms since measurements began in 1958. the results were collated from the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii. scientists still continue to believe that since 1950 humans are the main cause of global warming.
  • NASA launches OCO-2

    NASA launches OCO-2
    NASA launches OCO-2 to gather global measurements of what is happening in the atmosphere. the equipment measures CO2. Its resolution, precision, and coverage, and this information is used to determine how important it is to greenhouse gases.
  • Researchers find collapse of West Antarctic ice sheet may be irreversible

    Scientists have found that the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet could be irreversible which could be disastrous in future centuries with extreme heat and a high sea-level rise. Scientists have used equipment at Vostok in Antarctica to extract ice cores and this then provides by measuring the bubbles the records of CO2 levels over the past 800,000 years from the air trapped in the cores (carbon dating)
  • global temperature is the warmest in tens of thousands of years

    global temperature is the warmest in tens of thousands of years
    In 2019 the average global temperature was 14.8°C which was the hottest in tens of thousands of years. The CO2 level in the atmosphere was 415 ppm which scientists say was the highest in millions of years.