Changes in carbon dioxide concentrations, both during the recent
glacial/interglacial cycles and during the last 1000 years. Since the
Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels have dramatically risen to levels not seen during the last 400 thousand years. This change is implicated as a likely cause of
global warming.
Recent global emissions of carbon dioxide broken down by various type of fuel, linear scale.
Carbon emissions broken down by various regions around the globe.
Recent history of changes in carbon dioxide concentration and the flux of carbon into the
atmosphere necessary to create it.
Changes on carbon dioxide concentrations during the last 550 million years. The present day is at the left hand side of the figure.
Biodiversity and Extinctions
Shows the changes in apparent marine
fossilbiodiversity during the last 540 million years. The major visible
mass extinction events are indicated. Some scientists view the major rise towards the present as the result of better sampling and preservation of recent geologic sections rather than actually being a dramatic increase in biodiversity.
The
extinction intensity, i.e. the fraction of
genera going extinct in each bin as a function of time. The major events are labeled in accordance with geologic conventions.
Sea Level Change
Recent
sea level rise as indicated by a combination 23 longterm
tide gauge records in geologically stable environments
History of sea level changes during the present
interglacial episode
Shows the distribution of temperature increases associated with
global warming. The anomalies are average
temperatures from 1995 to 2004 and are computed is respect to averages over the 1940 to 1980 interval.
Shows the predicted warming over the 21st century due to business as usual
greenhouse gas emissions as reported by the HadCM3
climate model.
Map of changes in mountain
glacier thickness since 1970. Sites with thinning shown in orange and red. Sites of thickening shown in blue. Larger circles indicate larger changes.
Greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2000 broken down in to 8 different sectors of activity.
Schematic representation of the energy exchanges between the Earth's surface, the
Earth's atmosphere, and outer space. The ability of the atmosphere to trap and recycle thermal emissions from the Earth's surface is a defining characteristic of the
greenhouse effect.
Shows a
global climate model reconstruction of temperature changes in the 20th century due to 5 prescribed forcing factors and relative implact on climate from each.
Variations in average glacier thickness during the last 50 years.
Contributed Photographic Images
Image showing the collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf and a comparison of this to the US state of Rhode Island.