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Feedback Mechanism

Decent Essays

1. Assume that you have 100 years of continuous temperature records from your local weather service office. Discuss some of the difficulties you might have trying to determine whether average temperatures have increased during this period. There are multiple reasons why trying to determine whether average temperatures have increased during a 100 years period for a certain area. Weather stations move constantly and are never in the same positions all the time. Techniques and methods for measuring temperatures have changed and are continually changing. Also, depending on the location and population of the area, temperatures will rise when population rises.

2. What are meant by the terms positive and negative feedback mechanisms? Give …show more content…

Common examples are the ice-albedo mechanism, lower tropospheric water vapor content, and ocean warming. A negative feedback mechanism is if the change in the environment leads to a process that mitigates the change. An example of a positive feedback mechanism during a time of ocean warming is the fact that oceans are able to absorb CO2 into the water surface. When the CO2 increases, it allows the atmosphere to warm which in turn most often warms the oceans. As the temperatures rise, the ocean loses its capability to draw out the CO2. A negative feedback mechanism could be that the cloud cover is increased as the temperature increases. 3. Discuss the significance of a predicted increase in global temperatures of 3 C, as opposed to a predicted increase of 1 C. A predicted increase in global temperatures of 3 C is believed to cause a drastic affect in the quality of life for all things living. Areas that experience more precipitation would be more likely to experience droughts. Due to certain species only being able to evolve and reproduce, their extinction rates could increase because of the changing global temperatures. Probably more of the more interesting aspects are the fact that the sea level would become higher and result in an increase in strong and dangerous hurricanes.

4. The hottest places on earth are not found near the equator in

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