Lesson 12

Resources for Lesson 12...

What we have figured out so far...

1. Year-to-year variability in precipitation and temperature is a normal pattern.

2. Data averaged over long periods of time show trends.

3. Precipitation or heavy storm events are ↑ where there are floods.

4. Precipitation, groundwater, and snowpack are ↓ where there are droughts.

5. Temperatures are ↑ for all cases.

6. ↑ temperatures = ↑ evaporation = ↑ in water vapor in the atmosphere.

7. Winds affect how and where precipitation falls.

8. Changes to water sources (e.g. snowpack, groundwater) can affect communities in different ways.

9. A small change in temperature can have a big impact on Earth’s water system.

10. Some gases have not really changed over time, but some show unusual increase.

11. Carbon dioxide and methane are a small percent of the atmosphere but are increasing at a high rate.

12. GHGs absorb, vibrate, and release energy back into the atmosphere.

13. As the amount of GHGs (greenhouse gases) increase in our atmosphere, they cause the atmosphere to get warmer.

14. CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels are higher that any time in the past and seem to be increasing really fast.

15. ↑ population + ↑ mineral resource use = ↑ CO2 in atmosphere

16.  CO2 and H2O (greenhouse gases) are products of the combustion of fossil fuels. 

17. Photosynthesis takes CO2  out of the atmosphere. The rate of photosynthesis is not enough to take up CO2  from combustion of fossil fuels and cellular respiration.

18. Combustion of fossil fuels is creating a carbon imbalance of 8.5 GtC/year building up in atmosphere.

Evaluating Tweet claims with key model ideas and what we figured out...

What we figured out this lesson...

• Changes in the carbon system have an effect on Earth's water system.

• We can use our scientific understanding to clarify claims about the connection between the carbon system and Earth's water system.