Week 14 Blog

    This week during the lab, we discussed a lot about Greenhouse gas, which is a gas that absorbs and re-emits infrared light. Following this discussion and watching the video over the science of climate change, we began doing the PhET Simulation. The simulation showed CH4, CO2, H2O, N2, and O2 along with their relationship with infrared photons. What we found was that CH4, CO2, and H2O absorbs and emits the infrared photons. On the other hand, N2 and O2 do not. The infrared photons just go through N2 and O2, which means they do not absorb, nor do they emit them. Very crazy to see! Visible photons do not absorb or emit for any of the following: CH4, CO2, H2O, N2, and O2.

    My biggest takeaway from the lecture was over the albedo effect. Before the lecture, I still struggled with the concept of how our snowball Earth was able to melt and get out of the snowball phase. After this lecture, I understand and can explain as to why this occurred. The volcanic activity and carbon dioxide that was under the layer caused the snow and ice to melt. Then, since there were no plants to take in the carbon dioxide, that created carbon dioxide to be stronger and able to transform our snowball Earth!

Reading the pressbook chapter over Global Climate Change was eye opening. Watching the video over Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2017, our world goes from a coolish blue to a yellow and red planet. This is just one way to show how much our Earth has changed and heated up. Living during this time and reading about how the weather events become more extreme, helps me make the connection because I feel I am able to connect these firsthand. I have witnessed the Derecho, the hotter summers, the crazy winters, and all of the in betweens.