Scientists and geologists often discuss issues concerning the environment on Earth. What causes the greenhouse effect and global warming are issues that geologists talk about all the time. Global warming is the term used to describe increases in the temperature of the Earth. The greenhouse effect is a natural process that helps keep the Earth’s temperatures at levels that can sustain life. Without certain greenhouse gases, the atmosphere cannot absorb the sun’s heat energy, making Earth extremely cold. Likewise, heat that is not absorbed gets trapped within the atmosphere. Some of these greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. The buildup of these gases is the main cause of global warming. Global warming has devastating effects on the Earth’s environment because it causes shifts in the weather, changes in water patterns, and problems for civilized people.
In order to talk about global warming, geologists must first understand what causes the greenhouse effect. Many of the sun’s heat rays are absorbed by water vapor, which is a natural component of the Earth’s atmosphere. Water vapor accounts for 80 percent of natural greenhouse warming. The remaining 20 percent is due to other gases that are present in
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Some scientists believe that a warming of only 6 degrees will cause glaciers to melt high rates, affecting the water levels of the sea. Whenever fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Environmental scientists and geologists know it is very difficult to reverse the process once it starts, but global warming must be slowed; if not, the Earth will not be able to continue sustaining life as it does today. As seawater heats up, evaporation occurs, causing the cycle to start again, releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Only a 1-cm rise in sea level can erode a full 1 meter of beach” (47). Other species of marine life will migrate to wherever the waters are the warmest. The devastating effects will continue to be problematic well into the 21st century. The increased temperatures and additional rain have resulted in the migration of mosquitoes to those areas.
Another potentially devastating environmental effect of global warming is that higher temperatures lead to changes in climate, particularly in water cycles. 3 degrees Celsius per decade, soils will release an amount of carbon dioxide equal to nearly 20 percent of the projected amount released by combustion of fossil fuels (Murck, et al. The Environmental Media Services Organization has found that the greenhouse effect “could drive global temperatures up as much as 6 degrees by the year 2100 - an increase in heat comparable to the 10 degrees of warming that ended the last ice age. Changes in weather cycles force plant life to adjust. Factors causing the small increases of the Earth’s temperature are causing significant damage to the environment.
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