What is Global Warming?

Climate Change
Climate change is any substantial change in Earth’s climate that lasts for an extended period of time. 
Global warming refers to climate change that causes an increase in the average temperature of the lower
atmosphere.  Global warming can have many different causes, but it is most commonly associated with
human interference, specifically the release of excessive amounts of greenhouse gases. (EPA, 2006)

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH4), water vapor, and fluorinated gases,
act like a greenhouse around the earth.  This means that they let the heat from the Sun into the atmosphere,
but do not allow the heat to escape back into space.  The more greenhouse gases there are, the larger the
percentage of heat that is trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere.  The earth could not exist in its present
state (that is, with life) without the presence of some naturally occurring greenhouse gases, such as CO 2,
CH4, and water vapor. Without any greenhouse gases no heat would be trapped in atmosphere, so the earth
would be extremely cold. (NASA, 2002)

    Naturally occurring greenhouse gases (not fluorinated gases) are good in naturally occurring amounts;
it’s when people start contributing excessive amounts of them that greenhouse gases become a problem. 
With excessive greenhouse gas buildup, the earth’s atmosphere warms to unnatural temperatures which
causes, among other things, sea level to rise.  Global warming also causes sea surface temperatures to rise,
precipitation patterns to change, etc.. (NASA, 2002)

Global Warming
The earth's atmosphere is a very thin layer of gases, like the skin of an apple is to its fruit.
99% of the atmosphere is made up of only two gases: nitrogen (79%) and oxygen (20%).
Carbon dioxide makes up only about .036%, yet its concentration, and that of water vapor are vital
to the earth's health.
 DEFINATIONS
A rise in the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere due to the increase in certain
gases in the atmosphere

An increase in the Earth's temperature caused by human activities, such as burning coal,
oil
and natural gas. This releases carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere.

An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a

sustained increase that causes climatic changes)
 Warming Climate Accelerated Greenland's Thaw, Scientists Report

By Adam Satariano
Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Climate change led to accelerated melting of Greenland's ice sheet during the past half-
century, scientists said in a study that adds to evidence suggesting sea levels will rise faster than expected.
Global warming has led to a ``significant increase'' in Greenland summer warmth and ice sheet melt and runoff
since 1990, according to the study, published yesterday in the Journal of Climate. In a review of ice thaw from 1958
to 2006, scientists determined that the five biggest melts have occurred since 1995.
The largest thaw -- 453 cubic kilometers of ice (109 cubic miles) -- was in 1998, followed by 2003, 2006, 1995 and
2002, respectively, according to the report. The ice thaw in Greenland supports what scientists are finding in
Antarctica and Alaska, said Konrad Steffen, a co-author of the study and professor of geography at the University
of Colorado in Boulder.
``They all give the same story: ice is moving faster into the ocean, and that will add to the sea-level rise,'' Konrad
said in an interview yesterday. He said that preliminary data suggests Greenland had its largest melt last year.
Ice melt in Antarctica has accelerated almost 60 percent in the past decade, according a study published this
week in Nature Geoscience. Researchers estimated that West Antarctica lost 132 billion tons of ice in 2006, from
83 billion tons shed in 1996.
IPCC Estimates
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that the ice sheets of Greenland and
Antarctica hold enough water to raise sea levels by about 70 meters (230 feet) if they melted completely.
Changes have also been reported in Alaska's Kennicott Glacier, where warming has caused an increasing amount
of water to get inside and under the ice, causing the glacier to move and melt more quickly, according to a
separate Nature Geoscience study published this week.
``All the major ice masses are responding to the current warming,'' Konrad said.
Ice melt in Greenland and Antarctica could lead sea levels to rise more than the 18 to 59 centimeters (7 to 23
inches) by 2100 forecast by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, according to Eric
Rignot, the lead author of the Antarctica study.
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