Consider – Week 8 AND for the course as a whole

Consider – for this week AND for the course as a whole:

• What are the most important themes you have learned?

There were several important subjects approach by this course. The ice sheet subject and solar radiation, the geology of past events, the physical variables on climate changes, their components, the chemistry of natural events, as well as human induced ones, the climate change evidences, possible outcomes and models predictions, even ways to prevent them.

• What aspect(s) did you find difficult?

The final test. The chemistry. The climate projections models. 

• What did you find most interesting? And why?

The ice sheets and their influence in climate change. That was actually one of my main goals with this course. Also the urban island effect. Very enlightenment.

• Was there something that you learned that prompted you to do your own research?

Most things are worth further investigation and a continual one, keeping up with the progress of this flickery subject. But one thing that I liked with this course was the redirection to a lot of useful sites with the certainty of the data.

• Are there any web sites or other online resource that you found particularly useful in furthering your knowledge and understanding?

Nasa site. I never would had thought that Nasa was working on climate change related subjects. I had a mislead idea (ignorant one I must say) that Nasa only worked on space subjects.

Week seven: consider

Consider:

• What are the most important themes you have learned this week?

The forms to mitigate urban heat island impacts, especially sustainable buildings that aim for zero carbon emissions, but also the social conflicts around renewable energy.

• What aspect of this week did you find difficult?

None. every thing was quite easy to understand, very well explained.

• What did you find most interesting? And why?

I loved the PDF , "Design for future climate” that has smart and useful information towards the construction of buildings, material used and smart choises in design.

• Was there something that you learned this week that prompted you to do your own research?

Eco buildings. It's something that fascinastes me and I hope I can learn even more about them, using technology in our favor. 

• Are there any web sites or other online resource that you found particularly useful in furthering your knowledge and understanding?

Catherine Mohr: The tradeoffs of building green

 

Week six. Consider

Consider:

• What are the most important themes you have learned this week?

The urban heat island concept and the relationship between climate change and food security.

• What aspect of this week did you find difficult?

Actually I found this week topics very easy to understand. At the beginning I wasn't understanding the idea of how urban heat island temperature was higher in forest surroundings than desert surroundings, but after some readings I understood it.

• What did you find most interesting? And why?

The concept of urban island. Especially because it explain empiric knowledge that I had but couldn't base it in scientific facts. And even for research purpose, I would never think to researcher the term "urban island".

• Was there something that you learned this week that prompted you to do your own research?

Like always, the topics are very interesting and lead me to further investigate. 

• Are there any web sites or other online resource that you found particularly useful in furthering your knowledge and understanding?

Tristram Stuart: The global food waste scandal

Week five: considerate

Consider:

• What are the most important themes you have learned this week?

Several things related with the cryosphere, marine ice sheet instability and the processes involved in positive and negative mass balance, as some practical examples. Also the processes and dangers of ocean acidification.

• What aspect of this week did you find difficult?

Buttressing and the Jakobshavns Isbrae case.

• What did you find most interesting? And why?

The calving speed in 2012. also the relation between marine invertebrates and ocean acidification. 

• Was there something that you learned this week that prompted you to do your own research?

Both major themes are a good ground for research.

• Are there any web sites or other online resource that you found particularly useful in furthering your knowledge and understanding?

Rob Dunbar: Discovering ancient climates in oceans and ice

James Balog: Time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss

Week four: Consider

• Consider:

• What are the most important themes you have learned this week?

Bio-engineering

• What aspect of this week did you find difficult?

This week was particularly difficult for me. I'm still strugling with the notions but let's say climate predictions as the most difficult topic. Not just the math, but the fact of the activity made us install a software in our computers. Having only the computer in my job to do it , I couldn't follow this activity. Also, by the question on the test, I think I was more focus on some topics that I found more significant but it seams that they weren't. Lastely on bio-engineering, I utterly failed that question. Maybe I didn't get it... I don't know...

• What did you find most interesting? And why?

Some of the bio-engineering technologies that scientists are theorizing on.

• Was there something that you learned this week that prompted you to do your own research?

Yes. I actually got a lot of questions on the process of this week. And as it seams I need to futher read about this week topic.

• Are there any web sites or other online resource that you found particularly useful in furthering your knowledge and understanding?

David Keith: A critical look at geoengineering against climate change

Week three: Consider

• What are the most important themes you have learned this week?

The evidences on climate change and possible outcomes from it. 

• What aspect of this week did you find difficult?

Once again the Chemistry. But this was simplified this week, in my opinion. 

• What did you find most interesting? And why?

I found interesting that the major "deposits" of carbon are underneath the ocean at depths. It made me think about possible flora underneath the sea: is there plants that use those carbon in photosynthesis? How does effect sea life down there?

I found then there there were no photosynthesis down there because the sun photons can't get into that that depth but chemosynthesis which is amazing and maybe a big piece puzzle that should maybe provide us useful knowledge... 

Robert Ballard: The astonishing hidden world of the deep ocean

• Was there something that you learned this week that prompted you to do your own research?

Yes, like the underneath sea life and the tools for collecting weather data

• Are there any web sites or other online resource that you found particularly useful in furthering your knowledge and understanding?

This time I was captivated by the tools provided in course. I loved the World Bank tool not just for climate changes, emission of CO2, but all those option it has at one's reach. Loved it!

Week two: Consider

Consider:

• What are the most important themes you have learned this week?

I think that the tools and their importance to understand past climates, since valid records with measurement tools only begun after the 1950's, having of course very important  registers from the 19 th century and in the first half of the 20th century (we can even trace some registers up to the 16th century, but very rare ones). The notion of how or primarily hot planet went trough several climate chances including several ice ages and it's the self regulating mechanisms. Also a bit of basic chemistry, essential to understand the readings of those data

• What aspect of this week did you find difficult?

The chemistry. It was a bit complex. And I'm still trying to better understand isotopes, for example. I also found that it was a bit longer than the other week. I couldn't read and see the videos in 5 hours or even 8. And I'm sure I didn't grasp everything for sure. How did I miss the pollen as a proxy record?

• What did you find most interesting? And why?

Drop-stones. It was something I never notice before and I'm sure it's something that I'm going to better notice in my walks near the seaside in Portugal.

• Was there something that you learned this week that prompted you to do your own research?

Yes like the Pangaea theory.  

• Are there any web sites or other online resource that you found particularly useful in furthering your knowledge and understanding?

Eddy Cartaya: My glacier cave discoveries

Past Climate Records.

What are climate change records?

Climate change records are data that can help us understand, measure and predict weather trough out the years using either proxy measurements  - like tree rings, ice cores, boreholes in oil-drilling or coral observation - or measure tools - like weather balloons, data from satellite, equations or statistical algorithms, overlapping data from ground -base data from weather stations, etc. 

How do volcanoes affect climate change?

They effect trough a negative feedback where the earth released the pert of the core's heat in the form of magma. But they also release to the atmosphere ashes, sulphor dioxide and sulfates. They create a form of aerosols that darken and spreads out in the atmosphere, provoking a cooling of the climate by blocking out solar radiation. But this has a short time effect.

How is today’s warming different from the past?

There is a new component in game. Not as much as new as a new record of it: CO2. In the last century the CO2 concentration increased heavily. We might correlate it with the extraordinary rise of temperature trough out the last century.

What is the role of isotopes in determining temperatures from the past?

Calcium carbonate, one of the elements found for example in the layers of  sediments relates to the acid rain that proceeds the accumulation of carbon dioxide and other gases released by volcanoes after a ice age. The carbonate have the presence and concentration of  of isotopes that allow us to read past temperatures.

How have trees been used to reconstruct different climate variables across the world?

They are a valid evidence of past climate and serve as proxy records, either with the use of an incremental borer, that pierce the tree and take a sample that allow us to study climate changes in the tree rings (hot summers the tree has a greater vigor, cooler ones it has fain rings, or with the observation of dead trees (ones that were cut long time ago for example). 

How can ice cores provide a record of atmospheric composition?

They serve as proxy records as well, and a source of evidence of past climate. They register seasonal snow layers, that can provide information trough the observation of several bore holes sample of temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pollution, wind patterns and even volcanic activity .Isotopes measurements are also very important, giving the concentration of oxygen and relating it to a given temperature. But also the chemistry reading of methane can indicate a of of bacteria, or the presence of ashes can be use to indicate the presence of volcanic activity or wind strength.

Week one: think about...

At the end of the module we were asked to reflect and considerate some points.

Reflect on these key questions:

• What the key scientific principles that explain climate change including the greenhouse (blanket) effect?

The measurement of weather condition (and solar energy and radiation), trough a period of time, by the observation of the earth components (atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere and lithospher).

• What are the key feedback mechanisms that help to explain why our climate is able to “self-regulate”?

The positive and negative feedback's, the ones that amplify the effect of a change on climate forcing or diminish it, like the water vapor feedback, the ice albedo feedback, or a volcanic eruption (Earth crust cooling system?).

• How can our climate be conceptualised as a system containing a series of components that interact with one another?

By studying the relation between atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, cryophere and lithosphere,  we can come up to a valid scientific mensurable observation of the weather variation trough a longer period. 

Also consider:

• What are the most important themes you have learned this week?

The notion of the climate system and its elements , greenhouse effect opposed tho Earth blanket, what is albedo ans feedback mechanisms.

• What aspect of this week did you find difficult?

I was a bit afraid of being able to go trough the content within the week. I'm taking another future learn course, and "my week" only start on Wednesday. I usually don't have internet on the two days before. Still With a bit on my plate (work, second language, home tasks and 2 courses I feel it very rewarding, and totally worth it. 

• What did you find most interesting? And why?

The more accurate blanket effect opposed to greenhouse effect. Very well illustrated. Also the fact that water vapor has a big role in climate changes, preventing the solar radiation to escape to space.

• Was there something that you learned this week that prompted you to do your own research?

Sure like: James Hansen: Why I must speak out about climate change

• Are there any web sites or other online resource that you found particularly useful in furthering your knowledge and understanding?

Ted talks.