Experimenting on a Small Planet [electronic resource] : A History of Scientific Discoveries, a Future of Climate Change and Global Warming /
Hay, William W.author.
This book is a thorough introduction to climate science and global change. The author is a geologist who has spent much of his life investigating the climate of Earth from a time when it was warm and dinosaurs roamed the land, to today's changing climate. Bill Hay takes you on a journey to understand how the climate system works. He explores how humans are unintentionally conducting a grand uncontrolled experiment which is leading to unanticipated changes. We follow the twisting path of seemingly unrelated discoveries in physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and even mathematics to learn how they led to our present knowledge of how our planet works. He explains why the weather is becoming increasingly chaotic as our planet warms at a rate far faster than at any time in its geologic past. He speculates on possible future outcomes, and suggests that nature itself may make some unexpected course corrections. Although the book is written for the layman with little knowledge of science or mathematics, it includes information from many diverse fields to provide even those actively working in the field of climatology with a broader view of this developing drama. Experimenting on a Small Planet is a must read for anyone having more than a casual interest in global warming and climate change - one of the most important and challenging issues of our time. This new edition includes actual data from climate science into 2014. Numerous powerpoint slides allow lecturers and teachers to more effectively use the book as a basis for climate change education.
Includes indexes.
Preface -- Introduction -- Intermezzo I. A Slightly Unusual Family -- The Language Of Science -- Intermezzo II. Undergraduate study -- Applying Mathematics to Problems -- Intermezzo III. Graduate study -- Geologic Time -- Intermezzo IV. Graduate study II -- Putting Numbers On Geologic Ages -- Intermezzo V. A Postdoctoral Year in Switzerland - and Europe – I -- Documenting Past Climate Change -- Intermezzo VI. A Postdoctoral Year in Switzerland - and Europe - II -- The Nature Of Energy Received From The Sun – The Analogies With Water Waves And Sound -- Intermezzo VII. New Horizons and the Berlin Wall -- The Nature Of Energy Received From The Sun – Figuring Out What Light Really Is -- The Academic Life -- Exploring The Electromagnetic Spectrum -- Intermezzo IX. Back and Forth through the Iron Curtain -- The Origins Of Climate Science - The Idea Of Energy Balance -- Intermezzo X. Getting used to the East -- The Climate System -- Intermezzo XI. The most memorable summer of my life was 1968 -- What’s At The Bottom Of Alice’s Rabbit Hole -- Intermezzo XII. Illinois and Miami -- Energy From The Sun - Long-Term Variations -- Intermezzo XIII The Deep Sea Drilling Project – DSDP -- Solar Variability And Cosmic Rays -- Intermezzo XIV. A History of the Deep Sea Drilling Project and JOIDES -- Albedo -- Intermezzo XV. Internationalization of the Deep Sea Drilling Project -- Air -- Intermezzo XVI. The Cretaceous Puzzle -- HOH - The Keystone Of Earth’s Climate -- Intermezzo XVII Becoming a Dean -- The Atmosphere -- Intermezzo XVIII Fund Raising -- Oxygen And Ozone — Products And Protectors of Life -- Intermezzo XIX Building A Building -- Water Vapor — The Major Greenhouse Gas -- Intermezzo XX An Unexpected Detour -- Carbon Dioxide -- Intermezzo XXI Course Correction -- Other Greenhouse Gases -- Intermezzo XXII. Exciting Times -- The Coriolis Force -- Intermezzo XXIII Decision Time -- The Circulation Of Earth’s Atmosphere -- Intermezzo XXIV: The Zindani Affair -- The Modern Ocean’s General Circulation -- Intermezzo XXV. The Geological Congress in Moscow – 1984 -- The Biological Interactions -- Intermezzo XXVI Eagle Plume -- Sea level -- Intermezzo XXVII Second Sabbatical -- Global Climate Change - The (Geologically) Immediate Past -- Intermezzo XXVIII European Odyssey I -- Is There An Analog For The Future Climate?- Intermezzo XXIX European Odyssey II -- The Instrumental Temperature Record -- Intermezzo XXX European Odyssey III -- The Near Future -- Intermezzo XXXI Retirement -- The Distant Future -- Intermezzo XXXII.
This book is a thorough introduction to climate science and global change. The author is a geologist who has spent much of his life investigating the climate of Earth from a time when it was warm and dinosaurs roamed the land, to today's changing climate. Bill Hay takes you on a journey to understand how the climate system works. He explores how humans are unintentionally conducting a grand uncontrolled experiment which is leading to unanticipated changes. We follow the twisting path of seemingly unrelated discoveries in physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and even mathematics to learn how they led to our present knowledge of how our planet works. He explains why the weather is becoming increasingly chaotic as our planet warms at a rate far faster than at any time in its geologic past. He speculates on possible future outcomes, and suggests that nature itself may make some unexpected course corrections. Although the book is written for the layman with little knowledge of science or mathematics, it includes information from many diverse fields to provide even those actively working in the field of climatology with a broader view of this developing drama. Experimenting on a Small Planet is a must read for anyone having more than a casual interest in global warming and climate change - one of the most important and challenging issues of our time. This new edition includes actual data from climate science into 2014. Numerous powerpoint slides allow lecturers and teachers to more effectively use the book as a basis for climate change education.
Nature.
Environment.
Climate change.
Historical geology.
Popular Science in Nature and Environment.
Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts.
Historical Geology.