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Student Activity The Carbon Cycle Exploring Global Change Take a bite of dinner, a breath, or drive a car – you are part of the carbon cycle – moving carbon from one reservoir to another. --http://www.education.noaa.gov/Climate/Carbon_Cycle.html Learning Objectives When you finish the following activities, you should be able to do each of these: 1. List three ways carbon enters the atmosphere 2. Identify at least three carbon sinks 3. Differentiate the roles of photosynthesis and cellular respiration and in the carbon cycle 4. Explain the relationship between the carbon cycle and the "greenhouse effect" 5. Describe the effect of seasons on the carbon cycle 6. Make a diagram of the carbon cycle. Consider This… Before starting the other activities, consider this claim: Carbon production is causing harm to our environment. Do you agree or disagree with this claim? Provide evidence to support your answer. Your teacher will give you about five minutes to write your answer. Choose an Activity Your teacher will give you directions for deciding which of the next three activities you should choose to do. When you have finished that activity, you will be asked to work in groups to share your information and work together to analyze some specific data related to carbon in the environment. More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 19 Name_____________________________________ Class_______________ Date__________ Carbon Cycle Worksheet 1. List three ways carbon enters the atmosphere. 2. Identify at least three carbon sinks. 3. Differentiate the roles of photosynthesis and cellular respiration and in the carbon cycle. 4. Explain the relationship between the carbon cycle and the "greenhouse effect." 5. Describe the effect of seasons on the carbon cycle. 6. Make a diagram of the carbon cycle. 20 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity Exploring Carbon Dioxide POGIL Introduction Currently, there is worldwide concern over climate change. You have probably heard about the changing climate from multiple sources: scientists and politicians in the news, family members, teachers, and friends. Why are many people so concerned about climate change, and what scientific evidence suggests that it is occurring? What causes can be attributed to this change? What can be done? As you may know, much of the concern for our climate is due to the results of scientific studies of the Earth's atmosphere. This activity will introduce you to the basic scientific understanding of how Earth's atmosphere affects climate. You will analyze real scientific measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the most important greenhouse gases (GHGs) which influence climate. By investigating the recent trends in CO2, you will be playing the role of a scientist trying to interpret the condition of Earth's atmosphere. You will then use your understanding of how the atmosphere works, in light of these trends, to determine what climate issues should concern humans. The Carbon Cycle's Land and Ocean Processes (Source: NOAA – Featured in ESRL's Carbon Cycle Toolkit) Carbon is the chemical backbone of life on Earth, a key element in many important processes. Carbon compounds help to regulate the Earth’s temperature, make up the food that sustains us, and provide a major source of the energy to fuel our global economy. Most of Earth’s carbon is stored in rocks More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 21 Student Activity and sediments, while the rest is located in the ocean, atmosphere, and in living organisms - these are the reservoirs through which carbon cycles. Carbon Storage and Exchange Carbon moves from one storage reservoir to another through a variety of mechanisms. One example is the movement of carbon through the food chain. Plants move carbon from the atmosphere into the biosphere through photosynthesis: they take in carbon dioxide and use energy from the sun to chemically combine it with hydrogen and oxygen to create sugar molecules. Animals that eat the plant can digest the sugar molecules to get energy for their bodies. Respiration, excretion, and decomposition release the carbon back into the atmosphere or soil continuing the cycle. The ocean plays a critical role in the storage of carbon, as it holds about 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere. Two-way carbon exchange can occur quickly between the ocean’s surface waters and the atmosphere, but carbon may also be stored for centuries at the deepest ocean depths. Rocks such as limestone and fossil fuels such as coal and oil are storage reservoirs that contain carbon from plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. When these organisms died, slow geologic processes trapped their carbon and transformed it into these natural resources. Processes such as erosion release this carbon back into the atmosphere very slowly while volcanic activity can release it very quickly. Burning of fossil fuels in cars or power plants is another way this carbon can be released into the atmospheric reservoir quickly. Changes to the Carbon Cycle The increasing human population and their activities have a tremendous impact on the carbon cycle. Burning of fossil fuels, changes in land use, and the use of limestone to make concrete all transfer significant quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. As a result the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is rapidly rising and is already significantly greater than at any time in the last 800,000 years. This increase of CO2 is affecting our ocean as it absorbs much of the CO2 that is released from burning fossil fuels. This extra CO2 is lowering the ocean’s pH. This process is called ocean acidification and interferes with the ability of marine organisms (such as corals) to build their shells and skeletons. (Adapted from NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.) You can visualize some of these details more easily by watching this video clip. Insure your computer is Internet enabled and the sound works. Launch your browser. Point your browser to this address: http://SatEd.org/library/LESSONS/Carbon_Cycle/Resources/Climate_Change_Basics.mp4 Or follow your teacher's directions to watch the video from a different source. 22 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity If time permits, your teacher may also ask you to watch this short video clip: http://SatEd.org/library/LESSONS/Carbon_Cycle/Resources/The_Carbon_Cycle.mp4 This is a good time to pause and take a look at your Carbon Cycle Worksheet. Answer as much as you can now. Interactive Atmospheric Data Visualization (IADV) In this rest of this activity you will use several web tools to analyze CO2 concentrations from sites around the globe, measured by NOAA. By analyzing short and long-term trends of CO2 in the atmosphere, you will learn how the atmosphere and climate are changing and determine the causes that are responsible for these changes. The Interactive Atmospheric Data Visualization (IADV) website is a data exploration tool for the trace gases measured by NOAA. The following five tasks will guide you through the process of utilizing this tool. Task 1: Go to the IADV page on the NOAA website. Insure your computer is Internet enabled. Launch your browser. Point the browser to the NOAA IADV page at this address: https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/dv/iadv/. The global monitoring map is displayed. More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 23 Student Activity The IADV is comprised of actual scientific data from all of the measurement sites within the Cooperative Air Sampling Network at NOAA. Begin this activity by familiarizing yourself with the different measurement sites and IADV maps. Notice that the default measurement site is Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Atmospheric trace gas measurements were first introduced at this site, so it has the longest ongoing record of CO2. You can zoom in/out, pan, and change to a satellite or topographic map view. Hold the pointer over each site to view its name, location, and sampling details; click on a site to select it for data visualization. Study the map carefully. Answer questions on your Carbon Dioxide Worksheet. 1. Which site in the network is closest to your current location? Task 2: Use Mauna Loa, Hawaii, United States [MLO] for data visualization. 2. What are the latitude and longitude of the MLO site? 3. Based on your prior knowledge, how would you describe the location and geographic characteristics of this site? (Is it remote or close to large human populations, in which hemisphere [northern/southern] is this site located, is it near ocean or land, what is the elevation above sea level, etc. Hint: masl = meters above sea level, a measurement of elevation.) Obtain a graph of the trends of atmospheric CO2 at the MLO site: Insure MLO is selected from the drop down list in the Sampling Location field above the map. Mauna Loa, Hawaii will be shown as the current selection in larger blue letters on the right. In the Current Selection panel on the right, expand Carbon Cycle Gases and select Time Series plot type. Accept the default values for Parameter (Carbon Dioxide), Data Type (Flask Samples), 24 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity Data Frequency (Discrete), and Time Span (All). Click Submit. The graph of monthly average CO2 concentration measured at Mauna Loa from 1969 to 2015 is displayed. Notice the two links under the graph for downloading a printable PDF version of the graph or downloading the data used to generate the graph so you can further analyze them yourself, if desired. Notice also, the CO2 concentrations are reported in μmol mol-1 which is equivalent to ppm (parts per million). Feel free to use either unit, just be sure to include units in your answers. 4. Describe the short-term (annual) and long-term (over the entire measurement period) trends visible within this graph. Make specific reference to the current concentration of CO2, the overall net change of CO2 over the measurement period, and the approximate annual rate of change (the slope or annual rate of change = overall net change divided by the number of years of measurement). 5. What do you think might be causing the long-term trends in CO2 at MLO? (Hint: Think back to the video clips.) Task 3: Use Barrow, Alaska, United States [BRW] for data visualization. Use the browser's Back button to return to the IADV front page. Use the drop down arrow to change the Sampling Location to [BRW] United States, Barrow, Alaska. Again, select Carbon Cycle Gases and Time Series. Accept the default parameters and click Submit. 6. Describe the short- and long-term trends visible within this graph. 7. Compare the BRW trends to the MLO trends in terms of similarities and differences. What might cause these similarities and differences? More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 25 Student Activity Task 4: Explore the South Pole, Antarctica, United States [SPO] data. Use the browser's Back button to return to the IADV front page. Use the drop down arrow to change the Sampling Location to [SPO] United States, South Pole, Antarctica. 8. What are the latitude and longitude of the SPO site? 9. How would you describe the location and geographic characteristics of this site? Again, select Carbon Cycle Gases and Time Series. Accept the default parameters and click Submit. 10. Describe the short- and long-term trends visible within this graph. 11. Compare the SPO trends to the trends at MLO and BRW in terms of similarities and differences. What might cause these similarities and differences? Task 5: Analyze and compare the seasonal variations of each of the baseline observatory sites. These seasonal variations are responsible for the short-term trends that you have observed in the previous tasks. Use the browser's Back button to return to the IADV front page. Use the drop down arrow to change the Sampling Location back to [MLO] United States, Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Again, select Carbon Cycle Gases, but this time, select Seasonal Patterns. Accept the default parameters and click Submit. 12. Which month of each year has the local maximum value of CO2 (on average)? 13. Which month of each year has the local minimum value of CO2 (on average)? 14. What is the difference in CO2 concentrations between this average seasonal maximum and minimum? Note: this graph has been scaled so that zero is set as the average annual CO2 concentration. 26 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity Following the same procedure as before, obtain an Average Seasonal Cycle graph of CO2 at the BRW site. 15. Which month of each year has the local maximum value of CO2? 16. Which month of each year has the local minimum value of CO2? 17. What is the difference in CO2 concentrations between this average seasonal maximum and minimum? Obtain an Average Seasonal Cycle graph of CO2 at the SPO site. 18. Which month of each year has the local maximum value of CO2? 19. Which month of each year has the local minimum value of CO2? 20. What is the difference in CO2 concentrations between this average seasonal maximum and minimum? More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 27 Name_____________________________________ Class_______________ Date__________ Carbon Dioxide Worksheet 1. Which site in the network is closest to your current location? 2. What are the latitude and longitude of the MLO site? 3. Based on your prior knowledge, how would you describe the location and geographic characteristics of this site? 4. Describe the short-term (annual) and long-term (over the entire measurement period) trends visible within this graph. Make specific reference to the current concentration of CO2, the overall net change of CO2 over the measurement period, and the approximate annual rate of change (the slope or annual rate of change = overall net change divided by the number of years of measurement). 5. What do you think might be causing the long-term trends in CO2 at MLO? (Hint: Think back to the video clips.) 6. Describe the short- and long-term trends visible within this graph. 7. Compare the BRW trends to the MLO trends in terms of similarities and differences. What might cause these similarities and differences? 8. What are the latitude and longitude of the SPO site? 9. How would you describe the location and geographic characteristics of this site? 10. Describe the short- and long-term trends visible within this graph. 28 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity 11. Compare the SPO trends to the trends at MLO and BRW in terms of similarities and differences. What might cause these similarities and differences? 12. Which month of each year has the local maximum value of CO2 (on average)? 13. Which month of each year has the local minimum value of CO2 (on average)? 14. What is the difference in CO2 concentrations between this average seasonal maximum and minimum? 15. Which month of each year has the local maximum value of CO2? 16. Which month of each year has the local minimum value of CO2? 17. What is the difference in CO2 concentrations between this average seasonal maximum and minimum? 18. Which month of each year has the local maximum value of CO2? 19. Which month of each year has the local minimum value of CO2? 20. What is the difference in CO2 concentrations between this average seasonal maximum and minimum? More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 29 Student Activity "It's All About Carbon" Podcast With your Carbon Cycle Worksheet at hand, you will listen to a podcast from National Public Radio (NPR) and watch/listen to five, very short, animated episodes about Global Warming. Insure your computer is Internet enabled and the sound works. Launch your browser. Point your browser to NPR's Episode 1: It's All About Carbon at this address: http://www.npr.org/2007/05/01/9943298/episode-1-its-all-about-carbon Use the Listen button to access the podcast. In the new window, click Play to listen. You may want to make notes on your worksheet during the podcast. At any time, you may pause or rewind using the slider control. When finished with the podcast, close the NPR Media Player window. When ready, click the Play button for the animated video. Again, keep your worksheet handy for making notes. Move the cursor over any part of the animation screen to make the control bar visible. At any time, you may use the control bar to pause or rewind if needed. When Episode 1 has concluded, scroll down the page to find the Related NPR Stories section. Click the link for Episode 2: Carbon's Special Knack for Bonding. Watch and listen to Episode 2. Then watch and listen to Episodes 3, 4, and 5. Review the responses on your worksheet to insure you provided complete and accurate information based on what you learned from the podcast. Your teacher will give you directions for the next activity. 30 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity Carbon Cycle Game What your team of 3 will need for the game 2-3 Players 1 Carbon Cycle Game instruction sheet 1 Game board 2 Dice 3 Game pieces 6 Cards of each category: Litter & Waste Vegetation Fossil Fuels Atmosphere Industry & Vehicles Bacteria & Fungi Animals Ocean Game Instructions 1. Sort the game cards by heading. Place each stack on its space on the game board. 2. Pick a game piece. 3. Place game pieces at Vegetation to start. 4. Roll the dice to see who starts. The player with the highest number starts. Continue the play in a clockwise direction from the first player. 5. Begin by picking the top card from the Vegetation stack (because you game piece is on Vegetation). Read the card to find out your next destination, and then roll the dice to find out how many spaces you move towards that destination. For example, if the Vegetation card says, "Now you go to the Animal pool," you will move your game piece along the path towards the Animal pool by moving the number of spaces indicated on the dice. If the dice roll yields a number greater than that needed to reach the next pool, simple move to the pool. Exact numbers are not needed. 6. Be sure to record the appropriate information from each card to your worksheet for each turn. 7. On your next turn, roll the dice and continue to move along the same path. If you reach the next pool, pick the top card from the card stack for that pool and follow the directions on the card. 8. The first person to return to Vegetation again, wins the game. More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 31 Student Activity Graphing Greenhouse Gases Using graph paper and pencil or a computer program such as Vernier's Graphical Analysis or Microsoft Excel, plot these data in an X-Y line graph for discussion, analysis and interpretation. Concentration of Atmospheric Gases Affected by Human Activity Carbon Dioxide (CO2) ppm = parts per million Year CO2 (ppm) Year CO2 (ppm) Year CO2 (ppm) Year CO2 (ppm) 1750 278.00 1855 285.40 1960 316.90 1995 360.23 1755 278.00 1860 286.20 1965 320.00 1996 362.01 1760 278.00 1865 286.90 1970 325.00 1997 363.17 1765 278.00 1870 287.50 1975 331.30 1998 365.69 1770 278.60 1875 288.70 1978 334.60 1999 367.81 1775 279.30 1880 290.70 1979 336.74 2000 368.92 1780 280.10 1885 293.00 1980 338.70 2001 370.51 1785 280.80 1890 294.20 1981 339.74 2002 372.49 1790 281.60 1895 294.80 1982 340.92 2003 375.08 1795 282.30 1900 295.80 1983 342.47 2004 376.61 1800 282.90 1905 297.60 1984 344.13 2005 378.97 1805 283.40 1910 299.70 1985 345.47 2006 381.17 1810 283.80 1915 301.40 1986 346.89 2007 382.89 1815 284.00 1920 303.00 1987 348.46 2008 384.98 1820 284.20 1925 305.00 1988 350.93 2009 386.42 1825 284.30 1930 307.20 1989 352.57 2010 388.71 1830 284.40 1935 309.40 1990 353.72 2011 390.57 1835 283.80 1940 310.40 1991 355.15 2012 392.64 1840 283.40 1945 310.10 1992 355.90 2013 395.50 1845 283.90 1950 310.70 1993 356.63 2014 397.43 1850 284.70 1955 313.00 1994 358.20 Data source: European Environment Agency. Retrieved May 23, 2017 from https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/atmospheric-concentration-of-carbon-dioxide-2/download.table Following your teacher's directions, share your graph results with others in your group. Compare and contrast the graphs and what story they tell about the carbon cycle. Together, answer the questions on the Carbon Cycle Summary Worksheet. 32 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity Graphing Greenhouse Gases Using graph paper and pencil or a computer program such as Vernier's Graphical Analysis or Microsoft Excel, plot these data in an X-Y line graph for discussion, analysis and interpretation. Concentration of Atmospheric Gases Affected by Human Activity Nitrous Oxide (N2O) ppb = parts per billion Data source: Year N2O (ppb) Year N2O (ppb) Year N2O (ppb) Year N2O (ppb) 1750 270.00 1855 275.90 1960 291.40 1995 311.78 1755 270.30 1860 276.40 1965 292.90 1996 312.74 1760 270.60 1865 276.90 1970 294.90 1997 313.39 1765 270.90 1870 277.40 1975 297.40 1998 313.98 1770 271.20 1875 277.80 1978 298.82 1999 314.83 1775 271.50 1880 278.20 1979 300.04 2000 315.83 1780 271.80 1885 278.70 1980 300.65 2001 316.59 1785 272.10 1890 279.10 1981 301.23 2002 317.20 1790 272.40 1895 279.50 1982 303.56 2003 317.88 1795 272.70 1900 279.80 1983 303.78 2004 318.49 1800 273.00 1905 280.30 1984 304.02 2005 319.21 1805 273.24 1910 281.00 1985 304.54 2006 319.90 1810 273.48 1915 281.80 1986 305.37 2007 320.64 1815 273.72 1920 282.90 1987 305.55 2008 321.57 1820 273.96 1925 284.00 1988 306.49 2009 322.26 1825 274.20 1930 285.00 1989 307.48 2010 323.05 1830 274.44 1935 285.90 1990 308.78 2011 324.02 1835 274.68 1940 286.70 1991 309.57 2012 324.91 1840 274.92 1945 287.80 1992 310.00 2013 325.82 1845 275.16 1950 289.00 1993 310.25 2014 326.70 1850 275.40 1955 290.10 1994 310.98 European Environment Agency. Retrieved May 23, 2017 from https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/atmospheric-concentration-of-carbon-dioxide-2/download.table Following your teacher's directions, share your graph results with others in your group. Compare and contrast the graphs and what story they tell about the carbon cycle. Together, answer the questions on the Carbon Cycle Summary Worksheet. More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 33 Student Activity Graphing Greenhouse Gases Using graph paper and pencil or a computer program such as Vernier's Graphical Analysis or Microsoft Excel, plot these data in an X-Y line graph for discussion, analysis and interpretation. Concentration of Atmospheric Gases Affected by Human Activity Methane (CH4) pp10b = parts per ten billion CH4 (pp10b) Year Year CH4 (pp10b) Year CH4 (pp10b) Year CH4 (pp10b) 1750 7000.0 1855 7986.0 1960 12475.0 1995 17471.0 1755 7022.2 1860 8056.0 1965 13122.0 1996 17496.2 1760 7044.5 1865 8133.0 1970 13860.0 1997 17540.1 1765 7084.8 1870 8210.0 1975 14654.0 1998 17630.1 1770 7125.0 1875 8290.5 1978 15140.0 1999 17728.4 1775 7177.6 1880 8371.0 1979 15305.5 2000 17744.2 1780 7230.2 1885 8468.5 1980 15471.0 2001 17732.9 1785 7289.6 1890 8566.0 1981 15675.0 2002 17734.7 1790 7349.0 1895 8680.0 1982 15879.0 2003 17775.5 1795 7382.5 1900 8794.0 1983 16082.9 2004 17753.1 1800 7416.0 1905 9009.0 1984 16286.9 2005 17745.8 1805 7462.0 1910 9240.0 1985 16490.9 2006 17755.6 1810 7508.0 1915 9497.0 1986 16694.9 2007 17816.8 1815 7555.5 1920 9781.0 1987 16806.6 2008 17898.9 1820 7603.0 1925 10077.0 1988 16988.3 2009 17936.0 1825 7650.5 1930 10362.0 1989 17105.2 2010 17968.5 1830 7698.0 1935 10633.5 1990 17093.3 2011 18034.6 1835 7746.0 1940 10889.0 1991 17290.7 2012 18102.5 1840 7794.0 1945 11150.0 1992 17310.5 2013 18054.4 1845 7855.0 1950 11475.0 1993 17356.5 2014 18220.9 1850 7916.0 1955 11922.5 1994 17416.6 Data source: European Environment Agency. Retrieved May 23, 2017 from https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/atmospheric-concentration-of-carbon-dioxide-2/download.table Following your teacher's directions, share your graph results with others in your group. Compare and contrast the graphs and what story they tell about the carbon cycle. Together, answer the questions on the Carbon Cycle Summary Worksheet. 34 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity Graphing Greenhouse Gases Using graph paper and pencil or a computer program such as Vernier's Graphical Analysis or Microsoft Excel, plot these data in an X-Y line graph for discussion, analysis and interpretation. Concentration of Atmospheric Gases Affected by Human Activity Chlorofluorocarbons Production (CFC) hundreds of metric tons Year CFC (hundreds of metric tons) Year CFC (hundreds of metric tons) Year CFC (hundreds of metric tons) 1931 5.44 1956 1011.51 1981 9041.51 1932 1.36 1957 1080.92 1982 8619.29 1933 3.18 1958 1029.66 1983 9522.93 1934 7.25 1959 1231.51 1984 10470.86 1935 10.43 1960 1491.42 1985 10720.93 1936 18.15 1961 1689.63 1986 11481.58 1937 32.20 1962 2062.04 1987 12426.45 1938 29.03 1963 2397.24 1988 12858.51 1939 40.37 1964 2811.82 1989 11925.72 1940 47.17 1965 3128.89 1990 8910.84 1941 65.32 1966 3572.04 1991 8725.38 1942 62.60 1967 4025.19 1992 8217.13 1943 86.18 1968 4506.00 1993 7704.69 1944 171.01 1969 5145.56 1994 6437.53 1945 204.57 1970 6153.06 1995 6177.92 1946 173.73 1971 6653.13 1996 5953.64 1947 214.55 1972 7499.90 1997 5687.34 1948 277.60 1973 8467.69 1998 6099.77 1949 306.18 1974 8959.12 1999 5973.03 1950 411.87 1975 7700.30 2000 5942.97 1951 453.14 1976 8412.67 2001 5569.43 1952 508.02 1977 8046.72 2002 5462.60 1953 637.75 1978 7925.96 2003 5034.63 1954 700.35 1979 18487.27 2004 4867.63 1955 838.69 1980 8941.64 Data source: Alternative Fluorocarbons Environmental Acceptability Study. Retrieved May 23, 2015 from http://www.afeas.org/index.html Following your teacher's directions, share your graph results with others in your group. Compare and contrast the graphs and what story they tell about the carbon cycle. Together, answer the questions on the Carbon Cycle Summary Worksheet. More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 35 Student Activity Graphing Greenhouse Gases Using graph paper and pencil or a computer program such as Vernier's Graphical Analysis or Microsoft Excel, plot these data in an X-Y line graph or a column graph for discussion, analysis and interpretation. Global Annual Average Land and Ocean Temperature Anomaly (C) Value (°C) Year Year Value (°C) Year Value (°C) Year Value (°C) Year Value (°C) 1880 -0.12 1907 -0.37 1934 -0.11 1961 0.08 1988 0.38 1881 -0.07 1908 -0.44 1935 -0.14 1962 0.09 1989 0.30 1882 -0.07 1909 -0.43 1936 -0.12 1963 0.11 1990 0.43 1883 -0.14 1910 -0.39 1937 -0.02 1964 -0.15 1991 0.41 1884 -0.21 1911 -0.44 1938 -0.03 1965 -0.07 1992 0.26 1885 -0.22 1912 -0.34 1939 -0.01 1966 -0.02 1993 0.29 1886 -0.20 1913 -0.33 1940 0.10 1967 -0.01 1994 0.34 1887 -0.25 1914 -0.15 1941 0.20 1968 -0.03 1995 0.46 1888 -0.15 1915 -0.08 1942 0.15 1969 0.10 1996 0.32 1889 -0.10 1916 -0.30 1943 0.16 1970 0.04 1997 0.52 1890 -0.32 1917 -0.32 1944 0.29 1971 -0.08 1998 0.64 1891 -0.25 1918 -0.21 1945 0.17 1972 0.03 1999 0.45 1892 -0.30 1919 -0.21 1946 0.00 1973 0.17 2000 0.43 1893 -0.32 1920 -0.22 1947 -0.05 1974 -0.07 2001 0.55 1894 -0.28 1921 -0.15 1948 -0.05 1975 0.00 2002 0.61 1895 -0.22 1922 -0.23 1949 -0.06 1976 -0.08 2003 0.62 1896 -0.09 1923 -0.22 1950 -0.16 1977 0.20 2004 0.58 1897 -0.11 1924 -0.26 1951 -0.01 1978 0.11 2005 0.66 1898 -0.26 1925 -0.15 1952 0.03 1979 0.23 2006 0.62 1899 -0.12 1926 -0.07 1953 0.10 1980 0.27 2007 0.61 1900 -0.07 1927 -0.15 1954 -0.11 1981 0.30 2008 0.54 1901 -0.14 1928 -0.18 1955 -0.13 1982 0.18 2009 0.64 1902 -0.24 1929 -0.30 1956 -0.20 1983 0.34 2010 0.71 1903 -0.33 1930 -0.11 1957 0.05 1984 0.15 2011 0.58 1904 -0.42 1931 -0.08 1958 0.11 1985 0.14 2012 0.63 1905 -0.29 1932 -0.12 1959 0.06 1986 0.23 2013 0.67 1906 -0.22 1933 -0.25 1960 0.02 1987 0.37 2014 0.74 Data source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate at a Glance. Retrieved May 23, 2017 from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/time-series/global Following your teacher's directions, share your graph results with others in your group. Compare and contrast the graphs and what story they tell about the carbon cycle. Together, answer the questions on the Carbon Cycle Summary Worksheet. 36 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Student Activity Carbon Cycle Summary Worksheet Throughout these activities, you have observed a long-term increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations overlying consistent seasonal variation. 1. Does the CO2 increase coincide with changes in other greenhouse gas concentrations? The data which you have observed are a powerful scientific indicator that the atmosphere is changing over time, and they are some of the primary evidence that concerns those studying the climate. Scientists are most concerned with the following: o Long-term increase in CO2 levels which can be attributed to human causes o Short-term seasonal and regional fluctuations o Identification of all carbon sinks and where they are located Consider these questions. Discuss them in your graph groups. Be prepared to represent your group in sharing your group's answers with the rest of the class. 2. What implications do the observed long-term trends of CO2 have for the Earth and its climate system? Make specific reference to the Greenhouse Effect. 3. Given the increasing levels of CO2 within Earth's atmosphere and the role that it has in warming the atmosphere, do you think that humans have reason for concern? Justify your answer with the concepts and data that you have studied throughout this activity. 4. How will AIRS, OCO-2 and other satellite-based remote sensors help us make decisions about future human activities? More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association Carbon Cycle 37 Student Activity Your Turn Identify, being as specific as possible, some of the sources and sinks of CO 2 in your particular geographic region. At what times of the year are each of these sources and sinks most influential on the atmosphere? Make an inventory of your own daily activities for several days – a week would be best. Which of your activities contribute most to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and changing climate? What are some steps that you could take to decrease this effect? Identify the potential implications of the observed data on natural ecosystems and human society on a global, regional, and individual scale. When considering human society, you might include impacts on human needs, economy, energy, industry, agriculture, policy, etc. Be sure to identify some of the current and predicted impacts of a changing climate on your region. What steps can be taken to remediate this environmental issue? You will need to refer to outside sources in order to answer this question. Devise and carry out a plan to investigate chlorofluorocarbon production and emissions. What caused the decrease in CFC production after 1988? Does this trend coincide with the trend in CFC concentrations in the atmosphere? How will this affect the stratospheric ozone and the quality of life on Earth? How long is this trend likely to last? What implications does this have for the way human typically conduct outdoor activities? 38 Carbon Cycle More Lessons from the Sky, 2015, Satellite Educators Association