CARBON FEEDBACKS
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Carbon Feedbacks due to global warming
The greatest danger to all life of Earth
The greatest danger to all life of Earth
The rapidly warming Arctic has already leaking methane from both thawing permafrost for many years (global surface warming) and subsea coastal methane hydrates for several years (ocean warming).
The methane emissions from thawing permafrost is the result of bacteria in the presence of water digesting the soil carbon and emitting methane. So it is slow process that happens some years after a level of permafrost is thawed.
Methane hydrate on the other hand is pure methane that forms under conditions of cold and pressure. If pressure is reduced or temperature increased sufficiently the methane is released and bubbles up through the sea water and to the atmosphere. As the methane gas has 100 times the volume of the solid hydrate it can release explosively. Methane hydrates are widely distributed around all continental coastal shelves.
In the Arctic they most vulnerable to global warming because they have formed nearer the ocean surface level in coastal sediments. They are also vulnerable on the sea bed off the Siberian coastal shelf where the solid methane hydrate caps methane gas below the sea bed.
The methane emissions from thawing permafrost is the result of bacteria in the presence of water digesting the soil carbon and emitting methane. So it is slow process that happens some years after a level of permafrost is thawed.
Methane hydrate on the other hand is pure methane that forms under conditions of cold and pressure. If pressure is reduced or temperature increased sufficiently the methane is released and bubbles up through the sea water and to the atmosphere. As the methane gas has 100 times the volume of the solid hydrate it can release explosively. Methane hydrates are widely distributed around all continental coastal shelves.
In the Arctic they most vulnerable to global warming because they have formed nearer the ocean surface level in coastal sediments. They are also vulnerable on the sea bed off the Siberian coastal shelf where the solid methane hydrate caps methane gas below the sea bed.
The higher the global average temperature rises the greater will be the additional carbon emissions from the planet's carbon feedback response to global warming.
Carbon feedbacks will add more carbon to industrial greenhouse gas emissions and as temperatures rise further carbon feedback emissions will add increasingly more carbon. This should be a major consideration in zero carbon.
Positive (bad) carbon feed backs are a source of carbon emissions that must be taken into account for zero carbon emissions.
Carbon feedback is a response from the planet to extra carbon dioxide or to global warming. They are alterations to the natural life sustaining carbon cycle.
The response is to emit more CO2 or more methane (CH4).
Carbon feedback is terribly dangerous. It changes the global climate change situation to one we could mitigate to one totally beyond our control.
Carbon feedback is the cause of the climate change planetary catastrophe- runaway global warming and climate change.
Positive (bad) carbon feed backs are a source of carbon emissions that must be taken into account for zero carbon emissions.
Carbon feedback is a response from the planet to extra carbon dioxide or to global warming. They are alterations to the natural life sustaining carbon cycle.
The response is to emit more CO2 or more methane (CH4).
Carbon feedback is terribly dangerous. It changes the global climate change situation to one we could mitigate to one totally beyond our control.
Carbon feedback is the cause of the climate change planetary catastrophe- runaway global warming and climate change.
There are many carbon feedbacks and they are feeding back more carbon GHGs (CO2 carbon dioxide, CH4 methane) to the atmosphere already. .
If we delay launching a global zero carbon emergency response any longer - no matter what try to do will make no difference because multiple positive feedbacks will be irreversible and uncontrollable.
We are in a race against time .
If we delay launching a global zero carbon emergency response any longer - no matter what try to do will make no difference because multiple positive feedbacks will be irreversible and uncontrollable.
We are in a race against time .
Arctic carbon feedbacks
The most dangerous effect of global warming is carbon feedbacks and the most dangerous of the carbon feedbacks by far is carbon feedbacks from the Arctic.
The Arctic permafrost course twice as much carbon as in the atmosphere. Most of this is emitted as methane (CH4) as the Arctic warms rapidly due to global warming.
Methane only loss in the atmosphere as methane for 12 years that it disappears because it's oxidised in the atmosphere to other greenhouse gases notably including carbon dioxide, making methane emissions a carbon dioxide source.
Arctic frozen solid methane hydrates to on the ocean floor also hold rwice as much carbon as the atmosphere.
All soils under global warming release more carbon as they warm. The permafrost at the last count contains 50% of all the soil carbon on Earth which is double all the carbon in the atmosphere.
(Soil organic carbon pools in the northern circumpolar permafrost region C. Tarnocai J. G. Canadell et al 27 June 2009)
The far north and Arctic is warming up twice as fast than the rest of the planet. In Siberia , that holds by far the most of the Arctic's huge store of frozen carbon, some regions have been warming three times as fast. This is all much faster than the scientists had predicted from their computer models.
Massive Arctic Methane carbon feedbacks is the greatest present threat to the survival of life on Earh.
The Arctic permafrost course twice as much carbon as in the atmosphere. Most of this is emitted as methane (CH4) as the Arctic warms rapidly due to global warming.
Methane only loss in the atmosphere as methane for 12 years that it disappears because it's oxidised in the atmosphere to other greenhouse gases notably including carbon dioxide, making methane emissions a carbon dioxide source.
Arctic frozen solid methane hydrates to on the ocean floor also hold rwice as much carbon as the atmosphere.
All soils under global warming release more carbon as they warm. The permafrost at the last count contains 50% of all the soil carbon on Earth which is double all the carbon in the atmosphere.
(Soil organic carbon pools in the northern circumpolar permafrost region C. Tarnocai J. G. Canadell et al 27 June 2009)
The far north and Arctic is warming up twice as fast than the rest of the planet. In Siberia , that holds by far the most of the Arctic's huge store of frozen carbon, some regions have been warming three times as fast. This is all much faster than the scientists had predicted from their computer models.
There are four main sources of carbon feedback.
1. Terrestrial carbon feed back from carbon in living soils and dying vegetation.
2. Carbon from thawing permafrost (permanently frozen soils in the Arctic) is emitted mainly as methane and some CO2.
This is double the carbon in the atmosphere.
3. Arctic methane hydrate carbon (frozen solid methane gas) in the ocean floor sediment of the Arctic is released into the ocean and bubbles up to emit methane into the atmosphere. Methane released into the ocean will add to ocean acidification. This is double the carbon in the atmosphere
4.Oceans absorbing less CO2
Warm water dissolve less atmospheric CO2 than cold water.
Acidified ocean water absorbs less CO2.
1. Terrestrial carbon feed back from carbon in living soils and dying vegetation.
As soil warms the microorganisms become more active emitting
more CO2. As more vegetation dies from global warming
more CO2 is emitted. The largest terrestrial feedback is the die- back
of the planet's remaining large forested regions, notably the Amazon.
The additional carbon dioxide emitted by terrestrial carbon feedback according to the climate models (going back to 2001) may be large enough to add another 1.5C by 2100. The IPCC says it will be more than 1.0C by 2100.
2. Carbon from thawing permafrost (permanently frozen soils in the Arctic) is emitted mainly as methane and some CO2.
This is double the carbon in the atmosphere.
3. Arctic methane hydrate carbon (frozen solid methane gas) in the ocean floor sediment of the Arctic is released into the ocean and bubbles up to emit methane into the atmosphere. Methane released into the ocean will add to ocean acidification. This is double the carbon in the atmosphere
4.Oceans absorbing less CO2
Warm water dissolve less atmospheric CO2 than cold water.
Acidified ocean water absorbs less CO2.
Unfortunately and most importantly the response of the planet to the extremely rapid climate forcing from constant emissions of industrial GHGs is positive carbon feedback making the situation increasingly worse.
It is the ultimate vicious cycle. The more the global warming- the more the carbon feedback emissions -so the more the global warming- and more carbon feedbacks. This is what has become known as runaway global warming and climate change.
It is the ultimate vicious cycle. The more the global warming- the more the carbon feedback emissions -so the more the global warming- and more carbon feedbacks. This is what has become known as runaway global warming and climate change.
Terrestrial carbon feedback example: Forest Fires
Already on the many continents that increased forest fires as a result of global warming.
The fossil fuels are burnt to produce fossil fuel energy and in doing so they emit carbon dioxide that causes global warming. The burning forest fires also emit carbon dioxide which then adds to the global warming.
The fossil fuels are burnt to produce fossil fuel energy and in doing so they emit carbon dioxide that causes global warming. The burning forest fires also emit carbon dioxide which then adds to the global warming.
There is another example carbon feedback from dying forests. This one is caused by increased insect infestation of forest trees under warmer temperatures. As the trees die they stop absorbing CO2 and the forests emit a lot of carbon dioxide released by the dying trees.
More drying, more heat waves, more toxic ground level ozone
more insect infestation and more diseases combined together will result in large regions of the planet virtually burning under increasing global warming.
More drying, more heat waves, more toxic ground level ozone
more insect infestation and more diseases combined together will result in large regions of the planet virtually burning under increasing global warming.
The most catastrophically dangerous effect of global warming is carbon feedbacks.
Carbon feedbacks by planetary source
This illustration of the perturbed carbon cycle, shows three planetary general sources of carbon feedback emissions.
From left to right we have:
Terrestrial feed backs
o Reduced carbon uptake by green vegetation photosynthesis. This is caused by heat waves, drying and drought. Increased green plant toxic ground level ozone increase.
o Increased forest fires.
o Increased decomposition and respiration by soil organisms in a warming soils.
Ocean carbon feed backs.
o Increased water temperature dissolves less CO2.
o Increased ocean acidification dissolves less CO2.
o Reduced phytoplankton growth reduces ocean photosynthesis.
Arctic cryosphere carbon feedbacks
o Thawing permafrost
o Melting ocean floor methane hydrates
From left to right we have:
Terrestrial feed backs
o Reduced carbon uptake by green vegetation photosynthesis. This is caused by heat waves, drying and drought. Increased green plant toxic ground level ozone increase.
o Increased forest fires.
o Increased decomposition and respiration by soil organisms in a warming soils.
Ocean carbon feed backs.
o Increased water temperature dissolves less CO2.
o Increased ocean acidification dissolves less CO2.
o Reduced phytoplankton growth reduces ocean photosynthesis.
Arctic cryosphere carbon feedbacks
o Thawing permafrost
o Melting ocean floor methane hydrates
Ocean carbon feedbacks
As the land is warmed it becomes a source of additional carbon dioxide emissions. So does the ocean.
This effect is called carbon feedback - specifically in the case of land a terrestrial carbon feedback.
This effect is called carbon feedback - specifically in the case of land a terrestrial carbon feedback.
Carbon emissions in the form of both carbon dioxide and methane are a source of carbon dioxide which is being virtually ignored.
