Using a Mass Balance Model to Understand Carbon Dioxide and its Connection to Global Warming
Summary
Students explore the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 40 years with an interactive on-line model. They use the model and observations to estimate present emission rates and emission growth rates. The model is then used to estimate future levels of carbon dioxide using different future emission scenarios. These different scenarios are then linked by students to climate model predictions of the IPCC.
Students explore the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 40 years with an interactive on-line model. They use the model and observations to estimate present emission rates and emission growth rates. The model is then used to estimate future levels of carbon dioxide using different future emission scenarios. These different scenarios are then linked by students to climate model predictions of the IPCC. Learning Goals
- Use a model to estimate the future concentrations of carbon dioxide under several different assumed emission scenarios.
- Learn how different carbon dioxide emission scenarios influence our best prediction of future global temperatures.
- Learn how a mass balance model applies to the global atmosphere.
- Calibrate a model with recent observations.
- Synthesis results into a well written summary.
- Accurately read graphical information.
- Read and interpolate data from a table of values.
Context for Use
This activity is useful in any course with a section on carbon dioxide and global warming. It has been used successfully in an introductory meteorology course as well as an upper division course on Earth's Climate for non-majors.
Teaching Notes and Tips
Here are some suggestions for effective classroom use and more details of the mathematics behind the model.
Teaching Materials
The activity and related links are available on-line at http://cs.clark.edu/~mac/physlets/GlobalPollution/carbon_dioxideQS.htm. This activity works best with a PC, but with proper configuration also works on MAC OS X.
Assignment Question Sheet (Microsoft Word 118kB Jul17 04) for use with online activity.
Assignment Question Sheet (Acrobat (PDF) 288kB Jul17 04) for use with online activity.
Assessment
Answers to questions (Acrobat (PDF) 402kB Jul17 04)
Follow up discussions in lecture and exam questions are also useful in assessing student understanding.
References and Resources
- Carbon dioxide and life (Acrobat (PDF) 240kB Jul16 04) is a short activity intended to have students closely examine the recent carbon dioxide record.
- What is the fate of CO2 produced by fossil fuel combustion? is an excellent activity related to the carbon cycle for more advanced students.
- Chlorofluorocarbon CFC-12 (more info) is a similar modeling activity where students explore chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-12) build-up in the atmosphere.
Contact the Author
Please contact rmackay@clark.edu with questions or suggestions.
Controlled Vocabulary Terms
Subject: Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology :Atmospheric gases, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Climate Change:Global change modeling, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Global change modeling, Greenhouse gas emissions, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions
Resource Type: Activities:Problem Set
Quantitative Skills: Graphs
Ready for Use: Ready to Use
Resource Type: Activities:Problem Set
Quantitative Skills: Graphs
Ready for Use: Ready to Use
