{8} Atmospheric Insulation Explained - appreciating our climate engine

In this installment of "Appreciating our Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine" I focus on videos about our atmosphere's life sustaining insulating abilities and the molecules that make it possible.  This won't be as pretty as my previous installment, which had those gorgeous NASA data driven animations to look at and ponder.

This is a bit more along the lines of classroom work, particularly my first video featuring the high school teacher Mr. Kemp who does a nice job of describing the various layers of our atmosphere using a cool space station photo of our planet's horizon.  Then a 9 min video by Professor Richard Alley explaining how we know CO2 is responsible for current global warming.  Followed by an 8 min video by PICSClimateInsights reviewing aspects of greenhouse molecules. 

Then comes Ricardo Esplugas's visualization of greenhouse molecules in action, followed by Iain Stewart's demonstrating CO2's infrared capturing abilities and finishing up with Dan Miller demonstrating what 280 ppm looks like.

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Layers of the Atmosphere 

Mr. Kemp - MSHS Science  |  Published on Dec 17, 2012  |  13:26 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlDqJUjh38Q

0:00 -  Describing the various layers of the atmosphere using a profile picture taken from the Space Station of Earth's atmosphere.

2:00  -  diagram

2:15  -  Stratosphere, Ozone layer, ultra-violet radiation absorption

3:50  -  Troposphere, surface warming

4:50  -  Temperature profile through the atmosphere

5:20  -  Troposphere, mixing layer, air circulation, convection

7:00  -  Stratosphere, temperature gradient, 

7:45  -  ozone absorbing ultraviolet light leading to temperature inversion

8:30  -  Mesosphere, "shooting stars" burn up here

8:45  -  Thermosphere, air very thin, feels cold, but individual atoms extremely hot (high kinetic energy).

10:35  -  Ionosphere, overlaps Mesosphere and Thermosphere, where auroras happen

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Check out this power point.  

It could be the best summation for someone at my level I've seen:

Greenhouse Gas and Climate Science Measurements

The SIM Metrology School October 28 – November 1, 2013

James Whetstone

Special Assistant to the Director for Greenhouse Gas Measurements
National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA

http://www.nist.gov/iaao/upload/SIM_School_Climate_Final_James_Whetstone.pdf

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Who says it's settled physics?  

Our Air Force, that's who!
and
Australia's Air Force, that's who!

CO2 & the Atmosphere

Earth: The Operators' Manual  |  Published on Apr 9, 2012  |  9:03 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9eGzPxA1Dg

Air Force research on missiles and the story of Ice Ages both reveal the effects of carbon dioxide.

Further dialogues with the disconnected

I left a simple comment at the following YouTube video, basically sharing notes I'd put together.  Next thing I know I wind up in another textbook exchange with a climate science contrarian type, I swear Heartland must have brigades of faithful combing the internet.  Since it turned into another vehicle for explaining my position and exposing the tactics of climate science contrarian pros, I'm going to share it, first the short build up, then I have a closer look at his most recent challenge.  His words are unaltered and in Comic Sans font.  
{sorry about the typos - touch up editing 2/20, 10:30 AM}

CO2 & the Atmosphere

Earth: The Operators' Manual

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9eGzPxA1Dg#t=36

0:00  -  What CO2 does was confirmed by Air Force atmospheric research.

0:10  -  Studying the physics of the upper atmosphere for communications and heat seeking missiles.

1:00  -  "The air force hadn't set out to study global warming, they just wanted their missiles to work.  But physics is physics.  The atmosphere doesn't care if you are studying it for warring or warming.  Adding CO2 turns up the planet's thermostat."

1:20  -  Works in the other direction also, remove CO2 and planet cools.

1:30  -  Glacier studies

3:00  -  Glacier cross-section, deposition, accumulation, record of the past.

4:30  -  Orbital and rotational variations and their impact on sun's insolation.

5:10  -  Ice ages

6:00  -  Glaciers as earth mover

6:35  -  Time-lapse animation of glacial advance retreat

7:15  -  Orbital/rotational driven insolation variations interaction with Earth's many CO2 reservoirs and cycles.

8:00  -  {eye witness to a disintegrating glacier}

8:50  -  Place thermometers any where on this planet and they show warming.

The evidence is clear, the Earth's climate is warming.

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Dude writes:

Co2 was not the driver of climate over the last several thousand years.  The AGW debate today,  centres  around  the  notion  that  carbon  dioxide  drives today's  climate due  to  its  volume.  But  according  to  the  ice  core record,  rising  levels  of  Co2 followed warming by  several  hundreds of  years. 

{7} Our Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine, visualized

Before I climb back into the mud pit, I want to share this installment of "Appreciating our Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine.  This time I feature four short videos produced by NASA Goddard that do a wonderful job of visualizing various facets of our planet's geophysical reality.  Using state of the art computer graphics based on actual satellite observations they visualize how these varied components seamlessly integrate with each other to create the wonderful planet that we were born into… and the climate system we depend on for everything.

The first one is "Dynamic Earth" a 4.5 minute tour starting with our sun and finishing in our oceans, fascinating presentation, (as are all of these YouTube videos).  Then, "The Ocean: A Driving Force for Weather and Climate" is a 6 minutes long grand tour of the oceans.  Following that, the 3 minute "Aquarius: One Year Observing the Salty Seas - Ocean Salinity & Climate" presents the culmination of Aquarius Satellites first full year of data collection.  Finishing with an excellent 6 minute review of "Earth's Water Cycle."  

These visualizations are packed with satellite data and do a wonderfully job rendered our planet as a whole, set against the frigid void of space.  This place we call home is special, nothing else like it in the universe, it's worth getting to know and love and protect.

NASA | Dynamic Earth

0:00  -  Our Sun

0:30  -  Solar winds

0:45  -  Venus exposed to full force of solar wind

1:10  -  Earth's geomagnetic field

1:50  -  Atmosphere, circulation

2:05  -  Solar heating, circulation

2:20  -  Wind currents driving surface ocean currents

2:50  -  Ocean 'river'

3:15  -  {great subsurface current visualization}

3:45  -  Tides, terrain, crosswinds, currents transferring heat

{Behold the components of our Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine}

NASA Goddard  | Published on Jun 19, 2012  |  4:26 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujBi9Ba8hqs