A quiz to understand atmospheric aerosols, their basic characteristics and impact on climate.
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Category: Chemistry
Reading: Water Vapour Feedback and Earth’s Climate
A reading that explains the phase diagrams of water on Earth, Mars, and Venus and discusses the water vapor feedback mechanism in the atmospheres of these planets that influences the greenhouse effect.
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Classroom/Laboratory Activity: Volcanoes and Climate
A classroom activity that teaches students about the different atmospheric aerosols and gases released during volcanic eruptions and how they can affect climate.
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Classroom/Laboratory Activity: Thermal Potential of Carbon dioxide
A classroom/laboratory activity that demonstrates the thermal properties of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, that may contribute to global warming.
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Video micro-lecture: Phase Diagrams and Earth’s Climate
A video micro-lecture that describes the phase diagrams of water on Earth, Mars, and Venus. It also describes the water vapor feedback mechanism in the atmospheres of these planets that influences the greenhouse effect.
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Visualization: pH Levels of Oceans and Atmospheric CO2
A visualization that allows students to explore changes in the pH levels of oceans for different levels of atmospheric CO2. It includes visualizations of CO2 concentrations corresponding to various emission scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
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Video Micro-lecture: Ocean Buffer Chemistry
A video micro-lecture that explains carbonate buffering in the ocean. It includes discussions on the changes in the chemical composition of the ocean caused by a higher concentration of dissolved CO2, ocean acidification and the resulting effect on ocean biota.
Video Micro-lecture: Modes of Vibration in Greenhouse Gas Molecules
A micro-lecture that describes the vibrational modes of polyatomic molecules, how these modes determine whether the molecules are IR inactive or IR active and explains why most IR active polyatomic gas molecules are greenhouse gases.
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Reading: Molecular Vibration Modes and the Greenhouse Effect
A reading that discusses how chemical bonds in molecules respond to incident IR light and absorb IR energy during certain modes of vibration. The reading includes discussions on the vibrational modes of water vapor and carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules and explains why these gases act as greenhouse gases.
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Reading: Hydrocarbon Combustion
A reading that introduces hydrocarbons, fossil fuels, and the products of combustion of different hydrocarbons such as carbon dioxide- a greenhouse gas.
Reading: Isotopic Compositions and Ice Cores
A reading that explains how the analyses of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes from ice cores determine past temperatures on Earth.
Teaching Module: pH Scale, Ocean Chemistry and Impact of Ocean Acidification on Marine Life
A set of hands-on laboratory activities that uses the pH scale to understand the changes in ocean chemistry due to increased carbon dioxide emissions. This module shows that increased ocean acidification has adverse effects on marine organisms.
Visualization: The Greenhouse Effect
A visualization to observe, understand, explore, and analyze the molecular structure of carbon compounds (CO2, CH4), the effect of electromagnetic radiation on these molecules, and the role of greenhouse gases in climate change.
Classroom/Laboratory Activity: Reconstruction of Paleoclimate by Using Isotopic Composition Data
Classroom/Laboratory Activity: Ocean Chemistry, Ocean Acidification, and Oyster Growth
