Did you feel the earth is getting warmer lately? Or to be more scorching sun during the day? Most environmentalists say when this happens that in fact climate change influenced human hands. In fact, the holders of international policy states, people must be responsible, one of them by paying a carbon tax.
Climate expert from the Bandung Institute of Technology (Institut Teknologi Bandung / ITB), Zadrach L Dupe said, beside the human hand factors, the natural factors also influence climate change and global warming in recent years. To see if this climate change or not, we have to really know what is the climate and all the components that affect it.
"If we talk about the climate, we have to talk to the average weather conditions in the long term, a minimum of 30 years. Well, if we talk about climate change, we have to have a weather measurement data at least 3 times 30 years of data or 90 years annual continuous data in the same condition. That was we did not have. The fact, in Europe there was no data on it, so politicization happens of the issue of climate change or global warming," said Zadrach on Saturday October 20, 2012. He also explained that the climate has system, every component affecting climate change continuously.
The components of the climate system are
- The sun as a source of energy on earth,
- The cryosphere or snow cover,
- The lithosphere or the surface of the Earth,
- The biosphere or the environmental factors and living creatures,
- The hydrosphere or water on the Earth's surface,
- The atmosphere or gaseous layer that surrounds the earth, and
- The humanosfer or the people who live on the earth.
Let's discuss these components one by one. First solar, solar energy coming into the earth is not always the same every day. Vary according to the activity of the sun itself. Therefore, the heat received by the earth can be very hot if it is solar activity is high.
Global warming. (Picture from: http://www.greenscroll.org/) |
Milankovitch cycles
Zadrach also said that the position of the earth to the sun influences whether or not the source of the sun's heat energy received by the Earth. He explains the theory known as Milankovitch cycles, namely cycle variation of the earth shifting or movement experienced by 100,000 to 400,000 years.
The first, the eccentricity of Earth's orbit. This means that the earth revolves around the sun in elliptical trajectory. Value of the eccentricity of Earth's orbit between a value of 0 or perfectly rounded to 1 or parabolic that has no end. Due to the shape of the earth's orbit is known as the perihelion (point of closest distance the Earth to the sun or so that the temperature is getting warmer) and aphelion (farthest point the distance of the earth to the sun or so that the earth's temperature decreased.) The cycle eccentricity value is varies over 413,000 years.
Thousands of years ago, the value of the eccentricity of the earth is only 0.0034 to 0.0058 or long distances to the sun. But now, the value of eccentricity has reached 0.0167. "That is to say at this point or the distance the sun with the earth getting closer," said Zadrach explained.
Milankovitch cycles are both obliquity or tilt the Earth's axis of rotation that varies within 40,000 years. The shift of the earth's axis of rotation between 22.1 degrees to 24.5 degrees. Increasing the slope of the earth, the summer gets hotter and winters will be colder. Currently, the slope of the earth is 23.4 degrees. That is, the condition of the earth gets hotter.
Precision earth rotation or cycle changes due to shifting of the Earth's axis which varies over the 19,000 to 23,000 years. The impact of the precision of the earth will increase the contrast in one hemisphere, while the other hemisphere has decreased. Other impacts, changes in the northern and southern hemisphere so that the north pole is not as cold as before and the longer the higher temperature.
It also, more Zadrach affecting changes in both components of the climate system, the cryosphere or snow cover. At present, the extent of snow cover in the Arctic is declining. "Reduction of the snow itself has occurred since 1885, according to NASA research scientist Jay Zwally that a reduction in the extent of snow cover in the Arctic since 1885 to 1985. Jay estimating that the Arctic snows will expire in September 2012, but it did not happen," he said.
The third component of the climate system are also changing the climate of the lithosphere or the earth itself. "The Earth is made up of plates which are interlinked and constantly moving and changing. Course without human intervention, the Earth's surface is constantly changing. Moreover, coupled with human activities by way of felling trees, digging mines, marble hill damage to economic interests, and so on. changes also affect the Earth's surface climate change, "he said.
For the fourth component of the biosphere in the climate system or beings also can be added to change or population reduction. The fifth component of the climate system are changing and climate change influences the Earth's hydrosphere or surface covered by water. The amount of water increases due to melting snow in the North Pole, will increase the volume of sea water itself.
He also stated that in 200 years, the addition of CO2 increased by about 35 percent, up 142 percent for methane and dinitroksida rose 18 percent. "But keep in mind, despite the high increase of methane and dinitroksida, both in units of ppb (parts per billion), less than ppm," said Zadrach again.
For the last component of the climate system is humanosfer do affect climate change is happening lately. "The increase in human population and its activities, certainly affects environmental changes that ultimately affect climate change," she said.