14 - Energy Budget

14 Source: IPCC Energy (ZJ) 1 % 5 % 3 % 91 % Atmosphere Soil Melting ice Ocean Energy Budget
Set 3 www.climatefresk.org 14 This graph explains where the energy accumulated on Earth due to radiative forcing goes. It warms up the ocean, melts ice, dissipates into the ground and warms up the atmosphere.

2
Causes

Radiative Forcing

Radiative Forcing

The text behind card n14 allows no ambiguity. Therefore the 2 cards have to be skipped together or not at all.
Weakening Gulf Stream

Weakening Gulf Stream

Heat is absorbed at the surface of the ocean. Thermohaline circulation helps mix watersurface and deep ocean which is essential to the absoption of energy by the ocean.

5
Consequences

Melting Glaciers

Energy Budget


Rising Water Temperature

Energy Budget


Melting Sea Ice

Energy Budget


Melting Ice Sheets

Energy Budget


Rising Temperatures

Energy Budget

As mentionned on card 21, this is the temperature of the air, above ground, in average on the Earth.

1
Other possible consequence

Permafrost

Energy Budget

If we take the idea of energy conservation all the way, we can link the energy budget to the thawing of permafrost.

1
Wrong cause

Carbon Sinks

Carbon Sinks

The idea here is not to say there is no link between these two cards, but to make sure they are not mixed up. The carbon sinks card tells us where the carbon goes. The energy budget card tells us where the excess energy goes. Both distribute something, but not the same thing. To make it even more confusing, the atmosphere and the ocean are present in both.
↩ Back