Chapter 19: Air Pollution Chapter 20: Climate Change
3. This article deals with a global issue.
4. The amount of dust in the atmosphere has a direct relationship with the climate. Dust limits the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth. This will increase atmospheric carbon dioxide. It can also influence clouds and precipitation, which leads to major droughts, which leads to desertification and more dust. This is an example of a positive feedback loop. The amount of dust in the atmosphere has nearly doubled in the last century, this has had a very negative effect on the worlds climate. Many studies are being done to determine how the dust will effect the climate. The first study was done to trace the fluctuation pf a natural aerosol around the world over a century. Another study that was done was in the ocean. Because dust plays an important role in the ocean environment. Dust is a major source of iron, which is vital for plankton and other organisms. Scientist are also studying information from ice cores, lake sediment and coral to measure fluctuations in dust. Scientist then link each sample with it's likely source and calculate the rate of deposition over time. Researchers can then construct the influence that desert dust will have on many other things. For example, temperature, precipitation, ocean iron deposition and terrestrial carbon uptake over time.
5. It is good that scientist can determine exactly what impact more dust will have on our environment so that we know what will happen if we don't try to do something about this dust issue. Because it can be a serious problem that can even contribute to global warming. It is important that we do something to lower the amount of dust in the atmosphere. I would have liked if the article stated some of that information in this article, because it would've been very interesting to know.
6. Desertification- the process by which an area becomes a desert.
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