Plate Tectonics In the early 1960s, the emergence of the theory of plate tectonics started a revolution in the earth sciences. Since then, scientists have verified and refined this theory, and now have a much ... idea surfaced again in the 19th century. However, it was not until 1912 that the idea of moving continents was seriously considered as a full-blown scientific theory -- called Continental Drift -- introduced in two articles published by a 32-year-old German meteorologist named Alfred Lothar Wegener. He contended that, around ... beginning in the 1950s, a wealth of new evidence em...

• Word Count: 2775
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and the weather extremes present during greenhouse and icehouse ages. As for the man-made greenhouse gasses, according to many environmentalists and the EPA, since the beginning of the industrial revolution atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%, methane concentrations have more than doubled, and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15% . These increases have enhanced the ... it was during the 1800's that "greenhouse gasses- began to be studied and the idea of global warming was first introduced. But, during 1940 through the 1970's, worldwide...

• Word Count: 1437
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the release of so-called greenhouse gasses, land use changes, and the increased use of livestock for human protein intake. However, many fluctuations in global climate prior to the industrial revolution cannot be attributed to anthropogenic causes. Therefore, there must be underlying natural factors contributing to climate change. This brings about a question of even greater importance: How much of the ... much higher. These high levels of carbon dioxide dropped significantly once land based plants began photosynthesizing and using the carbon in carbon dioxide to create energy. Since the...

• Word Count: 1540
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... pipelines, and coal, as well as from industrial chemicals and other sources. Once, all climate changes occurred naturally. However, during the Industrial Revolution, we began altering our climate and environment through changing agricultural and industrial practices. Before the Industrial Revolution, human activity released very few gases into the atmosphere, but now through population growth, fossil fuel burning, and deforestation, we are affecting ... human activities are rapidly adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and that these gases tend to warm our planet. This is the basis...

• Word Count: 3240
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the global warming process. As the sun's energy powers the earth's weather and climate it also heats the surface of the earth. According to John Houghton, Co-Chairman of the Scientific Assessment of Climate Change, "the basic principle of global warming can be understood by considering the radiation energy from the sun which warms the Earth's surface and the thermal radiation ... . While these gases do occur naturally in our atmosphere human activities are now known to emit large quantities of these gases into our atmosphere. "Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric...

• Word Count: 728
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate