Tag Archives: Climate Change

An artist's depiction of a "hot Jupiter," one of the most frequently discovered types of exoplanets near our solar system. In about a billion years, as the Sun continues to evolve and heat up, Earth's oceans will evaporate, transforming our planet into a "hot Earth."
~1 Billion: The Future of Earth’s Oceans – Evaporation in a Brighter Sun

As the Sun gradually brightens, Earth will experience rising temperatures leading to the evaporation of [...]

An artistic representation of Earth during the last glacial maximum of the current ice age, approximately 2 million years ago. Could this be a glimpse of Earth's future, possibly 50,000 years from now?
~50,000: The Future of Ice Ages – Analyzing Earth’s Climatic Changes

The onset of the next glacial period in our current ice age may be delayed [...]

A 1942 photo showing smoke billowing from a US World War II production factory.
2013: The Climatic Impact of Rising Atmospheric CO2 Levels

Atmospheric CO2 levels have soared since the Industrial Revolution, exceeding 400 ppm and causing a [...]

A poster from the "green energy" company RENERGY illustrating the various ways people leave their "carbon footprint" in the Earth's atmosphere.
2007: Understanding and Managing Carbon Footprints

The carbon footprint concept, vital for understanding environmental impacts, measures direct and indirect carbon emissions [...]

A 2017 photograph of a lush boreal spruce forest covered in moss in Sweden.
1992: The Vital Role of Boreal Forests in Global Ecology

Covering a vast area in the northern hemisphere, boreal forests or taiga, play a crucial [...]

Scenic trails winding through the high-altitude tundra environment of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado.
1992: Exploring the Tundra Biome – Ecology and Global Significance

The tundra biome, spanning Arctic, Antarctic, and alpine regions, is crucial for climate studies due [...]

The Earth's atmosphere functions somewhat like a transparent greenhouse, allowing sunlight to enter and warm the surface, but trapping heat as it exits, thereby warming the atmosphere.
1896: Understanding the Greenhouse Effect – From Fourier to Arrhenius

The Greenhouse Effect, crucial for Earth's habitable climate, was demystified by Joseph Fourier and Svante [...]

Clear-cut and deforested jungle in the Amazon River basin, Brazil.
c. 1855-1870: The Impact of Deforestation on Our Planet

Deforestation, exacerbated by the Industrial Revolution, has led to significant environmental consequences, including soil erosion, [...]

Spanish artist Francisco de Goya's painting "The Snowstorm" was created in the late 1780s during a period of colder-than-average temperatures spanning several centuries, often referred to as the Little Ice Age.
c. 1500: Understanding The Little Ice Age

The Little Ice Age, spanning from the 14th to 19th centuries, marked a period of [...]

A comparison between ice coverage in the northern hemisphere during the last glacial maximum around 20,000 years ago (top) and contemporary ice coverage in the northern hemisphere (bottom).
c. 10,000 BCE: Understanding the Quaternary Glaciation – The Current Ice Age

The Quaternary glaciation, the current ice age, began around 2.6 million years ago. Our present [...]

A verdant valley located in the Zagros Mountains near Dena, Iran, part of the "fertile crescent."
c. 10,000 BCE: The Dawn of Agriculture – A Turning Point in Human History

The invention of agriculture around 12,000 years ago marked a major shift in human civilization, [...]

A portion of a recreated artwork from the renowned Lascaux caves in southwestern France, featuring a prehistoric horse and symbols that some archaeologists believe could represent stars and constellations in the night sky.
c. 200,000 BCE: The Dawn of Homo Sapiens and Their Impact on Earth

Homo sapiens, appearing around 200,000 years ago, coexisted with Neanderthals and have left a profound [...]

A close-up view of a leaf, the main location where photosynthesis occurs in plants
c. 30-20 Million BCE: Evolution of Advanced C4 Photosynthesis in Plants

Advanced C4 photosynthesis, an evolutionary adaptation in plants, emerged 30-20 million years ago in response [...]

Volcanic eruptions, continental glaciations, asteroid impacts, and ocean chemistry shifts potentially caused the End Ordovician and late Devonian mass extinctions, each eliminating 70-85% of species 450 and 360 million years ago
c. 450 Million BCE: nderstanding Mass Extinctions in Earth’s History

Delves into the history of mass extinctions, highlighting the catastrophic End Ordovician event 450 million [...]