Introduction
I studied the paper notes concerning the greenhouse effect research and discovered numerous interesting facts. However, in lecture 015.4 Earthâs Atmosphere and Interior, the information predominantly referred to the mechanism of the greenhouse gases generation, the future scenario, and global average temperatures dated back to 2010 and earlier years (Professorâs Last Name 2). While it is necessary to take into account the long-term climate trends, one should also be aware of the recent changes. I took an interest in the latest tendencies and decided to explore what the current situation is.
Search Log
To begin with, I used the Google search engine and typed âGreenhouse effect 2016.â The top results contained studentsâ guides and online newspaper articles, but I needed information from the scientific point of view. I chose the link to the website Live Science and examined the source before reading the article. My first impression was that the website was credible, and I tried to find the evidence. I looked through the section âAbout Usâ and learned that Live Scienceâs mission was to provide knowledge about the natural and technological world. The website received numerous awards, for example, Webby Awards in the Science category, and collaborated with professional science reporters. It is regularly updated, and contact information for the leading contributors is given.
One of them, Andrea Thompson, is the author of the article. I found accurate information about her education and career: she graduated from Georgia Tech with a Master’s in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in 2006 and started writing about scientific discoveries in 2007 focusing on extreme climatic conditions and climate change. At the same time, she is the Senior Science Writer at Climate Central, the independent organization of scientists and journalists who concentrate on climate change studies. Thus, her experience and expertise are proven. As for the article, there are several references including NASA, the official source, and Climate Central. Overall, I suppose this source is reliable.
Results
In class, we obtained knowledge about greenhouse gases and their impact. It is commonly known that the gases affect the climate. Although I learned the exact data regarding the past and understood the general course of development, I wanted the actual examples of this year because the climate change topic objectively prescribed constant changes. Until this moment I could only guesstimate how the greenhouse effect reinforced climate change tendencies in 2016 and whether the influence was significant.
According to the article, the greenhouse effect consequences materialize in hotter summer temperatures. In this respect, the last month became the hottest August on record; moreover, the hottest July was registered in the last 136 years in 2016 (Thompson par. 1). However, the most surprising fact was that August broke 11 temperature records and became equal to July, normally marked as the hottest month of the year.
The author referred to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA databases and stated that the slight differences in their figures still demonstrated the strong and steady trend â greenhouse gases were the most important reason for this yearâs record warmth. This summer influenced the global temperature of the year: in July 2016, it was 1.31ËC above the average from that period (Thompson par. 10). The new data calculated in accordance with the August record temperatures are expected to be released on 20 September. In this context, there is a high possibility that 2016 will become the hottest year.
Works Cited
Professorâs Last Name, First Name. âEarth’s Atmosphere and Interior.â College. City, State. 2016. Document.
Thompson, Andrea. âAugust Declared Hottest on Record: NASA.â Live Science. 2016. Web.