Climate variability and change: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:11, 11 September 2005

Revision as of 08:29, 11 September 2005

Line 56:

==== Land use ====

Prior to widespread fossil fuel use, humanity's largest impact on local climate is likely to have resulted from [[land use]]. [[Irrigation]], [[deforestation]], and [[agriculture]] fundementally change the environment. For example, they change the amount of water going into and out of a given locale. They also may change the local [[albedo]] by influencing the ground cover and impacting the amount of sunlight which is absorbed.

A controversial hypothesis by [[William Ruddiman]] suggests that the rise of agriculture and the accompanying deforestation led to the increases in carbon dioxide and methane during the period 5000-8000 years ago. These increases, which reversed previous declines, may have been responsible for delaying the onset of the next glacial period, according to Ruddimann's hypothesis.