Mapping the IPCC Report onto the Curriculum: Ocean-Carbon

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Ocean - Carbon

The ocean removes some excess carbon from atmosphere, but not all of it.  Storage of carbon in the ocean causes ocean acidification.


IPCC Summary for Policymakers (SPM) content

  • A.1.6 It is virtually certain that the global upper ocean (0–700 m) has warmed since the 1970s and extremely likely that human influence is the main driver. It is virtually certain that human-caused CO2 emissions are the main driver of current global acidification of the surface open ocean.

  • Figure SPM.7: Cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions taken up by land and ocean sinks by 2100 under the five illustrative scenarios.

  • A.2.4 …surface open ocean pH as low as recent decades is unusual in the last 2 million years

 

Science Standards: NGSS SEP, DCI, CC

SEP: Analyzing & interpreting data

SEP: Using math & computational thinking

LS2.B Cycles of matter & energy transfer

ESS2.E Biogeology

ESS3.B Human impacts on Earth systems

ESS3.D Global climate change

CC: Systems & systems models

CC: Scale, proportion & quantity

 

PRI Climate Resources

Exhibit: Changing Climate: Our Future, Our Choice