Measuring Climate Thoughout the Biosphere

The biosphere (or ecosphere) — which measures about 12 miles from top to bottom — represents the sum of all the Earth's ecosystems operating in the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), and lithosphere (earth) physical dimensions of the planet. The biosphere has existed for about 3.5 billion years.

Creating a comprehensive energy-in/energy-out model for properly measuring climate change involves temperature monitoring and weather activity/event monitoring in every area of these dimensions.

Related questions to climate scientists, therefore, include:

Lithosphere (earth)

Given that:

• 95% of the world’s population is concentrated in just 10% of the land surface*
• half the planet's population lives on just 1% of the land
• half of the world's population lives in urban areas**

Questions:

1. How are we capturing temperature data from less- or unpopulated areas of the Earth?
2. How are we accounting for the effect of human activity — e.g., heat captured by buildings and pavement, incineration gases, pollution, etc. — when monitoring temperatures in populated areas?
3. How are we monitoring temperature in higher ranges (mountains), in deserts, and in other difficult terrains, i.e., Antarctica?
4. How far down into the earth (crust) are we taking temperature readings?
5. How are we monitoring and factoring in the energy of tectonic movement, earthquakes, etc.?
6. How is the energy/heat of volcanic eruption accounted for?
7. How is the energy in the Earth's "core" factored in?

Hydrosphere (water)

Given that oceans:

• cover approximately 71% of Earth's surface
• comprise 90% of Earth's biosphere
• are less than 5% explored
• have total volume of approximately 320 million cubic miles
• have an average depth of nearly 2.3 miles

Questions:

1. How are we capturing temperature data from the unexplored 95% of the world's oceans?
2. How are we monitoring temperature in lower levels of the world's oceans (down several miles) and in the coldest areas, i.e., the Artic and Antarctic regions?
3. How are we capturing the energy of water and wave movement in the world's oceans?

Outside of oceans . .

1. How are we measuring the temperature of freshwater bodies, e.g., lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, etc., around the world?
2. How are we capturing the energy of water and wave movement in freshwater bodies around the world?

Atmosphere (air)

Given the Earth's atmosphere consists of a . .

• number of layers that differ in properties such as composition, temperature, and pressure — each of the layers having a different lapse rate, which defines the rate of change in temperature with height — e.g.
• troposphere (up to 11 miles high) is the lowest layer, where three-quarters of the atmosphere's mass resides and the layer within which terrestrial weather develops
• stratosphere (up to 22 miles) contains the ozone layer and is where most of the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun is absorbed
• mesosphere (up to 53 miles) is the layer where most meteors burn up
• thermosphere (up to 430 miles) contains the ionosphere region where the atmosphere is ionized by incoming solar radiation

Questions:

1. How are we capturing temperature data from each of these levels of the Earth's atmosphere?
2. How are we capturing the energy received, released, or deflected with events, activities, and movement in these levels of the Earth's atmosphere?

And finally . .

1. how are all of these temperature readings being combined to create a worldwide average temperature?
2. how are all the world's weather and other events that involve energy in the three biosphere dimensions being factored into this average?
3. how are the energy and movement related to the rotation of the Earth, and their impact on climate, factored into this analysis?

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*from a 2009 European Commission Joint Research Center map in World Bank World Development report.
**from a map was created using gridded population data compiled by NASA.