Description

THE CONTRIBUTION OF WATER TO THE COOLING OF THE EARTH
The earth is getting warmer and the surface of deserts is increasing alarmingly. Both phenomena are a serious threat to the well-being of humanity and are therefore a major concern for scientists, politicians, several national and international organisations as well as the general public. It is mainly the increase in the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide,
CO2, - released from the burning of the fossil fuels, gas, oil, coal and even biomass - that is seen as causing climate change. Water that evaporates at ground level, over the sea as well as on land, and condenses at high altitudes under the formation of clouds and rain, plays an important role in cooling the earth. The importance of this cooling water cycle and the role played by vegetation on land, and especially by forests, will be the theme of the talk.

Clouds play an important role in the climate system. On the one hand, it traps the Earth's thermal radiation, making it warmer, and on the other, it reflects sunlight, making it cooler. So what is the net effect on climate? That question has occupied climate researchers for some time. The current understanding is that cloud cover cools the earth
, thereby dampening warming from greenhouse gases, but the extent to which is still subject to much uncertainty. How can this uncertainty be reduced? The lecture will provide an overview of the research conducted in the Netherlands on cloud influence and put it in an international context

19.00:00 Reception
19:30 Lectures Marius Peutz and Herman Russchenberg
21:00 Discussion

Speaker(s)

Dr.ir. Marius Peutz, theoretical physicist, has worked in the petroleum industry for 38 years.
Dr.ir.Herman Russchenberg is a scientific staff member of the International Research Centre for Telecommunications and Radar (IRCTR) of TU Delft, scientific leader of Cesar, the Cabauw experimental site for atmospheric research, a partnership between the universities of Delft and Wageningen and research institutes such as KNMI

Location

Haagse Hogeschool (near Holland Spoor)

Organiser

Philosophy & Technology

The Hague region

Aerospace Engineering

Name and contact details for information

Information from Korstiaan van der Wilt, tel: 06 - 53814137.