How can global warming effect geological activity?

Question

If the atmosphere is warming then heat within the earth can't escape as quickly. How will this effect volcanic and earth quake activity. I'm not asking about al gore, or what causes global warming, or if it is actually occuring. I want to know, hypothetically, how, "if" it is occuring, it will effect geological activity?

This is a question of enthalpy. How will the increased energy in one system, "the troposphere", effect the energy in another system, "the lithosphere", and deeper within the crust.

Answer 1

Global warming is a term used to refer to the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans in recent decades.

The Earth's average near-surface atmospheric temperature rose 0.6 ± 0.2 degrees Celsius (1.1 ± 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the 20th century. The prevailing scientific opinion on climate change is that "most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities" [1]. The increased amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the primary causes of the human-induced component of warming. They are released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing and agriculture, etc.

The measure of the climate response to increased GHGs, climate sensitivity, is found by observational studies and climate models. Doubling of CO2 in the atmosphere warms in the range 1.5-4.5 degrees C (2.7-8.1 degrees F). Models referenced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict that global temperatures may increase by between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees C (2.5 to 10.5 degrees F) between 1990 and 2100. The uncertainty in this range results from both the difficulty of predicting the volume of future greenhouse gas emissions and uncertainty about climate sensitivity.

An increase in global temperatures can in turn cause other changes, including a rising sea level and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation. These changes may increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, heat waves, hurricanes, and tornados. Other consequences include higher or lower agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer streamflows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors. Warming is expected to affect the number and magnitude of these events; however, it is difficult to connect particular events to global warming. Although most studies focus on the period up to 2100, warming (and sea level rise due to thermal expansion) is expected to continue past then, since CO2 has a long average atmospheric lifetime. [2].

Only a small minority of scientists contest the view that humanity's actions have played a significant role in increasing recent temperatures. However, the uncertainty is more significant regarding how much climate change should be expected in the future, and there is a hotly contested political and public debate over what, if anything, should be done to reduce or reverse future warming, and how to cope with the consequences.

The term 'global warming' is a specific case of the more general term 'climate change' (which can also refer to cooling, such as occurs during ice ages). In principle, 'global warming' is neutral as to the causes, but in common usage, 'global warming' generally implies a human influence. However, the UNFCCC uses 'climate change' for human-caused change, and 'climate variability' for other changes [3]. Some organizations use the term 'anthropogenic climate change' for human-induced changes. Geological activity will not be affected except as above.

Answer 2

You might want to turn the question around. Thermal transfer effect from the atmosphere to the earth is minimal as in a desert enviorment where the rocks and sand act as a heat sink with high temperatures in the day and very low at night. Large bodies of water are different as the heat helps produce currents though this is aided by other factors. So in geological terms the effect is small but the effect on weather can be immense. Ice cap melting and violent storms for example. Aside from that global warming; while possibly aided by industry and all the other min things, isn't new. Off the top I suggest checking the periodic mass extinctions that predate the mesozoic kill off of the dinosaurs. These include extreme glaciation (really big ice age) and apparent global warmings that wiped out huge numbers of species and may have lead to the rise of the dinosaurs. We may be helping; note the may, but it ain't new.

Answer 3

Umm, earthquakes and volcanoes? Global warming would cause the heating of the surface of the Earth, not beneath the crust. It wouldn't have any significant effect on any geologic process save weathering and erosion in it's many forms. Global warming effects the 'surface' not what lies beneath it.

Answer 4

There might be slight slushing effect from earthquake among the coast. As the sea level rises, the water table will probably rise around the coast (remember water balances itself out). During earthquakes, the soil and water mix to create mud. Now imagine what happens to a building that's on top of a deep mud pit while shaking. That's what happens along the coast in San Fransisco as part of the bay was filled in to put buildings on. It could also effect part of the San Andreas fault (along California) as this water lubercates the plates.

Answer 5

Well, eventually there will be global cooling and then we'll have a little ice age again like there was hundreds of years ago. It's all a cycle. I don't think it'll have any effect on volcanic and earthquake activity.

Answer 6

Global warming will not affect geological processes but geological processes can have an effect in global warming.

Answer 7

My speculation - Earthquakes could increase as the rock expands & buckles.
I don't think it would have much effect on volcanos, except the lava will cool ever so slightly slower.

An article about how the rock is heating up, which does not make predictions:
http://www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases/2006/Jun06/r062306

Answer 8

I've been saying this for years. As the Greenland and Antarctic ice masses decrease the land masses will rise. Imagine just a one inch rise in either land mass. That would have worldwide effects.

Answer 9

maybe the increase in temp of atmosphere makes everything moves more faster even the movement of the earth's core and mantle.that is why more earth movements and volcanic activities are occuring!