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Chapter 15: Global Climate Change - References

  1. Greenhouse Effect - Wikipedia - Detailed explanation of how atmospheric gases trap infrared radiation to warm Earth's surface, including the natural greenhouse effect and its human-driven enhancement.

  2. Ocean Acidification - Wikipedia - Covers the chemistry of CO2 absorption by seawater, declining pH trends, and impacts on marine organisms that build calcium carbonate shells and skeletons.

  3. Tipping Points in the Climate System - Wikipedia - Surveys major climate tipping elements including Arctic sea ice, permafrost, ice sheets, and the Atlantic circulation, with estimated thresholds and cascading risks.

  4. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History - Elizabeth Kolbert - Henry Holt - Pulitzer Prize-winning exploration of how human activities including climate change are driving a mass extinction event, with vivid reporting from coral reefs and rainforests.

  5. Environmental Science (16th ed.) - Miller & Spoolman - Cengage - Thorough treatment of climate science fundamentals including the carbon cycle, greenhouse gas sources, climate modeling, and policy frameworks from Kyoto to Paris.

  6. NASA Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet - NASA - Authoritative, regularly updated portal presenting key climate indicators including CO2 levels, global temperature, ice sheets, and sea level with interactive visualizations.

  7. IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - The definitive scientific assessment of climate change, synthesizing thousands of studies on physical science, impacts, adaptation, and mitigation strategies.

  8. NOAA Climate.gov - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Educational climate science portal with data dashboards, explainer articles on ENSO cycles, and teaching resources for understanding ocean-atmosphere interactions.

  9. Skeptical Science: The Big Picture - Skeptical Science - Evidence-based overview connecting greenhouse physics, paleoclimate data, and modern observations to build the complete case for human-caused climate change.

  10. NOAA Ocean Acidification Program - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dedicated resource covering ocean chemistry changes, monitoring networks, biological impacts on shellfish and corals, and community vulnerability assessments.