2006/11/13CarboSchools session

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE)

The carbon cycle and climate change,

project of the LSCE (IPSL, CEA-CNRS, France)

with secondary schools in Île-de-France

Marc Jamousmarc.jamous@cea.fr

2006/11/13CarboSchools session

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE)

Aims:

• to promote investigation rather than lectures

• to present the research world to students

• to have student’s projects in March 2007

In these aims, we will

• propose experimental materials with many choices of protocols

• visit classrooms to▪ launch the project and raise questions

▪ present research jobs

• propose classrooms to visit our laboratory

2006/11/13CarboSchools session

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE)

Three subjects of thinking:

• dendrochronology,

• study of carbon sources and sinks,

• study of carbon exchanges between atmosphere and ocean.

2006/11/13CarboSchools session

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE)

Questions

• Can we get climate information from trees?

• Are all rings of a tree similar?

Experimentation

• How to measure rings?

• Working in groups -> measure precision and experimental error

• Edit the profile “ring width versus years”

dendrochronology

Modeling

• From experimental results and with meteorological data, construction of a model “ring width and meteorological events”

Model validation

• Profiles for past centuries (Xth or XVIIIth century) will be analyzed and compared with historical texts.

2006/11/13CarboSchools session

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE)

Questions

• Where does atmospheric CO2 come from?

• How is atmospheric CO2 regulated?

• Is the atmospheric CO2 concentration similar all through the day, all through the year?

Experimentation

• CO2 concentration measured in several places

• Construction of little greenhouses with CO2 sensors

Aims

• Understanding of the carbon cycle (daily and seasonal)

study of carbon sources and sinks

2006/11/13CarboSchools session

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE)

study of carbon exchanges between atmosphere and ocean

Questions

• Does any exchange occur between atmospheric and ocean CO2?

• Are they similar all over the Earth?

• What changes in the ocean produce atmospheric CO2 rises?

Experimentation

CO2

Sea water

clam

2006/11/13CarboSchools session

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE)

11 secondary schools

• from level 6 to 11

• publication in March 2007

• results on a Website (opening: early December)

2006/11/13CarboSchools session

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE)

Thank you