1) The global challenge of weather & climate Flashcards
What did 2023 see a transition from and what to? Give a reason why
La Niña to El Niño
Record high global average surface temperatures
Name 8 different weather events which had a significant impact in 2023
Blizzards
Cold waves
Droughts
Heat waves
Wildfires
Floods
Tornadoes
Tropical Cyclones
How many months out of 12 of 2023 were warmer than average? What were the warmest periods? (1)
What were cooler and wetter (2)
8/12
June and September (1)
July and August (2)
How do the united nations refer to climate change?
Long term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. mainly caused by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels
What do the UN’s say causes climate change?
Human activities- burning of fossil fuels
What did the Copernicus a climate Change Service declare as the warmest year on record globally?
2024
What year could climate change be irreversible by?
2030
What could happen without climate change?
Eradicated coral reefs
Increase in widespread flooding
Extreme heat
Drought
Poverty
Define weather
The state of the atmosphere at any given time and place
Day to day changes in temperatures, precipitation, cloud cover, sunshine, wind, pressure, etc
Define climate
Average weather conditions at a specific place over a time period of 30+ years
Long term behaviour of the atmosphere in a specific area
What are climatic characteristics represented by data on?
Temperature
Pressure
Wind
Precipitation
Humidity
What can be calculated with the data?
Daily, monthly, yearly averages and build up global patterns
What can climatic data predict? (3)
Seasonal changes in temperature and rainfall
Seasonal hazards (hurricanes)
Impacts on people and their economic activities
Simply define weather
Conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time
Can change within minutes or hours
Simply define climate
How the atmosphere behaves over a long period of time and space
Average regional weather patterns over decades
What does weather have profound effects on?
People
Societies
Ecosystems
How is healthy directly affected by weather?
Mortality rates in elderly rise: cold periods and heatwaves
Seasonal Affective Disorder: lack of sunlight, depression like symptoms in winter months
Global wind patterns: spread of influenza epidemics
Indirect impacts of the weather
Leisure pursuits: beach/ cinema
Eating habits: BBQ/ delivery
Clothing: fleece/t shirt
Cost of purchases: good harvest? balance of trade (foreign fruit cheaper?) state of regional economies (where to go on holiday to?)
What do we call the variety of views on the role of weather and climate in society?
What does this include?
The spectrum of weather influences
Determinism and Technical fixes
What is determinism? And justification
Nature determines societies and ecosystems
Most tropical countries are poor
Technical fix and justification
Human ingenuity allows us to work round nature’s limitations
Thriving cities in inhospitable places (eg: Phoenix, Arizona)
