2.2 Flashcards
how can we predict climate change impacts
by examining:
1) hydrosphere — worlds water store: ice sheets losing mass, land based glaciers sinking, artic sea ice cover falling
2) atmosphere — its carbon store: by 2100 temp is likely to rise by 1.5 degrees compared to 1850, further permafrost thawing = methane
3) biosphere — flora and fauna: loss of species bcs of heat extremes; great barrier reef which is bleaching bcs of rising ocean temp
what areas of earth do we examine to predict climate change impacts
- hydrosphere (worlds water store)
- atmosphere (its carbon store)
- biosphere (flora and fauna; loss of species)
if we cut all ghg emissions rn will everything be ok
no bcs even if we did, up to 40% of the anthropogenic carbon will remain there for over 1000 years, which means that we are certain that some level of warming will continue beyond 2100
in what form + where is most fresh water
majority of cryosphere = sea ice, land ice, glaciers, permafrost, ice sheets (like greenland, antarctic)
also in groundwater, lakes, soil, rivers, atmosphere
anthropocene
the geological age we’re currently living in, in which industrialization has become the dominant influence on the environment
how much percent of all water is fresh
3%
cryosphere
potions of earths surface where water is in solid form
cryospheric water
- sea ice
- land ice
- permafrost
- alpine glaciers
- ice sheets (like greenland, antarctic)
implications of reduction in mass balance of the ice store
reduction of water supply in some heavily populated regions + sea level rise
sea level rise reasons
1 increasing GHG levels contribute to the thermal expansion of seawater
2 melting of land based ice, resulting in sea level rise
thermal expansion of water
occurs as water warms, the warmer fluids expand to take up a larger volume
what effect will sea level rise have
great impact on low lying coasts + islands – flooding, sinking, higher vulnerability to storms = loss of land, infrastructure, displaced communities
impact of global warming on weather patterns
changing precipitation patterns => in some regions its increased rainfall + flooding, in others its more frequent + sever droughts => impact on water availability, agriculture, ecosystems
alpine glaciers
thick masses of ice found in deep valleys or upland hollows
what is carbon store also known as
carbon pool
carbon store
system that holds and stores carbon for a period of time
flux
process by which carbon moves between stores
how much carbon does the ocean contain? in what form? why is it bad?
40 000 gigatonnes of carbon in the form of dissolved CO2.
dissolving CO2 creates carbonic acid; the increased acidity is harmful for species in oceans
examples of carbon stores
1) forests (absorb CO2)
2) soils
3) oceans
4) atmosphere
eustatic
fall/rise to in height of earths oceans due to changes of how much water is stored there
which areas are impacted most by sea level rise
coastal areas, islands (like maldives)
extreme weather event
when a value of a climate element is extreme compared to what has occurred in the past
event attribution
field that tries to determine whether there’s a direct link between certain weather events and climate change – we still cant prove it beyond doubt
drought
extended period of low rainfall relative to expected average for a region
what do increased rates of drought do to land
slows plant growth, leads to soil erosion, which can lead to desertification – degradation of fertile land into desert like conditions
desertification
degradation of fertile land into desert like conditions
biome
large plant/animal communities covering vast areas of earths continents (like tropical rainforest)
why are some boundaries of biomes expected to shift
bcs characteristics of biomes are determined by the current climate in diff places
result of biome boundaries shifting
animals have to migrate longer distances, so migration patterns shift affecting food webs
examples of biomes
1 tundra – ecosystem of tough short grass that survives in extreme cold
2 coniferous forest (tree line – boundary between the two)
3 tropical rainforest
4 desert
tundra
ecosystem of tough short grasses that survive in extreme cold
coral bleaching
when corals expel algae from their tissues, causing the coral to turn white
tree line
boundary between the coniferous forest and tundra biomes
risk formula (+define the stuff in it)
risk = (hazard*vulnerability)/(resilience)
vulnerability depends on where people live and their lifestyles. vulnerable groups: elderly, deaf, migrants.
resilience is determined by:
1) wealth (adaptation costs)
2) level of preparedness (flood kit?)
3) emergency service response
why is it important to consider the impact on agriculture
1/3 of the world population earns a living from farming, and the rest depend on this produced food
negative climate change impacts on agriculture
1 desertification = bad for agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa
2 increased rainfall = increased soil erosion rates, resulting in nutrients being washed away with soil
3 productive land lost to sea level rise
4 increased hurricane frequency = crop loss
earths energy budget
the balance between the solar radiation that reaches the earth and the energy that gets reflected back into space
positive impacts of climate change on agriculture
1) increased growing season in certain areas
2) better climatic conditions for grapes
health hazards of climate change
1) more diseases like malaria – spread faster in warmer conditions
2) changing behaviour of bats -> ebola outbreaks
3) food insecurity alongside water shortages (bcs of rainfall)
climate change impacts on employment
1 agriculture
2 tourism – certain areas become too dangerous to go to (extreme weather, loss of land to sea level rise, disease)
3 decline in fishing
climate change impacts on transport routes
1 new sea routes will open as the ice melts => reduce transportation time + price
2 some existing routes will likely experience a reduction in trade due to more convenient new ones
3 increased storm intensity => route disruption
food insecurity
when people cant grow/buy the food they need for basic needs to be met
migration pattern bcs of climate disasters
most people displaced by climate disasters are likely to be very poor
