2.2 Climate Change (Paper 1)

Question 1

<p>Define<strong>weather</strong></p>

Answer 1

<p>Weather is the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere</p>

Question 2

<p>Define<strong>climate</strong></p>

Answer 2

<p>Climate is the long-term average of weather conditions</p>

Question 3

<p>What is climate change?</p>

Answer 3

<p>The long term change in global weather patterns</p>

Question 4

<p>What is the evidence that climate has changed since the beginning of the Quaternary period?</p>

Answer 4

<p>Over the past 2.6 million years (the quaternary period) global temperatures have fluctuated but have overall gradually declined</p>

<p>During the last 400,000 years, there have been noticeable glacial (cooler periods) and interglacial (warmer periods)</p>

<p>The last few decades, temperatures have increased above average, known as global warming</p>

<p>Since 1880, global temperatures have increased by 0.85°C</p>

Question 5

<p>How do<strong> Ice Cores</strong> prove Climate Change is occurring?</p>

Answer 5

<p><strong>Ice cores</strong> have been able to identify changes from up to 400,000 years ago</p>

<p>Huge drills drill down into ice sheets to remove <strong>a cylinder of ice</strong>.
A slice of this ice contains bubbles of <strong>carbon dioxide</strong>. As carbon dioxide absorbs heat in the atmosphere, the more bubbles evident, the warmer the temperatures were</p>

Question 6

<p>What is the<strong>recentevidence</strong>for climate change?</p>

Answer 6

<ul>
<li>Shrinking glaciers</li>
<li>Rising sea levels (due to melting ice and thermal expansion)</li>
<li>Seasonal changes (ie. migrating birds, nesting patterns)</li>
</ul>

Question 7

<p>Name the 4<strong>naturalcauses</strong> of climate change?</p>

Answer 7

<ul>
	<li>Orbital changes (Milankovitch Cycles)</li>
	<li>Solar Activity</li>
	<li>Volcanic Activity</li>
<li>Surface Impacts</li>
</ul>

Question 8

<p>How does<strong>solaractivity</strong>cause climate change?</p>

Answer 8

<p>Over a period of 11 years, sunspots increase and decrease on the sun.
These sunspots appear as dark patches. The more sunspots, the more solar radiation given. This coincides with warmer periods</p>

Question 9

<p>How does the<strong>orbital theory</strong>cause climate change?</p>

Answer 9

<p><strong>Eccentricity</strong>(orbit) -The earth's orbit changes from a circular to elliptical orbit. During an elliptical (oval-shaped) orbit, the sun and earth at their biggest distance, causing cooler periods than during a circular orbit. This coincides with glacial and interglacial periods)</p>

<p><strong>Precession</strong>(wobble) - the earth has a natural wobble (like a spinning top).
Due to this, places facing away from the Sun experience longer days and nights at certain points of the year</p>

<p><strong>Axial tilt</strong>- the earth spins on its axis. The Earth's axis tilts backwards and forwards over a period of 41,000 years. Areas, therefore, receive varying amounts of Solar radiation, affecting the temperatures on Earth</p>

Question 10

<p>How does<strong>volcanic activity</strong>cause climate change?</p>

Answer 10

<p>When a volcanic erupts, it emits large amounts of gas and ash into the atmosphere. This can temporarily block out the suns radiation which causes temporary cooling. This is known as a'volcanic winter'</p>

Question 11

<p>What is the greenhouse effect?</p>

Answer 11

<ol><li>The sun emits short wavelength infrared radiation that enters the atmosphere and travels towards the Earth’s surface</li>
<li>The Earth absorbs some of this radiation, but long wavelength radiation is reflected back into the atmosphere</li>
<li>Greenhouse gases can't absorb the frequency of radiation emitted by the Sun, but they can absorb the longer wavelength reflected radiation</li>
<li>The gases re-radiate this energy in all directions, including back towards the Earth</li>
<li>The temperature at the Earth’s surface rises</li></ol>

Question 12

<p>What is the<strong>enhanced</strong>greenhouse effect?</p>

Answer 12

<p>The thickening of the greenhouse gas layer, which traps more heat in the atmosphere. It is caused by human actions that release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere</p>

Question 13

<p>Name some greenhouse gases</p>

Answer 13

<ul>
	<li>Carbon dioxide</li>
	<li>Methane</li>
	<li>Sulphur dioxide</li>
	<li>Nitrous oxide</li>
	<li>Water vapour</li>
</ul>

Question 14

<p>Which<strong>humanactivities</strong>arereleasing nitrous oxides?</p>

Answer 14

<ul>
	<li>Car exhausts</li>
	<li>Agricultural fertilisers</li>
	<li>Power stations</li>
</ul>

Question 15

<p>Whichhumanactivitiesreleasecarbon dioxide (CO₂)?</p>

Answer 15

<ul>
	<li>Burning fossil fuels in industry</li>
	<li>Car exhausts</li>
	<li>Deforestation</li>
</ul>

Question 16

<p>Whichhumanactivities are releasingMethane?</p>

Answer 16

<ul>
	<li>Decaying organic matter</li>
	<li>Rice farming</li>
	<li>Livestock</li>
	<li>Biomass burning</li>
</ul>

Question 17

<p>Name a<strong>physical</strong>impact of climate change?</p>

Answer 17

<ul>
	<li>Sea level rise</li>
	<li>Drought</li>
	<li>Storms</li>
</ul>

Question 18

<p>Explain how<strong>agriculture</strong>contributes to climate change?</p>

Answer 18

<p>Farming produces large amounts of methane through cattle digestion and through the rice farming</p>

<p>Cattle farming has increased as the world's population has increased, and more people around the world demand meat in their diets</p>

<p>Farming requires a lot of space, so forestry needs to be chopped to make way for the farm. Deforestation means there are fewer trees using carbon dioxide for photosynthesis</p>

Question 19

<p>Explain how<strong>deforestation</strong>causes climate change?</p>

Answer 19

<p>Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
By removing more trees we are removing the ability for trees to take out CO₂. As a result, CO₂levels increasing. Increasing levels ofCO₂in the atmospheremeans more heat is trapped. Trees are being cut down to make space for road building and farming</p>

Question 20

<p>Explain how<strong>burning fossil fuels</strong>leads to climate change?</p>

Answer 20

<p>Burning fossil fuels give off huge quantities of CO₂ which is a gas that absorbs heat in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels are increasingly used in manufacturing, transportation and heating homes</p>

Question 21

<p>Name some of the effects of climate change on the environment</p>

Answer 21

<ul>
<li>Warmer waters may decrease marine wildlife</li>
<li>70% of Asia may be at increased risk of flooding</li>
<li>Increasing temperatures and decreasing soil moisture can reduce biodiversity in the rainforest</li>
<li>Less sea ice could open up new oil and gas reserves</li>
</ul>

Question 22

<p>Name some of the effects of climate change on people</p>

Answer 22

<ul>
<li>Health may decline due toincreased levels of malaria in Africa</li>
<li>Heatwaves in Europe can kill the vulnerable</li>
<li>Crop yields may fall causing famines or job losses</li>
<li>Skiing resorts may close due to shorter skiing seasons</li>
</ul>

Question 23

<p>What is climate change<strong>mitigation</strong>?</p>

Answer 23

<p>Establishing strategies to combat climate change and try to prevent or reverse it</p>

Question 24

<p>What is climate change<strong>adaptation</strong>?</p>

Answer 24

<p>Implementing strategies to defend communities from the impacts of climate change</p>

Question 25

<p>Name the<strong>international treaties/agreements</strong>that attempt to<strong>mitigate</strong>climate change and give details of what they do</p>

Answer 25

<p><strong>Kyoto Protocol</strong>- countries pledging to reduce their carbon emissions</p>

<p><strong>Copenhagen Accord</strong>- pledging financial support to develop countries to help them tackle to effects of climate change</p>

<p><strong>Paris Agreement</strong>- 195 countries agreed with tackle climate change (i.e. to keep global temperature increase below 2ºC)</p>

Question 26

<p>Name 4mitigationstrategies</p>

Answer 26

<ol>
	<li>Alternative energies</li>
	<li>Carbon capture</li>
	<li>Planting Trees</li>
	<li>International agreements</li>
</ol>

Question 27

<p>Name 3<strong>adaptation</strong>strategies?</p>

Answer 27

<ol>
	<li>Changing agricultural systems</li>
	<li>Managing water supplies</li>
	<li>Reducing risk from rising sea levels</li>
</ol>

Question 28

<p>Describe how<strong>planting trees</strong>can<strong>mitigate</strong>against climate change?</p>

Answer 28

<p>Trees remove CO₂from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. By planting trees, excess CO₂can be removed from the atmosphere</p>

Question 29

<p>Describe how<strong>alternative energy production</strong>can<strong>mitigate</strong>against climate change?</p>

Answer 29

<p>Most of the carbon dioxide emissions come from fossil fuels. Switching to renewable forms of energy such as solar power, hydroelectric power and nuclear means CO₂emissions will reduce</p>

Question 30

<p>Describe how<strong>carbon capture</strong>helps to<strong>mitigate</strong>against climate change?</p>

Answer 30

<p>Carbon capture is a process by which carbon is captured, compressed and stored underground. This can remove almost 90% of the CO₂that could otherwise enter the atmosphere</p>

Question 31

<p>Explain how<strong>changing agricultural systems</strong>can<strong>adapt</strong>against the effects of climate change?</p>

Answer 31

<ol>
<li>Planting drought-resistant crops</li>
<li>Changing the time of planting</li>
<li>Introducing shades to shield crops from sun</li>
<li>Educating farmers on new farming techniques</li>
</ol>

Question 32

<p>Explainhow <strong>managing water supplies</strong>can<strong>adapt</strong>against the effects of climate change?</p>

Answer 32

<p>Collecting and storing water at different seasons can reduce water lost during higher temperatures e.g. In India, collecting glacial water during the winter and it freezes, storing water for summer months</p>

Question 33

<p>Explain how<strong>reducing the risk from rising sea levels</strong>can<strong>adapt</strong>against the effects of climate change?</p>

Answer 33

<ol>
<li>Constructing sea walls to hold back rising waters</li>
<li>Building houses on stilts</li>
<li>Restoring mangroves to reduce the impact of storm waves</li>
<li>Relocating most vulnerable to new places or higher ground</li>
</ol>

Question 34

<p>How long does each glacial and interglacial period last?</p>

Answer 34

<p>Each glacial and interglacial period lasts 100,000 years</p>

Question 35

<p>What are <b>surface imapcts</b>?</p>

Answer 35

<p>Surface Impacts are when asteroids collide with the Earth and huge amounts of dust particles get thrown into the air</p>

<p>The dust particles reduce the amount of solar radiation that the Earth's surface receives. This causes global temperatures to fall</p>

Question 36

<p>How are <b>Temperature records</b> evidence for climate change?</p>

Answer 36

<p>Temperatures have been measured and recorded globally using thermometers since the 1850's. This record is highly reliable but also very short-term</p>

Question 37

<p>How are <b>Ice Cores</b> evidence for climate change?</p>

Answer 37

<p>Ice cores can be obtained by drilling into ice sheets.
Every year, one layer of ice forms on the top of the ice sheets. Analysis of the gases in the core allows scientists to determine the temperature for each of the last 400,000 years</p>

Question 38

<p>How is <b>Dendrochronology (Tree Rings)</b> evidence for climate change?</p>

Answer 38

<p>Every year, a new ring forms in the trunks of trees.
By taking cores and counting the number of rings, scientists can work out a tree's age. Tree rings are thicker when the conditions are warm and wet. Tree rings are a reliable evidence source for the last 10,000 years</p>

Question 39

<p>How is <b>Pollen Analysis</b> for climate change?</p>

Answer 39

<p>Plant pollen is preserved in sediment. Scientists can tell from this pollen what plant species were living at a particular time</p>

<p>Scientists can combine this knowledge with what they know about the conditions that different plants live in now to make predictions about what the environment would have been like at that time</p>

Question 40

<p>What are the different effects of climate change on the environments?</p>

Answer 40

<ul><li>Reduction of Biodiversity</li><li>Melting Ice</li><li>Changing Precipitation Patterns</li><li>Sea Surface Temperature Increase</li><li>Changing Distribution of species</li></ul>

Question 41

<p>Why would there be a <b>reduction of biodiversity</b> due to climate change?</p>

Answer 41

<p>The rate at which the climate is changing makes rapid adaptation key to avoiding extinction</p>

<p>Species that are specially adapted to the habitats which are being damaged and destroyed by climate change are at risk of extinction</p>

Question 42

<p>What are the effects of the polar ice caps melting?</p>

Answer 42

<p>Melting ice causes sea levels to rise, which could flood coastal habitats forever, losing the land and associated biodiversity</p>

<p>Changes to the way sea ice changes through the year is affecting the survival of animals at both poles</p>

Question 43

<p>What are the effects of rising sea temperatures?</p>

Answer 43

<p>Rising sea temperatures causes the bleaching of of sensitive corals</p>

Question 44

<p>What are the different effects of climate change on people?</p>

Answer 44

<ul><li>More Extreme Weather events</li><li>Loss of Coastal Areas</li><li>More Deaths due to heat</li><li>Lower Crop Yields</li><li>Problems with water Availability</li></ul>

Question 45

<p>What kinds of weather hazards affect the UK?</p>

Answer 45

<ul>
	<li>Flooding</li>
	<li>Storms</li>
	<li>Drought</li>
	<li>Extreme heat/cold</li>
</ul>

Question 46

<p>What caused the Somerset floods?</p>

Answer 46

<p>350mm of rain fell in January and February (100mm above average)</p>

<p>A series of storms hit the area</p>

<p>High tides and storm surges swept water upstream, preventing water from reaching the sea</p>

<p>Rivers hadn'tbeen dredged for 20 years so were filled with sediment</p>

Question 47

<p>Describe the<strong>social</strong>effects of the Somerset floods?</p>

Answer 47

<ul>
<li>16 farms evacuated</li>
<li>600 houses flooded</li>
<li>Residents evacuated for several months</li>
<li>Difficult for people to get to work/school</li>
<li>Power cuts</li>
</ul>

Question 48

<p>Describe the<strong>economic</strong>effects of the Somerset flood?</p>

Answer 48

<ul>
<li>Damage estimated at £10 million</li>
<li>Over 14,000 hectares of farmland was flooded for 1 month</li>
<li>1,000 livestock evacuated</li>
<li>Floods cut off villages</li>
</ul>

Question 49

<p>Describe the<strong>environmental</strong>effects of the Somerset flood</p>

Answer 49

<p>Large amounts of rubble and debris had to be cleared</p>

<p>Floodwaters were contaminated with sewage</p>

<p>Stagnant water had to be reoxygenated before being pumped back into rivers</p>

Question 50

<p>What were the<strong>responses</strong>to the Somerset floods?</p>

Answer 50

<p><u><strong>Immediate:</strong></u></p>

<ul>
<li>Local residents volunteered help</li>
<li>Peopleused boats to go get to work/school</li>
</ul>

<p><u><strong>Longterm:</strong></u></p>

<p>£20million Flood Action Plan was set up to:</p>

<ul>
<li>Dredge the Rivers Tone and Parratt</li>
<li>Riverbanks raised</li>
<li>Road levels raised</li>
<li>Flood defences in flood-risk areas</li>
<li>More pumping stations built</li>
</ul>

Question 51

<p>What is the evidence that weather in the UK is becoming more extreme?</p>

Answer 51

<p>Heatwaves - 2003</p>

<p>Floods - 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2019</p>

<p>Heavy snow - 2009, 2010, 2017</p>

Question 52

<p>What are the 6 air masses that affect the UK's climate?</p>

Answer 52

<ul><li>Arctic Maritime</li><li>Polar Maritime</li><li>Polar Continental</li><li>Tropical Continental</li><li>Tropical Maritime</li></ul>

Question 53

<p>What are the UK's 4 distinctive climate regions</p>

Answer 53

<ul><li>The north-west - tends to experience mild winters and cool summers</li><li>The north-east - tends to experience cold winters and cool summers</li><li>The south-west - tends to experience mild winters and warm summers</li><li>The south-east - tends to experience cold winters and warm summers</li></ul>