2a- How and why has the era of industrialisation affected global climate Flashcards
how are increases in temperature evidence the earth has warmed
increase in temperature in the last 40 years is evidence of climate change. 2016 was the warmest year on record and 10 of the 10 warmest years have been in the 21st century
how are shrinking glaciers evidence the earth has warmed
valley glaciers have retreated or disappeared, in the Alps, glaciers may shrink 80-96% by the end of the century and this is proven by satellites and re-photography.
Melting of the glaciers is due to;
warming of the atmosphere
meltwater penetrates ice and increases the velocity of glacier flow
ocean warming accelerates melting of ice sheets in a coastal area like the Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica 2002
how is rising sea level evidence the earth has warmed
has risen 1-2.5mm per year since 1900 but is currently rising at 3mm per year according to satellites. This is due to the thermal expansion of the oceans as the climate warms and melting of land-based ice sheets and glaciers
what is global dimming
aerosols reduce solar radiation reaching earths surface due to aerosols acting as a reflective shield.
Reducing aerosols would be good for air quality but could amplify the effects of global warming.
effects AC’s more than LIDCs as they have put clean air acts in place
how is increasing atmospheric water vapour evidence the earth has warmed
water vapour traps energy from the earth’s surface - the greenhouse effect. The amount of water vapour in the atmosphere is directly linked to temperature and rates of evaporation. for every one degree of temperature rise caused by co2 it will be doubled by water vapour.
positive feedback loop- more vapour- high temps- more evap- more water vapour
Negative feedback loop- more water vapour- more evap and warming- more clouds- reflect heat- cool-less water vapour.
how is decreasing snow and sea ice cover evidence the earth has warmed
satellites show 2% decrease of spring snow per decade since 1966 so less solar radiation is reflected by the albedo effect so the temperature increases - PFL
sea ice is shrinking by 8% per decade which decreases albedo, increases temperature and melting
reasons why Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have risen since industrial era
Land use change- 1/3 GHG come from land use changes. Deforestation, drained wetlands, and cultivated soils emit carbon, and 40% of the land is taken by agriculture
Standard of living changing- increase in wealth= increase in carbon footprint. The avg household in the US produces 5 times more carbon than the global average
Population growth- EPQ knowledge
Demand for energy- fossil fuels are produced by manufacturing, power station and transport and 87% of energy is from fossil fuels. Increased globalisation and flights mean goods are transported in the air and flights produce 29 times more carbon than trains.
The balance of anthropogenic emissions around the world and how this has changed in recent history.
in 1960 EU had 57% of emissions and asia had 21%, now EU has 24% and Asia has 46%
this is because the EU has been deindustrialising and in Asia lots of the countries are developing and manufacturing so producing more co2- asia is manufacturing things that other countries need- globalisation
How additional greenhouse gases will enhance the natural greenhouse effect.
due to rapid increase in GHG in the atmosphere with CO2 increasing by a 1/3 from 1800. This has created an enhanced greenhouse effect- fossil fules play a big part
PFL- increased GHG- increased temp- more evtp of h20 and melting of permafrost so CO2 and CH4 released- more ghg- increased temp
How humans influence the global mean energy balance.
more co2 absorbs more terrestrial radiation-leads to back radiation and rises global temperatures
higher temps- more evap-more latent heat transferred to the atmosphere and high conc of water vapour
higher temps- melts snow, glaciers and sea ice- less albedo- heats earth. Deforestation also reduces albedos so more absorption and warming effect occurs
