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Geography > 4. Climate Change > Flashcards

4. Climate Change Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the evidence for climate change?

A
  • global climate conditions of the earth vary over time between warm and cold
  • last ice age ended 12,00 years ago
  • average temperature is increasing
  • glaciers are melting and sea levels rising
  • shorter hibernations
  • bird nesting occuring earlier
  • migration times for birds have changed
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2
Q

What is the evidence for the evidence of climate change?

A

from:
- ice cores which trap microbes, air bubbles and ash
- preserved pollen
- tree rings
- historical sources

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3
Q

What is the greenhouse effect?

A
  • greenhouse gases allow short wave radiation from the sun through to the earths surface
  • it absorbs some long wave radiation (heat) and stops it radiating into space
  • maintains the temperature of the earth
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4
Q

Where do the greenhouse gases naturally come from?

A
  • water vapour - plants and evaporation from the ocean
  • carbon dioxide - volcanic activity, respiration, wildfires
  • methane - decomposition
  • nitrous oxide - soil and the ocean
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5
Q

What are the 4 natural causes of climate change?

A
  • MILANKOVICH CYCLES
  • VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
  • SUNSPOT ACTIVITY
  • ATMOSPHERIC DUST
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6
Q

How do Milankovitch Cycles cause climate change?

A
  • long term changes to orbit of earth and position that changes how much solar radiation the EARTH receives
  • orbit changes every 100,000 years (circular is cooler, elliptical is warmer)
  • tilt varies every 40,000 years (greater the degree of tilt hotter it is)
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7
Q

How does volcanic activity cause climate change?

A
  • large scale eruptions mean a lot of ash in air (ash blocks solar radiation)
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8
Q

How do sunspots cause climate change?

A
  • increased sunspot activity means higher average temperature
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9
Q

How does atmospheric dust cause climate change?

A
  • more dust from asteroids and meteors decreases tenperature
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10
Q

What are the human sources of greenhouse gases?

A
  • carbon dioxide - fossil fuels and deforestation
  • methane - released during cattle and rice cultivation
  • nitrous oxides - fertilisers and fossil fuels
  • chloroflurocarbons - aerosols, air conditioning
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11
Q

What % of greenhouse gas emmissions are from fossil fuels

A

50%

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12
Q

What are the social effects of climate change

A
  • health - 280 milion more cases of malaria, more heat strokes and respiratory diseases, water born diseases, food shortages, milder winters
  • employment - loss of jobs in agriculuture and tourism
  • increased flooding of small islands and other places mean displacemnet of people
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13
Q

What are the economic effects of climate change?

A
  • agriculture - may need to change the crop they grow, reduced water availability
  • employment - decline in fishing, tourism (ski resorts) and agricluture
  • settelements - low lying settlements need defence, e.g Miami
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14
Q

What are the environmental effects of climate change?

A
  • sea level rise
  • beach erosion
  • coastal ecosystems affected
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15
Q

What are the effects on natural hazards of climate change?

A
  • increased frequency and severity of storms
  • frequency and legnth of droughts will increase
  • dry conditions so more chance of wildfires
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16
Q

What are the effects of climate change on ecosystems?

A
  • locations of biomes may become smaller and shift to north and south (polar and tundra may become extinct)
  • ocean acidication
  • pest diseases more widespread
17
Q

What are the 4 ways to mitigate climate change?

A
  • afforestation
  • carbon capture
  • international agreements
  • alternative energy
18
Q

How do international agreements mitigate climate change?

A
  • Paris 2015 Agreement- global agreement to limite global warming to 2 degrees above pre industrial levels
  • reduce CO2 emission by 60% signed by most people including USA and CHINA
19
Q

How does alternate energy reduce climate change?

A
  • renewable energy reduces amount of greenhouse gases emitted
  • they are not as efficient as fossil fuels but are becoming cheaper
20
Q

How does afforestation mitigate climate change?

A
  • more carbon dioxide used and oxygen produced in photosynthesis
  • more transpiration means more clouds so less solar radiation
21
Q

How does carbon capture mitigate climate change?

A
  • captures and removes CO2 before it is emmitted
  • then CO2 is compressed and stored underground
  • expensive and not economically viable
22
Q

What are the 3 ways people can adapt to climate change?

A
  • changes in agriculutural systems - neet to adapt crops and irrigation to new weather patterns and diseases
  • managing water supplies - make water usage more efficient and increase supply via desalinisation
  • reducing risks from rising sea levels - sea walls and mangrove forests to protect land

Geography (19 decks)

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