4.4 CLIMATE CHANGE

Question 1

ESSENTIAL IDEA

Answer 1

concentrations of gases in the atmosphere affect climates experienced at the earth’s surface

Question 2

MOST SIGNIFICANT GREENHOUSE GASES

Answer 2

CO2

water vapour

Question 3

OTHER GREENHOUSE GASES

Answer 3

methane
nitrogen oxides
CFCs

Question 4

GREENHOUSE GASES

Answer 4

gases in the atmosphere that retain heat

Question 5

IMPACT OF A GREENHOUSE GASES

Answer 5

1. ability to absorb long wave radiation (+ve)
2. abundance in atmosphere (conc)
   - -> rate of release
   - -> persistence

Question 6

WARMED EARTH EMITS

Answer 6

longer wavelength radiation

Question 7

LONGER WAVE LENGTH RADIATION

Answer 7

is absorbed by greenhouse gases that retain the heat in the atmospher

Question 8

SINCE THE START OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 200 YEARS AGO..

Answer 8

there is a correlation between rising atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and average global temperatures

Question 9

HUMAN EMISSIONS AND ATMOSPHERIC LEVELS OF CO2

Answer 9

strong correlation

Question 10

GLOBAL TEMPERATURES AND CLIMATE PATTERNS ARE INFLUENCED BY

Answer 10

concentrations of greenhouse gases (not direct)

other factors: sun spot activity

Question 11

INCREASES IN GREENHOUSE GAS CONCENTRATIONS WILL LIKELY CAUSE

Answer 11

higher global average temperatures

more frequent and intense heat waves

some areas becoming more prone to droughts

some ares more prone to intense period of rainfall and flooding

tropical storms to be more frequent and more powerful

changes to ocean currents

Question 12

THREATS TO CORAL REEF FROM

Answer 12

increasing concentrations of dissolved CO2

ocean acidification

Question 13

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

Answer 13

ocean absorbs 25% of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere

increase in atmospheric CO2 = increase in CO2 levels in the ocean

= more acidic

Question 14

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

AT RISK

Answer 14

marine calcifying species (oysters, sea urchins, corals)

as they need to absorb carbonate ions from seawater to make the calcium carbonate in their skeletons

Question 15

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

BENEFIT

Answer 15

photosynthetic algae and sea grasses

as low CO2 is limiting factor of photosynthesis

Question 16

GLOBAL WARMING

EARTH DIAGRAM

Answer 16

radiation from the sun is reflecting from the earth’s surface as long wave radiation

since greenhouse gases absorb/ trap the longer wave radiation, an increase in greenhouse gases will lead to an increase in the earth’s surface temperature