6.3

Question 1

What are some natural climate patterns?

Answer 1

This is what influences temperature distribution naturally
-Solar radiation
-Characteristics of earth’s surface
-Thermohaline

Question 2

How does Solar radiation influence climate distribution?

Answer 2

Influences temperature, as without solar radiation it wouldn’t get trapped in the atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect

Question 3

How does Characteristics of the earth’s surface influence climate distribution?

Answer 3

It affects temperature through the albedo effect.
This is…

Question 4

How does thermohaline influence climate distribution?

Answer 4

Thermohaline is the ocean currents dependent on water density, this is how heat is distributed, through wind and ocean currents

Question 5

How can precipitation be naturally influenced?

Answer 5

Heating of the atmosphere and earth’s surface
-this controls air movement
- E.g. conventional rain at equator

Question 6

Why is there regional variation of climate?

Answer 6

This is due to relief migration of global patterns

Question 7

What are the characteristics of healthy soils?

Answer 7

Dark, crumbly, contains organisms, provides air, water, nutrients, sequesters carbon, retain moisture

Question 8

Why is soil health important?

Answer 8

It stores carbon but this depends on soil inputs and outputs, carbon is main component in the surface layer of soil
If healthy has a large surface area

Question 9

What are the inputs and outputs for soil?

Answer 9

Inputs: plant and animal remains
Outputs: decomposition and erosion

Question 10

What is fossil fuel combustion?

Answer 10

Process of burning fossil fuels, primary cause of climate change as it causes chemical reaction releasing co2 into atmosphere

Question 11

What are the greenhouse gases?

Answer 11

N20 (nitrous oxide)- in atmosphere 100 years, from aircrafts and engines, 16% increase
Co2 (carbon dioxide)- 0.04% of atmosphere, from Deforestation and burning fossil fuels, 30% increase
CH4 (methane)- in atmosphere 10 years, from gas pipeline leaks and cattle farming, 250% increase

Question 12

Why is a balanced carbon cycle important?
How is it maintained?

Answer 12

Sustains earth’s systems like climate patterns
Good soil health, photosynthesis, sequestration

Question 13

What is sequestration?

Answer 13

Catching and storing carbon

Question 14

Human factors that alter the carbon cycle?

Answer 14

Main factor is fossil fuel combustion
Agriculture, industry, energy production

Question 15

Where does coal and oil/gas come from?

Answer 15

Gas/Oil- sealife, extracted from rocks 70-100 million years old
Coal- wood and trees, from 200 million yr old rocks

When burnt to generate energy, stored Carbon is released

Question 16

What is the keeling curve and what does it show?

Answer 16

Keeling curve- graph showing amount of co2 in the atmosphere
Shows carbon levels rising, 425ppm in 2024 and 450ppm is dangerous

Question 17

What are methane levels like?

Answer 17

-rising rapidly
-steeper change since 2010
-due to cow numbers increased, released from warming permafrost, increasing oil and gas exploitations

Question 18

What are nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide levels like?

Answer 18

Nitrous oxide-risen not to a large extent
Carbon dioxide- 29% higher than in 1959

Question 19

Why is methane one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases?

Answer 19

• poorly accounted for
• plumes of methane releasing more
• waste products produce when decomposing
• Turkmenistan with 2 main oil and gas fields leaked lots into atmosphere

Question 20

What are some fossil fuel implications?

Answer 20

Balance:
- steady amount of CO2 stabilises global temps
- fossil fuel combustion altered the balance of carbon pathways
- Carbon flows increased, increased released from stores
- Fossil fuel combustion and deforestation increased CO2 inputs into the atmosphere
-

Implications for climate:
- land temperatures expected to increase
- extreme weather events expected to increase in intensity and frequency
- annual perecipitation in northern europe to increase and decrease in southern europe
Artic implications:
- artic region is warming
- by 2100 eastern alps will be ice free
- red fox migrated north
- melting permafrost
- shrubs unable to survive in tundra
Implications for the hydrological cycle:
- Changes to precipitation patterns will have implications on hydrological cycle
- River discharge patterns affected
- glaciers retreat, sediment yields affect water quality
- increased likelihood of floods in winter and drought in summer