Changing Climate Flashcards
Definition of Ice age
A period of time when Earth has permanent ice sheets
Definition of Quaternary
The time period in the Earth’s history that began about 2.6 million years ago and continues today , includes the Pleistocene epoch and the Holocene epoch.
Definition of Pleistocene
Relating to or denoting the first epoch of the Quaternary period, between the Pliocene and Holocene epochs
Definition of Holocene
Relating to or denoting the present epoch, which is the second epoch in the Quaternary period and followed the Pleistocene
Definition of Glacial period
A colder period in Earth’s history with ice advance
Definition of Inter glacial period
A warmer period in Earth’s history with ice retreat
How old is the ice that scientists can study?
800,000 years ago
What do lighter layers of snow show? Dark snow?
Snow laid down in summer and Dark Snow show winter snow
What are the two types of oxygen that scientists are looking for?
Oxygen-16 and Oxygen-18
Which type suggests it was warmer? Colder?
Lots of Oxygen-16 means the Earth was colder and Oxygen-18 means it was hotter
What does large amounts of carbon dioxide in the ice suggest about Earth’s temperature?
Lots of carbon dioxide suggest the climate was hot
How do we know that this data is reliable?
Because the data from the ice which dates back to the 1950s matches the actual data taken during that time period.
How is sea ice measured?
Satellite photos and submarine radar
What is meant by sea ice maximum/minimum?
Sea ice maximum is the maximum area that ice covers in the arctic over a year. The ice minimum is the minimum area that ice covers in the arctic over a year
How much smaller has the area covered by sea ice become since 1979?
13.3% smaller every 10 years
Reliability?
It is modern technology so it is very reliable