Changing Climates

Question 1

What is an ice age? Are we living in one now?

Answer 1

A period of time where there are permanent ice sheets.

We currently live in an ice age.

Question 2

What is the Quantenary peirod?

Answer 2

The most recent period of geological time. It includes the pleistocene and holocene epochs.

Question 3

What are the pleistocene and holocene epochs?

Answer 3

Pleistocene epoch - the period that began 2.6 million years ago and ended 11 700 years ago.

Holocene epoch - the period that began 11 700 years ago and continues today (interglacial period)

Question 4

What is a glacial and interglacial period?

Answer 4

Glacial period - a colder period in Earth’s history

Interglacial period - a warmer period in Earth’s history

Question 5

How had the temperature changed over the Quantenary period?

Answer 5

The temperature has fluctuated (cyclical changes) but the range of temperatures is increasing.

4^oC difference 2.6m years ago, 8^oC difference today

Question 6

How has the temperature changed since 1880?

Answer 6

General trend of increase until 1970, then rapid increase until today

Question 7

Ice cores can be used as evidence for climate change. What is the oldest ice thats scientists can study?

Answer 7

800 000 years ago

Question 8

What do lighter layers of snow show? Dark Snow?

Answer 8

Lighter layers show snow laid in summer

Dark snow shows layers of snow laid in winter (more dust mixed in winter)

Question 9

What are the two types of oxygen that scientists are looking for?
What do they each suggest?

Answer 9

¹⁶O - Earth was colder
¹⁸O - Earth was warmer

Question 10

What does large amounts of carbon dioxide in the ice suggest about Earth’s temperature?

Answer 10

Lots of CO2 suggests warmer temperatures

Question 11

How do we know if climate data is reliable?

Answer 11

By matching data to other sources

Question 12

Sea ice can be used as evidence for climate change. How is sea ice measured?

Answer 12

By using satellites

Question 13

What is meant by sea ice maximum/minimum?

Answer 13

Sea ice maximum - maximum area in the Arctic covered in ice in any year

Sea ice minimum - minimum area in the Arctic covered in ice in any year

Question 14

How much smaller has the area covered by sea ice become since 1979?

Answer 14

13.3% smaller every decade on average

Question 15

Why has global temperature data become more reliable as evidence for climate change?

Answer 15

New weather stations are being developed and added every year

Question 16

What are the criticisms of global temperature data?

Answer 16

Recording instruments might be placed in positions that don’t give a fair record of an area’s real temperature (for example on top of a hill would give a lower result)

Question 17

How can paintings and diaries be used as evidence for climate change? How can they not be fully reliable?

Answer 17

They may describe activities that are not possible today because of hotter temperatures (e.g. ice skating on Thames)

Elements can be emphasised and therefore not fully accurate, no fixed data to match it.

Question 18

Describe the greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect in in 8 steps

Answer 18

1. Energy comes from the sun as short-wave radiation
2. Most energy passes through a layer of naturally occuring greenhouse gases. Human activity has put more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
3. Earth’s surface is warmed
4. Some energy is reflected back into space as long-wave energy. Long-wave radiation does not pass through the greenhouse gases as easily as short-wave radiation.
5. Some energy is absorbed by greenhouse gases and some is reflected back to Earth. The thicker layer of greenhouse gases absorbs more long-wave radiation and more is reflected to Earth.
6. Earth is warm enough to exist or Earth becomes warmer, causing global warming

Underlined indicates the enhanced greenhouse effect

Question 19

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 19

A natural process that warms the Earth’s surface.

Question 20

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 20

The trapping of more of the Sun’s energy because of the cumulative effect of more greenhouse gases, causing Earth’s temperature to increase

Question 21

What is the main greenhouse gas contributor to the greenhouse effect?

Answer 21

Carbon Dioxide

Question 22

Name a source of each of these greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, halocarbons, nitrous oxide.

Answer 22

carbon dioxide: burning fossil fuels

methane: farm animals (like cows)
halocarbons: air conditioning

nitrous oxide: car exhausts

Question 23

What are sun spots?

Answer 23

Dark spots on the sun’s surface - they are temporary on cycles

Question 24

What are sun spots caused by?

Answer 24

Magnetic storms

Question 25

What do sun spots do to the Earth's surface?

Answer 25

They increase the amount of energy Earth receives from the sun, causing it to warm up

Question 26

How long are sun spot cycles?

Answer 26

11 years

Question 27

How do volcanic eruptions affect the Earth's temperature?

Answer 27

When volcanoes erupt they release huge amounts of dust (containing ash, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and water vapour) into the atmosphere. The dust blocks the sunlight, resulting in cooler temperatures.

Question 28

What are two key periods of climate in the holocene epoch?

Answer 28

- little ice age (1300-1870) - medieval warm period *Different climate change theories are linked to these such as sunspts or volcanic eruptions*

Question 29

What are the three Milankovic cycles?

Answer 29

* *Eccentricity:** orbit * *Obliquity:** tilt * *Precession:** (amount of) wobble

Question 30

"What are the three Milankovitch cycles effects on the Earth's climate?"

Answer 30

Eccentricity: more temperature variation due to Earth being further away from the sun at different times of the year Obliquity: with less tilt, summers are cooler and winters are milder Precession: can change severity of seasons

Question 31

Does melting sea ice contribute to rising sea levels?

Answer 31

No

Question 32

What is thermal expansion?

Answer 32

The tendency of matter (i.e. water in sea - increased water molecule size) to increase in volume or pressure when heated

Question 33

In what ways are weather events becoming more extreme? (3 points)

Answer 33

Tropical storms (hurricanes) are becoming more intense in some areas They are resulting in higher levels of precipitation Droughts are becoming more severe and lasting longer

Question 34

How do increased temperatures impact extreme weather? (2 points)

Answer 34

Warmer sea temperatures fuel more intense tropical storms (hurricane) Warmer air can hold more water vapour, so leads to heavier rainfall

Question 35

What are the impacts of increased extreme weather of tropical storms? (2 points)

Answer 35

Intense storms can have knock on effects and disrupt global weather patterns While tropical storms are becoming more intense, there may be fewer of them globally

Question 36

Why is climate change considered a global issue?

Answer 36

The 'global' nature of the issue - the causes are global (emitting fossils fuels) - the impacts are global - we will all need to work together - to minimise the impacts *Mention global environmental, social and economic factors in addition in a 6 marker in order to achieve full marks*

Question 37

Discuss how reliable data on atmospheric carbon dioxide collected from ice cores is as evidence for climate change. (4 marks)

Answer 37

Reliable as: - Atmospheric carbon dioxide data from ice cores gives information over thousands of years ( ) - It is more reliable source than other shorter term sources ( ) Unreliable as: - Doesn’t provide an exact date ( ) - Doesn’t provide an exact temperature/ the temperature has to be calculated ( )

Question 38

List positive/negative economic impacts of climate change in the UK.

Answer 38

**Positive:** _Tourism_ Opportunities - more staycations? - hotter weather _Agriculture_ Wheat and sugar beet have higher yields UK wine industry (vineyards growing grapes) **Negative**: _Flooding_ Flash floods more likely Sea level rise to make flooding from rainfall worse Damage could be £2-12 billion by 2080 _Transport_ Travel delays more likely Increased temperatures could lead to railways buckling Roads melting _Food prices_ Volatility in global markets could affect supply chains

Question 39

List positive/negative social impacts of climate change in the UK.

Answer 39

**Positive:** - 4-24K cold-related deaths avoided each year (outweighed by deaths from heat) **Negatve:** - more strain on NHS due to more common heatwaves - increased risk of drought - 27-59 million people living in areas with water shortages by 2050 - more environmental refugees

Question 40

List positive/negative environmental impacts of climate change in the UK.

Answer 40

* *Positive:** - offspring born in colder months more likely to survive * *Negatives:** - flash flooding can lead to overflowing sewers - water contamination - animals move northwards - increased competition for native species

Question 41

# You need 3 named places List positive/negative economic impacts of climate change in the World

Answer 41

Western Europe (e.g. UK) - the WWA found that a heatwave was 10 times more likely than in a theoretical Earth without the enhanced greenhouse effect. Extreme heat linked with lower crop yields, so less can be sold Bangladesh - soil salinisation makes it difficult to grow rice. So lower crop yields are produced that can be sold Atlantic Hurricanes (e.g. Hurricane Harvey, Texas 2017) - caused $200bn in damage. Money needs to be spent on repair rather than funding public services

Question 42

# You need 3 named places List positive/negative social impacts of climate change in the World.

Answer 42

Bangladesh - Climate refugees leave the coastal areas in large numbers. 200,000 arrive in the overpopulated Dhaka every year and this puts pressure on services in the city. Western Europe (e.g. UK) - the WWA found that a heatwave was 10 times more likely than in a theoretical Earth without the enhanced greenhouse effect. Extreme heat linked with higher mortality Atlantic Hurricanes (e.g. Hurricane Harvey, Texas 2017) - caused 107 fatalities

Question 43

# You need 2 named places List positive/negative environmental impacts of climate change in the World.

Answer 43

Bangladesh - Soil salinisation makes it difficult to grow rice. People have switched to farming fish and shrimp which has a worse environmental impact. Lake Chad - desertification (the degrading of semi-desert land areas to deserts). Loss of vegetation and animal habitats.

Question 44

How do humans contribute to the atmosphere?

Answer 44

1. Description of enhanced greenhouse effect 2. Sources 1. Deforestation - trees are _natural_ carbon sink 2. Burning fossil fuels (carbon dioxide) and how it affects enhanced greenhouse effect 3. Effects (e.g. melting ice, flooding, droughts, rising temperatures) 4. We have realised effects recently, attempts to reduce emissions (govt increasing petrol tax and funding sustainable development)