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Geography > Changing Climates > Flashcards

Changing Climates Flashcards

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1
Q

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

A

A period of time where there are permanent ice sheets.

We currently live in an ice age.

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2
Q

What is the Quantenary peirod?

A

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

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3
Q

What are the pleistocene and holocene epochs?

A

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)

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4
Q

What is a glacial and interglacial period?

A

Glacial period - a colder period in Earth’s history

Interglacial period - a warmer period in Earth’s history

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5
Q

How had the temperature changed over the Quantenary period?

A

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

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

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6
Q

How has the temperature changed since 1880?

A

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

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7
Q

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

A

800 000 years ago

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8
Q

What do lighter layers of snow show? Dark Snow?

A

Lighter layers show snow laid in summer

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

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9
Q

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

A

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

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10
Q

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

A

Lots of CO2 suggests warmer temperatures

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11
Q

How do we know if climate data is reliable?

A

By matching data to other sources

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12
Q

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

A

By using satellites

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13
Q

What is meant by sea ice maximum/minimum?

A

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

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14
Q

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

A

13.3% smaller every decade on average

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15
Q

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

A

New weather stations are being developed and added every year

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16
Q

What are the criticisms of global temperature data?

A

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)

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17
Q

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

A

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.

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18
Q

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

A
  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

19
Q

What is the greenhouse effect?

A

A natural process that warms the Earth’s surface.

20
Q

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

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

21
Q

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

A

Carbon Dioxide

22
Q

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

A

carbon dioxide: burning fossil fuels

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

nitrous oxide: car exhausts

23
Q

What are sun spots?

A

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

24
Q

What are sun spots caused by?

A

Magnetic storms

25
Q

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

A

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

26
Q

How long are sun spot cycles?

A

11 years

27
Q

How do volcanic eruptions affect the Earth’s temperature?

A

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.

28
Q

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

A
  • little ice age (1300-1870)
  • medieval warm period

Different climate change theories are linked to these such as sunspts or volcanic eruptions

29
Q

What are the three Milankovic cycles?

A
  • *Eccentricity:** orbit
  • *Obliquity:** tilt
  • *Precession:** (amount of) wobble
30
Q

“What are the three Milankovitch cycles effects on the Earth’s climate?”

A

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

31
Q

Does melting sea ice contribute to rising sea levels?

A

No

32
Q

What is thermal expansion?

A

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

33
Q

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

A

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

34
Q

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

A

Warmer sea temperatures fuel more intense tropical storms (hurricane)

Warmer air can hold more water vapour, so leads to heavier rainfall

35
Q

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

A

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

36
Q

Why is climate change considered a global issue?

A

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

37
Q

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

A

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 ( )
38
Q

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

A

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

39
Q

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

A

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
40
Q

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

A
  • *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
41
Q

You need 3 named places

List positive/negative economic impacts of climate change in the World

A

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

42
Q

You need 3 named places

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

A

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

43
Q

You need 2 named places

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

A

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.

44
Q

How do humans contribute to the atmosphere?

A
  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)

Geography (8 decks)

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