Chapter 12: Future Mountains

Question 1

Climate Change:

What is climate change?

Answer 1

Refers to ant significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. Includes changes in temp, precipitation, or wind patters, among other effects that occur over several decades or longer.

Question 2

Climate Change:
A doubling of atmospheric CO2 concentration from pre-industrial levels of 280 ppm to 560 ppm would be sufficient to cause…

Answer 2

Average global temps to increase between 1-2.5 degrees, and more over long-term.

Question 3

Climate Change:

What are current atmospheric concentrations of CO2?

Answer 3

Over 400 ppm.

Question 4

Climate Change:

What other things effect climate change?

Answer 4

Atmospheric dust and volcanic eruptions, the area of forests and grasslands, variation in solar radiation.

Question 5

Climate Change:

Warming leads to further feedback effects that either amplify or diminish the initial warming. Give examples.

Answer 5

E.g. Water: A warmer atmosphere generally contains more water vapour. Potent greenhouse gas, but short lifetime in atmosphere. Increases in step with warming, so is an amplifier, not a driver.
E.g. Clouds: warming and increases in water vapour may cause cloud cover to increase or decrease, which can amplify or diminish temperature change depending on the extent, altitude, and properties of clouds. Evidence suggest changes in clouds are likely to amplify.

Question 6

Climate Change:

The average temps, rainfall, and their extremes are also strongly affected by local patterns of ___.

Answer 6

Winds.

Question 7

Climate Change:

The ocean is a huge heat reservoir and tends to moderate climate change. What do recent observations show?

Answer 7

Warming of both surface and deep-ocean waters will contribute to amplification of climate change in coming decades.

Question 8

Climate Change:

The majority of greenhouse gases released by human activity over the past century come from…?

Answer 8

• Fossil fuels.
• However, other human activities such as deforestation, industrial processes, and some agricultural practices also emit gases into the atmosphere.

Question 9

Climate Change:
Human societies have adapted to the relatively stable climate we have enjoyed since the last Ice Age, which ended several thousand yrs ago. A warming climate will bring changes that can affect…?

Answer 9

Water supplies, agriculture, power and transportation systems, the natural environments, and even our own health and safety.

Question 10

Climate Change:

Scientific evidence for the warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Give examples.

Answer 10

E.g. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental panel in Climate Change (IPCC) is a leading international advisory body comprised of over 1800 leading scientists. Released their 5th assessment report in 2014.
E.g. Every major scientific agency representing every country in the world, that’s over 200 organizations, all agree that human made climate change is real and that its happening now.

Question 11

Climate Change:
“Elevation-dependent warming” can accelerate the rate of change in mtn ecosystems, cryosphere systems, hydrological regimes and biodiversity. What are some mechanisms that contribute to this?

Answer 11

Snow albedo and surfaces based feedbacks; water vapour changes and latent heat release; surface heat loss and temperature change, and aerosols.

Question 12

Climate Change:
The 21st UN climate change conference was held in Paris, France in Dec 2015, negotiated the Paris Agreement, a global agreement on the reduction of climate change (consensus of the representatives of 196 countries). Agreement calls for…?

Answer 12

1. zero net anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to be reached during the second half of the 21st century
2. Also pursue limit of temp increase to 1.5 degrees (zero emissions by 2015)

Question 13

Climate Change:

For the highest peaks in Australia, the predicted changes in climate include …?

Answer 13

A decrease in the duration of snowcover and an even more dramatic reduction in maximum snow depth from over 2 m to under 50 cm. In this scenario, a 2.9 degree increase is the equivalent of 377 m upward shift in snowline. Worst case scenario, in less than 50 yrs, conditions equivalent to the current treeline (1850 m in Snowy mtns) would be found a meter above the top of continental Australia’s highest peak (Mount Kosciusko).

Question 14

Glacial global recession:
Mike Demuth (Geological survey of Canada):

Answer 14

• “these really accelerated changes in their length and their thickness and their mass…” it’s “a pattern for mountain glaciers all around the world”.
• Peyto Glacier in Banff (dwindled from 12 km^2 on N Wapta icefield, to 7 km^2, lost 200 m of thickness, 1 km length)

Question 15

Glacial global recession:

Sometimes you hear glaciers are getting bigger. Explain.

Answer 15

Researchers in the Yukon (Dr. Martin Sharp, UofA) recently looked at change in glacier area from 1958 to 2008. Of the 1400 glaciers surveyed, 4 got bigger, 300 have disappeared completely, and almost all have gotten smaller.

Question 16

Indicators of change:

The history of ancient climate is embedded in the ice. Glaciers preserve climate history…?

Answer 16

• Much like tree rings
• one of the best repositories of info on past
• Chemistry in ice can show us past temps, and ice core scientists can measure past CO2 (in bubbles)
• Glaciologist Martin Sharp.

Question 17

Indicators of change:

What has been learned about the past 800,000 yrs?

Answer 17

Temperatures and CO2 vary together

CO2 has never exceeded 280 ppm until industrial revolution

Question 18

Indicators of change:

What are today’s values for CO2?

Answer 18

• Exceeded 400 ppm (40% higher than when CO2 was only varying for natural reasons).
• Unprecedented rate of change, 100-1000x greater than natural
• .8 degrees higher since mid 1850s

Question 19

Increasing hazards:

Rising global temps are accompanied by changes in weather and climate. Give examples.

Answer 19

E.g. Many places are seeing changes in rainfall, resulting in more floods, droughts, or intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves.

Question 20

Increasing hazards:

Dr. John Claque, Simon Fraser University, Professor and Geologist:

Answer 20

“it’s setting up some conditions that are quite hazardous. We’re seeing that lakes that have been dammed by glaciers or moraines are beginning to burst. The lakes are emptying out from their dams, and causing extreme downstream flooding. We are seeing more landslides in mtns because as it warms up, the permafrost that exists in the rock slopes is thawing and we’re getting collapses of mtns.”

Question 21

Increasing hazards:

What has the increase in frequency and severity of non-seismic catastrophic events in mtns done?

Answer 21

• The rising probability of catastrophic events is forcing insurance companies to adjust their financial models as they take on more risk
• exacerbate the poverty in many of the world’s mtn areas.

Question 22

Predictions:

Alpine plants are potentially sensitive to climate change, especially …?

Answer 22

Increased summer temps.

Question 23

Predictions:
Studying the response requires reliable historical records and repeated observations over time (these types of studies have mostly been conducted on European Alps and in Scandinavia). Give an example.

Answer 23

E.g. In 2001, GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) established an international long-term monitoring program and sight based network for monitoring high altitude vegetation and its biological diversity. 120 sites around world. On all mtns surveyed, nearly 70% of the species showed a detectible change in their upper altitude range limits

Question 24

Predictions:

What is a general pattern that studies have observed?

Answer 24

a. species richness on mtns has increased
b. species are moving upslope (e.g. grasses, dwarf shrubs, and low shrubs)
- Mtns that have experienced the largest increase in summer precipitation have the lowest proportion of species moving upwards. Many species ass. With long-lasting snow in spring are ascending.

Question 25

Rates of change:

Rates of change can be dramatic. Give an example.

Answer 25

E.g. SW Yukon, measured rates of increased shrub cover are about 5% per decade.

Question 26

Rates of change:

What effects the rate of change?

Answer 26

Many factors affect the rate of change, inc. nitrogen deposition, land use, introduced invasive species, ski development, and over-exploitation leading to erosion and landscape degradation

Question 27

Rates of change:
Determining how rapidly mtn environments are changing and why is challenging. One approach has been pioneered by Dr. Eric Higgs at the University of Victoria. What is it?

Answer 27

Involves the systematic analysis of mountain landscapes by comparing historical and contemporary photographs.
E.g. The Mountain Legacy Project (mtns regions of W Canada)

Question 28

Fire:

Dave Smith, Fire and Vegetation specialist, Parks Canada:

Answer 28

-Prescribed burning

Question 29

Reintroduction of Bison into BNP:

Plains bison have been absent from BNP since before its creation in ___.

Answer 29

1885.

Question 30

Reintroduction of Bison into BNP:

Karsten Heuer, Bison reintroduction project manager, Parks Canada:

Answer 30

Last in 1870s, Banff. Vermillion lakes, bow valley, near town of Banff, most archeological finds. Panther river valley. Stony nakota and sidka First Nations.

Question 31

What are unpredictable mtn events?

Answer 31

Seismic related activities, like earthquakes and volcanoes.

Question 32

Dr. Martyn Unsworth (Ualberta, Geophysics professor) on Super Volcanoes:

Answer 32

• Researchers have found that Yellowstone national park supervolcano is 2.5x larger than thought and could erupt with 2000x force of Mt St. Helens
• The last documented super volcano eruption was 74,000 yrs ago at Lake Toba in Indonesia
• erupts more than 1000 cubic km of rock, 3 x eruptions in last 2 million yrs, spaced by 600,000 yrs

Question 33

There are many organizations around the world focused on increasing public and private sector attention, commitment, engagement, and investments in, ex, sustainable mtn development. What is the umbrella organization for these efforts?

Answer 33

The Mtn Partnership, a UN voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to improving the lives of mtn ppl and protecting mtn environments around the world

• Founded in 2002
• More than 250 governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGO, civil society, private government organizations, and subnational authorities are members.

Question 34

When is international mtn day?

Answer 34

Dec 11.

Question 35

Lawren Harris:

Answer 35

-Artist, member of group of 7 from 1920s (The Idea of North; Harris exhibition, Art gallery of Ontario and Toronto and Hammer museum in LA)

Question 36

Pat Thomsen, Executive Director, Pacific & Mountain National Parks, Parks Canada:

Answer 36

red chairs (100), Takakkaw Falls, Yoho

Question 37

Trudeu, mtn named for father, in …?

Answer 37

Premier range of Caribou mtns, near Valemont, BC