Climate Change Flashcards
What can be used to describe the weather?
temperature Atmospheric pressure presence of fog, mist, or cloud cover wind speed and direction type+amount of precipitation relative humidity
What is the part of the climate system which is made up of solid rock, soil, and minerals of Earth’s crust?
The lithosphere
What is the climate system?
The complex set of components that interact with each other to produce Earth’s climate
Name three of the many components included in the description of the weather.
Temperature, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity
Name two of the many forest impacts of climate change.
Forest fires, drought, higher temperatures, forest pests spreading
What are the five greenhouse gases?
water vapour (H20), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), ozone (O3), nitrous oxide (N20)
List one greenhouse gas and how it can be produced:
CO2- Can be produced when burning palm oil trees for palm oil plantations.
Methane - Cows produce methane when they burp while consuming their food.
What is a factor that affects climate?
- The distance from the equator that a place is.
- If there are large bodies of water nearby.
- Land formations such as mountains.
Define “lithosphere”:
The part of the Earth’s climate system concerning the Earth’s rock crust and land surfaces.
List the five main climate zones:
Tropical, Dry, Moderate, Continental and Polar.
Differentiate between weather and climate:
- Weather is how the atmosphere behaves in a location
within a short period of time. - Climate is the typical pattern of weather in a location
over a long time period.
How much energy from the sun is reflected back into outer space
30%
List 3 greenhouse gases
methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor to name some
What does anthropogenic mean
Anthropogenic is anything that is the product of human activity
Name all the climate zones
Polar Dry Moderate Tropical Continental
what is a form of weather
rain, snow, wind
what type of energy does the world use the most
fossil fuels
What is a renewable source of energy
wind, solar, hydropower
what is an effect of climate change
the glaciers are melting in the arctic
earth is becoming warmer
The weather is becoming irregular
what is the most commmon greenhouse gas
Carbon Dioxide Co2
What are the five climate zones?
- Tropical
- Dry
- Moderate
- Continental
- Polar
Define ecoregion.
New climate zones that focus on the ecology of the region.
Describe one clean energy source that can help mitigate climate change.
Wind energy: Wind causes the blades of wind turbines to turn, powering generators that produce electricity
Hydroelectricity: The energy of moving water turns turbines to power generators that produce electricity
Solar power: Solar panels absorb radiation from the Sun and convert it into electricity
Describe a global impact of climate change.
Rising sea level: glaciers and ice sheets melt, and the oceans warm up and expand, causing sea levels of oceans to rise (can cause floods)
Impacts on agriculture: Dry regions may get even less rainfall because of climate change, which can result in crops being less productive, and millions of people could experience famine
What are the five factors that affect the climate?
- Latitude
- Presence of large bodies of water
- Presence of ocean or air currents
- Land formations
- Altitude
What is an example of evidence that proves climate change is real?
- Rising temperatures
- Melting glaciers, ice sheets and sea ice
- Rising sea level
- Changes in ecosystems
Changes in severe weather.
How much of Earth’s water is frozen?
2%
What are greenhouse gases?
Gases that absorb lower-energy infrared radiation and trap heat within the atmosphere.
What is an example of a clean energy source?
- Wind power
- Geothermal energy
- Solar power
- Hydroelectricity
- Biofuels
What is the continental drift?
A theory that states that Earth’s continents used to be one supercontinent called “Pangea”
Define Weather
The atmospheric conditions in a particular location over a short period of time. Interactions between water and air, and the Sun’s energy, contribute to weather.
Define what thermal energy is?
Thermal energy is the energy present in the motion of particles at a particular temperature.
What are the different sources of renewable (clean) energy?
- Wind Power
- Geothermal Energy
- Solar Power
- Hydroelectricity
- Nuclear Power
- Biofuels
List the 5 main climate zones
- Tropical
- Moderate
- Polar
- Dry
- Continental
What are 3 of the gases found in the troposphere?
- Nitrogen gas
- Oxygen gas
- Argon
- Carbon dioxide
- Helium
- Hydrogen
- Ozone
what is weather?
the atmospheric conditions in a particular location over a short period of time . interactions between water and air, and the sun’s energy, contribute weather
what are the 5 layers of the atmosphere?
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
thermosphere
exosphere
what are 2 GHGs found in earths atmosphere?
water vapor
carbon dioxide
methane
tropospheric ozone
nitrous oxide
what are 3 negative impacts of climate change?
economic loss
unstable climate
extinction of species
loss of forests
bad human health
rising sea levels
what is hydroelectricity?
the Energy created when moving water spins turbines to make usable electricity
What is the land and water composition of the Earth’s surface?
70% water, 30% land
What is the atmosphere?
A layer of gases surrounding Earth.
Name two of the water impacts of climate change.
- Change in precipitation patterns
- Glacier melts
- Lake and rivers drying up
Name two regional problems due to melting sea ice and changing habitats in the Arctic.
- Less ice means it will be harder for polar bears to find food
- Harder for people to hunt for food
- Communities protected by ice will be vulnerable to autumn storms from the ocean
- Make it more dangerous to cross the ice
- Sinkholes are created and foundations of buildings are shifted by melting permafrost
Summarize one point of the impacts of climate change on Human/Plant/Animal health
- pests and disease will become widespread
- plant diseases and pests will become widespread
What is the IPCC?
The IPCC is an intergovernmental panel on climate change. They summarize and evaluate the risks of human-caused climate change.
What is the ice age?
The ice age was a time when the Earth was colder and a lot of the planet was covered in ice.
What causes changes in climate?
A change in climate is caused by changes in Earth’s energy balance. The earth’s climate will change if something causes the earth’s surface and atmosphere to absorb the sun’s energy in a different way or a different amount of energy is received from the sun. This causes the climate to change.
What are some actions you could take to reduce climate change within transportation?
- Use fuels that produce fewer or no greenhouse gases.
- Use hybrid or electric vehicles (such as a tesla)
- Drive less, instead carpool, travel by train, public transit, cycling, and walking.
What is some evidence that shows that climate is changing over time?
- Rising temperatures
- Melting glaciers, ice sheets and sea ice
- Rising sea level
- Changes in severe weather
- Changes in precipitation patterns
List a component of the Earth’s climate system.
- atmosphere
- hydrosphere
- lithosphere
- biosphere
Define the greenhouse effect.
A natural process whereby gases and clouds absorb infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface and radiate it, heating the atmosphere and Earth’s surface.
List an example of a clean energy source.
- wind power
- geothermal energy
- solar power
- hydroelectricity
- biofuels
- nuclear power
What is the time period called when the Earth is colder and much of the planet is covered in ice?
An ice age.
What is an interglacial period?
A time between ice ages when Earth warms up.
What is the role of the atmosphere?
It acts as an insulating blanket, refracts and traps the sun’s energy.
What is the definition of climate?
The usual pattern of weather in a region over a long period of time.
List the evidence for climate change.
- Rising temperatures
- Melting glaciers, ice sheets and sea ice
- Rising sea level
- Changes in severe weather
- Changes in precipitation patterns
- Changes in ecosystem
List five factors that affect climate.
- Land formation
- Distance from the equator
- Presence of ocean or air currents
- Height above sea level
- Presence of large bodies of water
What are the five main climate zones?
- Tropical
- Dry
- Moderate
- Polar
- Continental
How do ocean curents affect Earth’s climate?
Ocean curents act as a conveyor belt, they transport warm and cold water around the earth to regulate climate.
Define mitigation
Reducing an unwanted change by deliberate decisions and actions
Why can’t we convert fully to clean energy?
We can’t fully convert to clean energy because not everyone has the resources to swich to cleaner alternatives. For hydro electricity, you must live near a big body of moving water to generate it. There can not be wind turbines in cities and solar panels are very expensive.
Name a long and short term change in climate and how the change affects the climate.
Long: Movement in Earth’s crust:
When the Earth’s crust moves or changes, it affects how the Earth absorbes energy from the sun which would affect climate.
Short: Volcanic eruptions:
Volcanic eruptions cause sulfer-dioxide to be egected into the atmosphere. Sulfer-dioxide reflects the sun’s rays causing Earth to cool down.
There are other answers,
Cyclic changes, changes in the circulation of Ocean curents, ect.
What are the 5 main climate zones?
Tropical, Dry, Polar, Continental, Moderate
What are the 3 Methods in which energy can be transferred from one place to another?
Conduction, Convection, Radiation.
What are some signs that climate change is real?
Rising temperatures, melting glaciers, rising sea level, changes in severe weather, changes in ecosystems, changes in precipitation patterns.
how can climate change affect human health?
As tropical weather spreads to higher latitudes, tropical diseases could come with them, air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels could lead to higher rates of asthma and heart disease.
Which component of Earth consists of living things?
Biosphere
What makes clean energy better than non-renewable energy?
Clean energy has much less effects on the environment than non renewable energy. Non renewable energy requires unsustainable practices and methods used to extract the materials used. Clean energy uses natural occurring movement and actions to produce energy. Most importantly they don’t release massive amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
List and describe the 4 components of earth’s climate system
Atmosphere: Made of layers of gases surrounding the earth
Hydrosphere: Includes water in oceans and lakes, water vapor in the earth’s atmosphere, ice in glaciers and poles
Lithosphere: earth’s rock crust, including land surfaces
Living things: everything that’s living on earth
List 2 practices/actions that contribute to methane emissions.
Agricultural Activities: Rice farming, and Cattle farming
Decay of Organic materials: Landfills, sewage treatment plants
Coal mining
Natural gas extraction
Why is the north and south pole colder than the equator?
The sun’s energy hits the equator directly, however it hits the north and south poles on an angle and spreads over a large surface area.
Why is rising sea levels an issue?
Coastal areas that are mostly unelevated will have increased risk of flooding, and some will end up below sea levels: such as Florida .
Explain climate projection
A climate projection is a scientific forecast for future climate based on observations and computer models.
Approximately 70% of earth’s surface is…
water
Not everyone has the choice to make drastic lifestyle changes to reduce their emissions. Name 2 subtle lifestyle changes that generally most can do.
walk or bike (when applicable)
Switch off lights and unplug personal appliances when not in use
Conserve water (ex. turn off water when brushing teeth)
open-ended question, might have different answers
Name and explain 2 of the ways that climate change in the Arctic will impact the world.
Sea levels: More water flows into oceans when ice melts, causing the sea level to rise.
Permafrost: Permafrost contains stored carbon dioxide and methane (more than what is in the atmosphere today). If it melts, these gases are released, enhancing the greenhouse effect.
Biodiversity: Some migratory species have breeding grounds in the Arctic. If the ecosystem changes, it will affect species all around the world.
open-ended question, might have different answers
The seasons are due to Earth’s ____ and _____.
Revolution and tilt
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather defines the temperature and conditions in a short period of time. Climate is the average of weather over a long period of time
What are some words to describe the weather?
Temperature: hot, cold
Humidity
Precipitation: rain, snow
Cloudy
The earth is made up of __% water
70
What are the 5 climate zones?
Moderate, Dry, Tropical, Continental, Polar
What are some reasons that climate change is proved to be real?
- rising sea levels
- melting glaciers
- rising temperatures
- changes in ecosystems
What are the main threats of climate change?
Throughout the years climate change has caused increased heat, drought, and insect outbreaks. There has been an increase in wildfires, water supplies have been declining, agricultural land has been reduced. Health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding, and erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns.
Why is climate change a problem?
Climate change is a problem as it causes rising temperatures. This is a problem as we have been experiencing more intense heat waves. air quality is also something that is affected by climate change. Pollution from burning fossil fuels is bad enough for the environment among wildfires the air quality can be exposed deep into your lungs.
Which country has the most climate change?
Japan
Is it true or false that wasting less food is a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
True
Which of the following activities contributes the most to carbon emissions globally?
Energy supply
What is the percentage of land and water composition of the Earth’s surface?
Approximately 30% of Earth’s is land and approximately 70% of Earth’s is water.
Exosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere are..
The five layers of the atmosphere.
What is the evidence that indicates the climate is changing?
Rising sea levels- glaciers are melting, Arctic sea ice is decreasing
Higher temperature- Earth’s lower atmosphere is increasing
More droughts are occurring-wilder weather
Ways to prevent climate change?
Save energy- turn of unused technology
Lessen the use of fuel- walk or bike when you can
Reduce waste- use reusable items, be recyclable
Define the word weather?
The atmospheric conditions in a particular location over a short period of time. Interactions between water and air, and the Sun’s energy, contribute to weather.
