Climate change

Question 1

Radiative forcing

Answer 1

Expression of imbalance of earths energy system

Question 2

Global warming indicators

Answer 2

Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover, change in global average upper ocean heat content, Arctic summer sea ice extent, global average sea level change

Question 3

IPCC

Answer 3

Intergovernmental panel of climate change = highly scientific organisation of UN
founded 1988
1990 first report
2013 fifth report 
2021 Latest report (AR6)

Question 4

Climate scenarios (modelling) - RCP

Answer 4

Socio-economic future development and radiative forcing

4 main scenarios: RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0 & 8.5

Question 5

2021 radiative forcing

Answer 5

2.72 (higher than lowest scenario)

Question 6

SSPx

Answer 6

New way of referring to RCP

Means shared socio-economic pathway

Question 7

Little ice age

Answer 7

Changed only 1-2 (0.5 to - 0.5) degrees but massive difference in temperature in the world and north-western europe

Question 8

AR5 model in words

Answer 8

Changing precipitation will change hydrological system (medium confidence)

Many species have shifted geographical range (high confidence)

Negative impacts on crop yields are more common than positive ones (high confidence)

Human-ill health shows no clear relation to climate change (except heat and cold related mortality)

Question 9

AR5 extreme scenarios

Answer 9

Decrease in number of cold days and increase in number of hot days (high confidence)

Increase in storm surges since 1970 due to sea level rise (likely)

more land regions with heavy rainfall events (likely)

Increase of frequency and magnitude of fluvial floods (low confidence)

more droughts (low confidence due to missing data)

Question 10

KNMI climate scenario (Regional - NL)

Answer 10

From 2014.
Global temperature rise (G, low or high) & Change in air circulation patterns (W, low or high)
More dominant westerly winds in NL recent years.

Question 11

Regional climate change effects - coastal zones

Answer 11

Little or no change in storm surge frequency
Continuation of rising sea level
Increased salination of ground and surface water

Question 12

Regional climate change effects - Fresh water discharge

Answer 12

The river discharge will rise in winter (higher peak)
Increase in change of flooding
The fitness of rivers will decrease in warm summers

Question 13

Regional climate change effects - Water budget

Answer 13

Drought will lead to deficit, lower water quality and salinisation

Question 14

Regional climate change effects - General health

Answer 14

Higher deaths in summer due to increased temperatures but lower in winter
Reduced air quality in summers
longer growing season which means increase in number of ‘‘allergy days’’

Question 15

Regional climate change effects - Mobility

Answer 15

More traffic delays could be caused due to heavy showers, but less due to less snow and frost on roads

Question 16

Regional climate change effects - Nature

Answer 16

Larger drought risk for rain dependent nature such as moors
Increased risk for forest fires
Migration of animals

Question 17

Regional climate change effects - Agriculture

Answer 17

Increased yields due to higher temperature, longer growing season and higher CO2 concentration

Question 18

Regional climate change effects - energy

Answer 18

Less energy for heating, more for air conditioning

Question 19

Regional climate change effects - Recreation

Answer 19

Increase in number of recreation days in sun

increase algae growth

Question 20

Mitigation

Answer 20

To reduce the hazards of the change before they occur
- a type of intervention to reduce the causes of it happening
example of a mitigation measure: from coal to sun energy (energy transition)

Question 21

Adaption

Answer 21

Adjustment or coping with new environment

example of measures: Sponge city concept in China to deal with regional flooding

Question 22

Strategies for mitigation and adaption

Answer 22

Mitigation: using nuclear, wind and solar energy, reduce general consumption, storing co2
Adaption: higher dikes, flooding scenarios, developing wet natural areas as a buffer for flooding or living with the water

Question 23

Holoscene

Answer 23

Relatively warm, which meant sea level rose and changed vegetation
People are now involved into live on earth
11.700 until now

Question 24

Typical low lying Dutch landscape - Feat peat landscapes

+ peat extraction?

Answer 24

Contains: Canals, Usually Wind mills, no trees, very open
Western part of the Netherlands

Origin: Peat extraction
Peat is accumulations of non-decayed (non-rotten) plant material (usually forms where the old beach barrier was before sea level rose)
Peat grows when the groundwater level fills up. Peat is always higher than the sea.

Question 25

Netherlands above sea level

Answer 25

For 2500 years until just now - Netherlands used to be above sea level because of the peat covering the land

Question 26

Peat reclamation

Answer 26

People started colonises the land by the river.
They went into the swampy area and dug a hole to let the water drain into it
Ditches were dogged perpendicular (90 degrees) to the river stream and altitude different made the water flow

Question 27

Land subsidence and peat reclamation in the Netherlands

Answer 27

Lowering ground level leads to less peat growing and people had to move further and further away from original swamps
1000 years ago Netherlands was above sea level but due to peat extraction land subsidence occurred when draining and creating ditches allowing for the overall land to be lower due to additional sea level rise occurring (peat now allowed to grow with the ground water level anymore)