✅🟢Climate Change

Question 1

Evidence for climate change from the beginning of the Quaternary period to the present day

Answer 1

Glacier retreats 
Thermometer readings
Early spring 
Ice cores 
Rising sea level

Question 2

Thermometer readings explained

Answer 2

Earths average global air temp increased from 1900s by 1°C. Artic is warming rapidly compared to variations in weather patterns in the past.

Question 3

Glacier retreat explained

Answer 3

Over the past 50/100years photographic evidence shows glaciers are melting causing them to retreat.

Rising temperatures causes glaciers to discover and melting of sea ice.

Question 4

Ice cores explained

Answer 4

Ice cores detect changes in temperature. When snow falls it traps air into the ice. When scientists take a core of ice it reveals the atmospheric gas concentrations at the time the snow fell.

Overall rapid increase in air temperature on the past decades.

Question 5

Early spring explained

Answer 5

Seasonal shift - spring arrives earlier and winter is less severe

Seasonal shifts affect nesting and migration patterns of wildlife.

Question 6

Rising sea levels explained

Answer 6

Between 1900 and 2018, average sea level rose by 0.21 m

Question 7

Name some human factors causing global warming

Answer 7

Burning fossil fuels
Deforestation
Dumping waste in landfill
Agriculture

Question 8

Name some natural factors causing global warming

Answer 8

Orbital changes
Volcanic activity
Solar output

Question 9

What’s the greenhouse effect?

Answer 9

The atmosphere allows the heat from the Sun (short-wave radiation) to pass through to heat the Earth’s surface.

The Earth’s surface then gives off heat (long-wave radiation).

This heat is trapped by greenhouse gases (eg methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide), which radiate the heat back towards Earth.

This process heats up the Earth.

Question 10

What’s burning fossil fuels?

Answer 10

coal, gas and oil - these release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Question 11

What’s deforestation?

Answer 11

trees absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. If they are cut down, there will be higher amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Question 12

What’s dumping waste in landfill?

Answer 12

when the waste decomposes it produces methane.

Question 13

What’s agriculture?

Answer 13

agricultural practices lead to the release of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

Question 14

What are orbital changes?

Answer 14

the Earth has natural warming and cooling periods caused by Milankovitch cycles or variations in the tilt and/or orbit of the Earth around the Sun (Wobble, roll and stretch theory).

Question 15

What’s volcanic activity?

Answer 15

during a volcanic eruption carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.

Question 16

What’s solar output?

Answer 16

there can be fluctuations in the amount of radiation from the sun. If there is high amount emitted there will be an increase in Earth’s temperatures.

Question 17

Effects of climate change in the UK

Answer 17

sea levels could rise, covering low lying areas, in particular east England

droughts and floods become more likely as extreme weather increases

increased demand for water in hotter summers puts pressure on water supplies

industry may be impacted, eg Scottish ski resorts may have to close due to lack of snow

Question 18

Impacts of climate change around the world

Answer 18

sea level rise will affect 80 million people

tropical storms will increase in magnitude (strength)

species in affected areas (eg Arctic) may become extinct

diseases such as malaria increase and migrate up north, an additional 280 million people may be affected

Question 19

Mitigation meaning

Answer 19

People reduce the causes of a hazard to their life

Question 20

Adaptation meaning

Answer 20

People respond to a change to limit its impacts or to take advantage of the change

Question 21

Adaptation - Reducing risk from rising sea level

Answer 21

Construction of 3m walls around low lying areas eg. Maldives. This prevents costal flooding and prevents crop loss. Helps with storm surges

Housing raised on stilts - prevents them being affected by floods / high tides.

Restoring costal mangrove forests, their tangled roots trap sediment / offer protection from storm surges

Question 22

Adaptation - Managing water supply

Answer 22

quality / quantity of water declining.

India - Water conservation and recycling used. Also use fake glaciers and use canals to transport clean water to more vulnerable population.

Question 23

Adaptation - Changes to agriculture

Answer 23

Food security is low and there’s unreliable water sources (not clean) + illnesses and pests.

Gambia - Shade trees are brought to protect soil making sure it stays fertile. Also people have adapted to crop patterns to reduce crop loss and increase income.

Question 24

Mitigation - carbon capture

Answer 24

excess CO2 in atmosphere causing global warming to occur faster.

Canada - Carbon can be caught and stored. It’s then liquified and put into rocks.

Question 25

Mitigation - planting trees

Answer 25

Canada - trees photosynthesise and absorb carbon dioxide they also release oxygen making more clouds which absorbs the sunlight therefore keeping the atmosphere cool

Question 26

Mitigation - alternate energy production

Answer 26

renewable energy can be used or nuclear energy can be used as no carbon dioxide is let off during energy production process

UK - 30% of its energy is wind power meaning it’s renewable energy. This works as it’s clean and green energy reducing the carbon dioxide emissions.

Question 27

Mitigation - international agreements

Answer 27

Global issue - hard to manage

2015 Paris agreement / 2005 Kyoto (Japan)

Paris - keep CO2 levels low and each country reaches its goal for renewable energy - proven to work well as each country follows their own rules. It also helps LIC’s with their renewable energy development.