Climate change * Flashcards
What is global warming?
a recent (since 1950) dramatic increase in global temperatures
Ongoing temperature recordings have shown a clear warming of the Earth’s temperature
Fill the gaps :
By using this data, scientists have found that the Earth’s average _____ ___ __________ has increased by around _°C since the year 1900.
By using this data, scientists have found that the Earth’s average surface air temperature has increased by around 1°C since the year 1900.
What is glacier retreat?
the worlds glaciers have been melting, which has caused them to retreat
the increase in global temperatures is causing glaciers to disappear and is increasing the melting of sea ice in the Arctic
What are ice cores?
scientists use ice cores to detect changes in temperatures
when snow falls it traps air in the ice, and samples of the ice reveals the atmospheric gas concentrations at the time the snow fell
this is used to calculate the temperature at that time
What is seasonal shift?
in recent years spring has arrived earlier and winters tend to be less severe
Rising sea levels
Fill the gaps :
Between 1900 and 2018, average global sea level rose by _.__ m
Between 1900 and 2018, average global sea level rose by 0.21 m
What is the greenhouse effect?
a natural function of the earth’s atmosphere that traps some of the heat that is lost from the earth
What causes climate change?
the atmosphere allows heat from the sun to pass through to heat the Earths’s surface
the Earth’s surface then gives off heat
the heat is trapped by greenhouse gasses (eg. methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides), which radiate the heat back to Earth
this process heats up the Earth
List 4 human factors increasing global warming
burning fossil fuels (eg. coal, gas, oil) - these release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
deforestation - trees that are cut down release their absorbed CO2 into the atmosphere
dumping waste in landfill - when waste decomposes it produces methane
agriculture - agricultural practices lead to the release of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere
List 2 natural factors increasing global warming
volcanic activity - during volcanic eruption carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere
solar output - there can be fluctuations in the amount of radiation from the sun which can increase the Earth’s temperature
List 4 impacts of climate change in the UK
sea levels could rise, covering low lying areas
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. ski resorts closed due to lack of snow
List 4 impacts of climate change around the world
sea level rise will affect 80 million people
tropical storms will increase in strength
species in affected areas (eg. Arctic) may become extinct
diseases such as malaria increase
What does mitigation mean?
to reduce or prevent the effects of something from happening
List 3 mitigation strategies
planting trees - more trees to absorb CO2 in the atmosphere during photosynthesis
carbon capture - removes carbon dioxide from waste gases from power stations and storing it in old oil or gas fields or coal mines underground
alternative energy - alternative energy sources such as solar, wind or tidal power reduce the use of fossil fuels, so reduce the amount of CO2 emissions
What are adaptation strategies?
don’t aim to reduce or stop global warming
they aim to respond to climate change by limiting its negative effects
