Climate CHange Flashcards
EVidence for climate change
Ice and sediemt cores:
Scientists drill into ice sheets to get long cores of ice. BY analysing gases trapped in layers of ice, they can telll what temperature was each year
One ice core from ANtratica shows temperature changes over the last 400,000 years REmains of organisms found in cores taken from ocean sediments can be analysed, extending temperature record back at 5 million years
Tree rings:
As tree grows, it forms a new ring each year, the tree rings ar thicker in warm wet conditions Scidentise take cores and count rhe rings to find the age of a tree. Tree rings are reliable spource of evidence for the past 10,000 years
Temperature records: SInce 1850 gloabl temperates have been measured accuarately using thermometers, this is reliable but short term. Newspaper weather reports can extend record of climate change further back
Causes of climate change
Orbital change- More energy means more wearming
an elleptical orbit can cause the earth to be colder since its gettign less heat from sun and oppsite for circular orbit ]
Volcanic activity: Volcanic eruptions eject large quantities of material into atmosphere abd some of these particles reflect sun rays back out to space so earh surface cools e.g. the earth cooled by about 0.5 degrees after mount pinatubo erupted in 1991
Solar output: THe sun’s energy output changes about every 11 years. Reduced solar outout means earth climate become cooler. SOlar output isnt thought to have a majot effect on global climate changre
HUman activites that cause climate change
Burning fossil fuels: CO2 us releasewd in atmosphere when fossil fuels like coal oil are burnt e.g. in thermsl power stattions or cars
Farming: farming livestock produces a lot of methane
Deforestation: When trees are cut down they stop taking in CO2 meaning it is released into the atmosphere
HOw does climate change affect envirnoment
SOme habitats are being damaged or destroyed, e.g. sea ice is chrinking, meaning polar habitats are destroyed
Other species are declining due to warming e.g. coral reefs, like the Great \barrier Reef in AUstralia are siufferning from bleaching
HOw does climate change affect people
Deahs due to heat have increased
low lying areas van becom uninhabitable .eg. the maldives being lost to sea or flood
MItigating strategies to reduce climate change
CArbon capture- CCS is designed to reduce emissions from p[ower station burning fossil fuels, it is transported to safe places e.g. undergound
PLanting trees- this abosbors the CO2 that is released into the air through photosynthesis
Alternative energy production- Replacing fossil fuels swith renewable energy can reduce greenhouse gases being released
INternational agreements: THe paris agreement aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. IT came into force in 4th november 2016.
Adaptation strategies for climate change
CHaning agricultral systems- Necessary to plant new crop types that are more suites to the new climate conditons in an are e.g. coys may be grown in southern england
Managing water supply- Water meter scan be installed in homs to discourage excessive water use
RAinwater can be collected and recycled
COping with rising sea leveks: PHsyical defences such as flood defences can be built
IN areas that cant afford flood defences they can build house on embankemtns
