Climate Change

Question 1

What is it meant by the GCSE command word ‘assess’?

Answer 1

Rank in order of importance/significance.

Question 2

What is the name given for cooling period in Earth’s history?

Answer 2

Glacial period.

Question 3

What is it meant by the term ‘inter-glacial’?

Answer 3

Period of global warming.

Question 4

True or False? There is a correlation (link) between CO2 atmospheric concentrations & global temperatures.

Answer 4

True.

Question 5

Identify x4 pieces of evidence for the past climate change.

Answer 5

• Glacial retreat
• Ice core analysis
• Tree ring analysis
• Sea level rise

Question 6

Explain how scientists use tree rings to tell us about past climates.

Answer 6

Scientists study the thickness of the rings in order to tell us what the climate was like - the thicker the ring, the warmer and wetter the climate is.

Question 7

Explain how scientists use ice cores to tell us about past climate.

Answer 7

Scientists use advanced technology to analyse the gases trapped in the ice core layers - the more carbon dioxide present, the warmer the climate was.

Question 8

Which piece of evidence for the past climate change is most reliable?

Answer 8

Ice core analysis - due to the technology they use to analyse the ice cores.

Question 9

Give x3 examples of fossil fuels.

Answer 9

Coal, oil &natural gases.

Question 10

What are greenhouse gases?

Answer 10

Potentially harmful gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere - carbon dioxide & methane.

Question 11

What is the ‘enhanced greenhouse effect’?

Answer 11

Human activities increasing the amount of greenhouse gases being released in the atmosphere - this is trapping extra heat, causes the Earth’s atmosphere to rise.

Question 12

Identify x3 human activities that are enhancing the greenhouse effect.

Answer 12

Choose three of the following:
- Deforestation
- Transport
- Industry
- Energy
- Agriculture
- Landfill

Question 13

True or False? Developing (poor) countries have the highest greenhouse gas emissions.

Answer 13

False.

Question 14

What are the x4 natural causes of climate changes?

Answer 14

• Orbital theory
• Volcanic activity
• Solar activity
• Asteroid collision

Question 15

Explain how volcanic activity has impacted upon the Earth’s climate in the past.

Answer 15

Super volcano eruptions cause huge amounts of ash and volcanic material to enter the Earth’s atmosphere - it creates a huge blanket which blocks out the Sun, causing the Earth’s temperature to drop.

Question 16

True of False? An asteroid impact would cause global temperatures to drop significantly.

Answer 16

True.

Question 17

What x2 factors are causing global sea levels to rise?

Answer 17

• Melting ice caps and glaciers
• Thermal expansion

Question 18

Identify x3 global impacts of climate change (other than rising sea levels).

Answer 18

Choose x3 of the following:
- Ocean acidification
- Forest fires
- More extreme weather events e.g. tropical cyclones
- Food and water shortages
- Flooding

Question 19

What is the most significant global impact of climate change and why?

Answer 19

(This is your own opinion, there is no right or wrong answer - choose one of the impacts you listed for Q18 and explain why its s significant)

Question 20

Why the Maldives are under threat from climate change (think of at least x2 reasons).

Answer 20

They are incredibly low lying, mos of the islands are less than 1m above sea level, has the lowest high point in the world (8ft above sea level), 21% f the population live below the poverty line.

Question 21

Identify x3 potential impacts of climate change on the Maldives.

Answer 21

Choose x3 of the following:
- Risk of storm surges and flooding - Damage to the country’s tourist industry
- Damage to the country’s fishing industry
- Damage to the country’s coral reefs
-Putting people’s homes and livelihoods at risk

Question 22

What is meant by the term ‘mitigtion’?

Answer 22

It is a way of managing climate change preventing or at least slowing down the impacts.

Question 23

What can individuals do to mitigate climate change (think of at least x3 options?

Answer 23

Choose x3 of the following (some of your own):
- Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth
- Recycle
- Turn of the lights
- Eat less meat
- Walk to school
- Plant a tree in the garden
- Reuse plastic bags etc

Question 24

What can be done on a global scale to mitigate climate change (think of at least x3 option)?

Answer 24

Choose x3 of the following:
- Afforestation
- Signing international agreements
- Using alternative energy sources
- Carbon capture and storage

Question 25

What are the advantage and disadvantages of afforestation?

Answer 25

Advantages:
- Reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
- Cheap
- Produces a habitat for animals

Disadvantages:
- Takes a long time for trees to grow and be able to store carbon
- Takes up a lot of space

Question 26

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using alternative energy sources?

Answer 26

Advantages:
- They do not produce any greenhouse gas emissions
- Onshore wind farms and solar panels on houses don’t take up a lot of space

Disadvantages:
- Not everyone can afford them
- They’re not entirely emission free as some still produce carbon dioxide when they’re produced/constructed.