climate change

Question 1

define weather

Answer 1

is the short term condition of the atmosphere at a given place and time. Its is measured by looking at changes in daily temp, precipitation, wind speed and cloud cover

Question 2

define climate and climate change

Answer 2

climate is measured from long term precipitation and temp data and is often expressed as monthly or seasonal avg.

Climate change- however is long term shift in an areas climatic condition. Changes over many years do provide evidence of a climate change.

Question 3

Describe the spatial distribution of the worlds rain fall.

Answer 3

• The highest concentration low altitudes near equator as the strong heating by the sun a large uplift of moist air forming equatorial resulting in frequent thunderstorms and prolonged showers
  
  • Areas 23.5 to 55 degrees north and south of the equator exhibit moderate to high levels of rainfall
  • Costal areas usually experienceing more rainfall due to being near the ocean where a large amount of water can be evaporated

Question 4

Describe the spatial distribution of the worlds temperature patterns

Answer 4

• Not often on the equtor are where the highest temps are due to thunderstorms and coloud cover
  
  • Theyre in zones of high pressures like the subtropical regions from lattitudes 25 to 40 degrees where there s virtually no cloud cover therfore less insilation allowing the suns warmth in.

Question 5

with reference to the gloabal heat budget
Describe how incoming solar radiation is reflected absorbed and transferred throughout the earths system (coming in)

Answer 5

Getting in
Approx 30 % of solar energy that arrives at the top of the atmospher is imediately reflected back.
6% atmosphere
20% clouds
4% surface such as ice and snow.

19% is absorbed by the atmospher and air such as water vapour and ozone
51% is absorbed by land and ocean.

Question 6

what is the global heat budget

Answer 6

The global heat budget describes the balance between incoming solar (short-wave) radiation and outgoing terrestrial (long-wave) radiation.

Question 7

describe the hydrological cycle with a diagram

Answer 7

As the insolation hits the rivers lakes and ocean it warms causing the water to evaporate. When water evaporates it leaves salts and minerals behind so only freshwater makes its way into the atmosphere

Condensation then occurs which refers to the processes of water changing its physical state from gas to liquid. As the water vapor cools it changes into water droplets. Dependent on weather conditions water droplets will then combine with dust and smoke to create clouds. Then precipitation will eventually occur.

Precipitation occurs when rain, snow, or hail falls from the sky. When enough water has condensed and the atmosphere cannot support its weight gravty makes the water falls from the clouds to earth. The state the water is in is dependent on the temperature.

Once this water falls to the earth some infiltrates i(infiltration) nto the ground. where it can be collected underground into aquifers. This is known as groundwater. This ground water then seeps into lakes and rivers. Runoff occures when the water does not seep into the ground nut flows across the land eventually being collected in rivers lakes or dams. When snow on the mountain tops melts due to temp change this can be called Snow melt runoff or the water will be collected underground in the aquifers. Sublimation can also occur which is the evaporation of snow or ice strught from its solid to its gas form.

Transpiration- the process of plant roots absorbing water in the ground. And the process of the water being eveporated from plats into the atmosphere is evapotranspiration.

Question 8

provide an example hoe change in climate is enhancing the hydrological cycle processes

Answer 8

For examaple 2022 warmer ocean temperatures off of east coast of aus led to flooding in brisbane QLD and northern NSW. recieving 792.8 mm of rain in 3 days. As an increase in temperature means increase in evaporation therefore causing more precipitation

Question 9

describe atmospheric circulation in terms of pressure and winds. draw a diagram to represent this information

Answer 9

varying temp conditions create differening pressure conditions for example warmer temps cause air to rise therfore having lower pressure. colder temps causes air to condract and therfore become more dense therefore having a higher pressure. (poles having higher pressure and equator having a lower pressure) surface winds move from areas of high pressure to low pressure

Question 10

draw the carbon cycle

Answer 10

search up ur answers

Question 11

describe the world pressure belts and draw a diagram to assist your understanding

Answer 11

the poles are colder therefore the air is more dense with a high pressure systhem the winds then move this air higher up to warm up (low pressure) then leading it to then cool and then this cycle repeating.

Question 12

what are 2 natural cause to climate change

Answer 12

solar variation- sunspots
volcanic eruptions

Question 13

describe how solar variation is a natural causes of climate change

Answer 13

Solar variation - SUNSPOTS
- 1360 watts per m2 of solar energy reaches the top of the earths atmospher. This occurs thorugh an 11 year cycle of activity these fluctuations cause a 0.1 degree increase in the earths climate.
- sun spots are huge magnetic storms on the suns surface that cause its magnetic feild to break generating solar storms and thus greter expulsion of radiation from the suns surface. the extra energy is released as coronal mass ejections and solar flares. and if directed towards earth can effect the amount of insolation reaching earth. the earth

Question 14

describe how volcanoes are a natural cause of climate change

Answer 14

• Large explosive eruptions can send gas and ash high up into the atmosphere where they’re dispersed by winds across the globe.
  
  • The particles reflect sunlight away from the earth so the climate cools for months or years.

for example - Large volcano in indonesia its eruption in 1815 releasing 150km cubes of ash and gas into the atmosphere
.
- The ash coloumn reached 44km high into the stratosphere. High level winds quickly spred fine particles round the world blocking the sun.
As a result the temp fell 0.5 dgrees casusing failed crops, famine and disease were widespread.

Question 15

how much have has the co2 levels risen over time? and what are the types of green house gasses in the air?

Answer 15

in 10,000 years they have increased from 270 ppm to 420ppm this dramatic increase is mainly due to human activities.

carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide. methane having the largest concentration within the atmospher of 1895.7 ppm with a life time of 12 years.

Question 16

describe how rice cultivation is an anthropogenic cause to climate change.

Answer 16

• Made around 20% of anthrogoenic global greenhouse gas emmisions
  RICE CULTIVATION
  
  • Flooding rice fielsd cuts off the oxygen supply from the atmosphere to the soil resulting in a process called aerobic fermentation. This is where organic matter in the soil starts to break down due to lack of O2
  • Mathanogen archaea breaks down the orgnic matter producing methane as a result the CH4 gase is released from the soils into the atmosphere
  • Rice production has incresed by 41% in the last 40 years
  • Important food staple to developing countries
  • Rice cultivation contributes to 50 to 100 million tones of methane per annum

Question 17

describe how livestock is an anthropogenic cause of climate change

Answer 17

• Creates approx 29% of global CH4 emmisions 9% of CO2 emision from land clearing processing and transportation and 65% of nitros oxide emisiions from manure
  
  • Australia livestock the 3rd largest source of greenhouse gas emmisions
  • Methane is created from ruminant live stock such as cows and sheep that have 4 stomachs and chew their regergetates food
    Methane is produced during the digestive process called enteric fermentation. Methanogen archaea also live in the cows first stomacch which is responsible for breaking down grass the by produt of this is CH4 which is released thriugh the mouthwhen its regurgetated

Question 18

what are the consequences that deforestation has on climate change

Answer 18

from 2015 to 2017 contributed to 4.8 billion tones of CO2 per year which contributes to the enhanced green house. Duel cause to climate change both releasing carbon dioxide into atmosphere and reducing the ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

native trees are carbon reveroirs sequestering and storing large amounts of carbon whilst also removing carbon from the atmosphere by absorbing co2 and returningpure oxygen.

Question 19

describe hoe added carbon effects climat change

Answer 19

added carbon in the atmosphere it contributes to the enhanced green house effect as it is a greenhouse gas therefore absorbing long wave infared radiation (heat energy) in the atmosphere and reflecting it back to the earths surface. This then increasing the global warming which causes climate change

Question 20

describe one major type of evidence for climate change through geological time

Answer 20

Ice is the only environmental data available to construct climate hundreds to thousands of year ago.

Bubbles trapped in ice ccapture gas concentration and allow scientist to observ atmospheric composition

• cores containing distict layers with snow falling on ice sheets layers having different texture and chemistry with winter differing from summer
  • telling about temp, precipitation, atmosphereic compostiotio ( CO2 levels), volcanic activity and wind patterns.
  • Thickess of layer indicates to how much snow fell within that yr and how much the snow drifted indicated to the wind patterns
  • Chemical composition can tell up temps as the colder temps have heavier oxygen isotopes in the snow.

1998, the collaborative ice-drilling project between Russia, the United States, and France at the Russian Vostok station in East Antarctica = the deepest ice core ever recovered depth of 3,623 m

Question 21

name and describe how atmosphere provides for evidence for climate change in recent human history

Answer 21

there is a direct relationship between greenhouse gases and temperature.

scientists measure the concentration of different green house gases in the atmosphere by taking samples at monitoring stations such as cape grimm in Tas. Also by using satelite remote sensing techniques including NASA’s OCO2 satelite.

since this samples began carbon concentration is increasing and so are global temperatures.

Question 22

describe how the land cover change (melting ice shets and glaciers) effect climate change

Answer 22

As global temps rise and snow and ice cover decreases, causing less solar energy reflection and more absorption by ground and water. This leads to further warming and melting, known as the ice albedo feedback which alter landcover. Polar region changes result in greater planetary warming through feedback effects. Warmer temps refuce snow and ice, increasing heat absorption by land and sea, and creating a positive feedback loop.

Question 23

explain the interrelationship between landcover change and climate with reference to deforestation.

Answer 23

Deforesation is when vegitation or forested areas are cut down for other land uses such as agricultural land or urban areas.

deforested for agricultural purposes the surface reflectivity increases, = less heat energy absorbed by the earths surface. Decreasing avg temps = less absorption of insolation by land and vegetation also known as contributing to the COOLInG EFFECT helping counteract the increase in climate.

negative
deforestation and burning also contribute to the warming effect = release CO2 into atmosphere enhancing the green house effect keeping too much of the reflected radiation within the earths atmosphere.

Question 24

how can land use and land cover change increase the release of co2 to the atmosphere?

Answer 24

Through the disturbance of terrestrial soils and vegetation leads to a increase in release of co2. deforestation is a major driver to this as especially followed with agriculture as this increases he amount of disturbance to the soils.

Question 25

describe how the natural vegitation has been effected by climate hcange

Answer 25

Through the disturbance of terrestrial soils and vegetation leads to a increase in release of co2. due to agriculture.

In in north america forest belts having increased spruce beetle activity due to lack of cold temps. The longer warmer periods opens a leger window for the beetles to be active now being 6 months instead of 2 weeks. Thsi allowing more time damage more trees, in alaska more than 2.5 million acres of spruce trees have been damaged and approx 40% of colorado forrest have been affected by them.

Question 26

how have anthropogenic environments being effected by climate change?

Answer 26

seeing an increase in natural hazards due to climate change which also effects argiculture. Floods in QLD 2022 crops with water dammage being water logged, lost livestock and destroyed infrastructure to machineries, sheds fencing , irrigation and road access. 2% of the national herd was washed away by floodwaters during disaster. As well as topsoil erosion reducing arablity of land for futrue growing seasons

Question 27

describe the positive effects f the adption strategy perscribed burns

Answer 27

Native plants in Australia have adapted to require smoke or heat to germinate, and Indigenous Australians have a history of using cool burns. Concerns about the loss of Aboriginal artefacts and culture through prescribed burns exist, though the data on destroyed historically significant sites is inconclusive

Question 28

describe the negitive effects of adpation strategy prescribed burns

Answer 28

There are negative impacts associated with prescribed burns, such as smoke affecting visibility and respiratory health.

• Between 2002-2017, particle air pollution in Australia exceeded acceptable standards on 5,844 days, with 73% attributed to prescribed burns or wildfires. The health cost directly attributable to prescribed burns during this period was $97.1 million.

Question 29

describe the posetive effects of the adaptation GMO’s

Answer 29

Genetically modification is when an individual genes with specific desirable traits are transferred from one organism to another.

crops and live stock are modifed to increase resistance against disease and pest, becoming salt tolerant, herbicide tolerant, increase product quality and increased yield.

due to a expected increaseof 24% frequency in flooding due to climate change rising global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius they have genetically modified their rice to scuba rice. Scuba rice can withstand long periods of time soaking in flood water.

Question 30

describe the negetive effects of gmo’s

Answer 30

However GM crops such as round up ready crops also run the risk of cross pollinating with weeds and and creating “super weeds” which are when weeds become resistant to herbicides, becoming harder to kill and begin to carry the advantages v of the genetically modified crop.

Question 31

list 2 mitigation strategies against climate change

Answer 31

low carbon concrete
renewable energy sources
liquid trees

Question 32

describe the nature of mitigation stratgey concrete

Answer 32

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world because of its strength and durability . requires little energy resulting in the generation of 7% of the worlds CO2 emissions which is released as it is heated in a cement kiln
- But the amount produced manufacturting and the net impact of using it as a building material is relatively small. Companies like CarbonCure are helping lead change with co2 mineralised concrete.

Question 33

describe how concrete is migating climate change

Answer 33

• little ingredients required for processing,
• most materials harvested and manufactured locally minimising transportation energy use and minimal carbon emissons released from the vehicles.
• insulation and thermal mass to make homes and buildings more energy efficient and therefore do not have to relay climate control machines
• long service life for buildings increasing the period in which the structure will remain therefore decreasing the chances of repair and reconstruction.

Question 34

describe the nature of renewable energy

Answer 34

Renewable energy refers to energy that derived from resources that are essentially inexhaustible meaning they can be used indefinitely as they are replenished rapidly by natural processes. Including wind, solar, wave/ tidal, hydropower, geothermal power and biomass. These processes all producing large amounts of energy with minimal carbon emissions.

Question 35

describe how renewable energy is mitigating climate change

Answer 35

• Renewable energy sources don’t emit carbon dioxide and other green house gases that contribute to global warming.
• Renewable energy sources are available in all countries meaning energy access can expand to developing countries too as ling as they’re provided with the right machinery.
  -Wind is just one example of a renewable energy type. China, the U.S and Germany are all leading wind energy producers.
• An increase in use of wind energy has lead to Wind capacity around the world to increase to more that 539,000 mega watts. On shore turbines are most common but offshore turbines are also occurring. With the first offshore turbine opening in 2016 in the U.S. Wind turbines are powered by the wind pushing the blades and then converting this kinetic energy into electric energy.

Question 36

expalin a strategy designed to adress the impacts of land cover change on local and/ or regional environments (DHI) pt1

Answer 36

Located in the shark bay work heritage areas on the coat of WA, DHI is the largest island in WA. Named after the explorer of the same name in 1616, the aim of the programme is to return the islands ecological balance to that which existed upon discovery.

With an area of 63,300 hectares, the island has suffered in terms of land cover change.
The effect of these agricultural practices due to introduction of goats ad sheep has resulted in the following aspects of degradation:
- Soil erosion and degradation
- Loss of habitat and biodiversity
In addition the problems have been compounded by the feral cat population.

Question 37

evaluate a strategy designed to address the impacts of land cover change using the concept of sustainability. (social DHI)

Answer 37

Social- positive
Employment oppotunities
Education in the primary school
Helps prisoners finish their certificate 2 in furnature making in helping make boxes to transport
Expansion of tourism
Involves in first nation peoples heritage site
Community involvement thoughh art projects

Social negative- nil

Question 38

evaluate a strategy (dhi) designed to address the impacts of land cover change using the concept of sustainability. (economic)

Answer 38

Economic costs- negative
$16.7 millioon over 7 years
Dogs $10,000-$20,000
$150 per goat
Cost of tasmanian zoologist
2 projects officers, project manager, trainee
cost being met by federal government from 2010-13

Question 39

evaluate a strategy designed to address the impacts of land cover change using the concept of sustainability. (environmental DHI)

Answer 39

Environmental- pos
Partnership with perth zoo
96.9% of goats have been removed
99.9% of sheep have been removed
36 dibbler have been returned to shark
Started in 2016 and by 2018 no feral cats for 2 years
35% increase in vegetation
10 native species return to the island +2 additional species eg the rufos and banded hare wallabbies

Question 40

Explain a strategy designed to address the impacts of land cover change on local and or regional environments. (YARRA YARRA BIODIVERSITY CORRIDOR)

Answer 40

• strategy aims to address soil erosion and degredation loss of habitat and biodiverty and loss of ecosystem services.
• major threats for many of the threatened and near thretened endemic species due to intensification in agricultural land use systems, clearing of natural vegetation and the compaction of soil.
  
  • create 200km green corridor land to the coast to reconnect remnant vegetation, revegitating areas with native plants ( york gum and wandoo) habitats to many threatend and endangered species.
  • The overall vision is to reconnect inland habitats with coastal habitats = corridors for migration
  • The biodiverty corridoor also serves as a carbon offset project.

Question 41

Evaluate a strategy designed to address the impacts of land cover change using the concept sustainability. (social yarra yarra)

Answer 41

• local employmentas
• training and education oppurtinities. training sessions are through the partner ship wwith morawa agricultural collage. generating 43 full time jobs since 2016
• 427 casual staff employed by Carbon Neutralfor planting and 50 roles for indigenous australia.
• Carbon Neutral has also created a wrking agreement with midwest employment and economice development aboriginal corpoation that finds work oppurtunities for indigenous people within the biodiversity corridor

Question 42

Evaluate a strategy designed to address the impacts of land cover change using the concept sustainability. (economic yarra yarra)

Answer 42

• 2019-20 $12.8 million has been invested into the local economy .
• the project contributes up to $63 million in biodiversity value .
• This project also received funding from lottery west.
• There is also an additional $81 to $148 in carbon credits through the reforestation aspect of the project based on progress in 2020. The plant a tree program allows the company to purchase trees to offset carbon.

Question 43

Evaluate a strategy designed to address the impacts of land cover change using the concept sustainability. (environmental yarra yarra)

Answer 43

• reforesting 1000 hectares annually
• creating 166,940 carbon offsets or over one million tonnes of CO2 captured this being achieved by planting 30 million different native trees and shrub speciesacross 20,400 hectares.
• biodiverse hotspot meaning that many native brids and animals will be provided with food habitat and protection from predators.

Question 44

in terms of the earths heat budget discuss how the insolation is sent back out

Answer 44

the insolation now turns into long wave radiation which is harder to pass through the earths atmosphere

64% Radiated to space from clouds, rising air and atmosphere
6% radiated directly to space from earth. meaning 70% is the total amount of terrestrial radiation that is re-radiated back into space as remember 30% is directly reflected and plays no part in the natural system

Question 45

expalin a strategy designed to adress the impacts of land cover change on local and/ or regional environments (DHI) pt2

Answer 45

The programme began in 2007 and has included the following:
2007- 400 sheep, 2000 goats moved by barge to mainland

2009-2013- departments of parks and wildlife staff culled the remaining sheeps and goats and trace 15 female goats with radio collars to track their movements

island separated into two to help track and erradicate cats effectvely
2017- aprox 5,000 sheep and 11,000 goats had been removed from the island, feral cats were eradicated due to the tracking being effective and telling scientists on wher to put the 1080 poison.
2017-2018 90 banded and 50 rufous hare wallabies were captured and released on the island. They were monitered to check thier health. Further rehabilitation and restoration of native plants and animals continued on the island

Question 46

EXPLAIN CLIMATE CHANGE

Answer 46

Climate change:
 is the long-term shift in an area’s climatic conditions
 shifts have been caused by natural variations such as: astronomical (solar radiation and
Earth orbital) and geomorphological (tectonic and volcanic) processes
 shifts have been caused by anthropogenic changes to the Earth’s atmosphere.

Question 47

Discuss how desalination is a human activity that has adapted or may be requires to adapt to either global climate change or loss of biodiversity.

Answer 47

40% of the globe is getting dryer and dryer due to increase tmeperatures and spatial distribution of rainfall. In the north west of australia, the areas are getting wetter and wetter this meaning that the south west is getting dryer and dryer. This causing a decreased amount of freshwater around the globe. But thanks to desalination plants water can be treated and ready for drinking. Saudi arabia produces 1/5 of the worlds desalinated water due to climate change. In western australia, grround water form jandakot and gnagarra are run through desalintation plants and produce up to 44% of perths metro area’s freshwater to homes and buisnesses. The desalination plants go through several filters and osmostic processes to ensure that water is fresh and excess salts are removed.

Desalination plants however do require energy to run, this can contribute to releasing carbon dioxide which further enhances the green house effect. However the kwinanna desalniation plant uses energy genrated from wind turbines in the surrounding areas. This renewable energy source producing close to net zero carbon emmissions therfore contributing less to the enhanced green house effect.

Desalination plants and GMO;s do not solve the problems of climate change yet theyre process that had to be changed or made to work with climate change.