climate change Flashcards
extreme weather
when a weather event is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern
climate change
a long term change in the earth’s climate, especailly a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature
direct evidence
data/evidence of climate change that directly measures changes in temperature or sea level
indirect evidence
evidence that comes from changes in the environment caused by climate change (e.g. measuring sediment)
mitigation
reducing the severity of climate change
adaptation
adjusting to changes from climate change
explain the greenhouse effect
heat energy from the sun, some is reflected back into space and some is trapped
the energy is trapped by greenhouse gases such as CO2
human activity has produced more of these greenhouse gases, more heat is trapped
overtime, this means the earth has gotten warmer
examples of mitigation
planting trees
international agreements (legal agreements to reduce climate change)
carbon capture and storage
examples of adaptation
reducing risk of rising sea levels (e.g. sea walls)
changes in agricultural farming
managing water supply
impacts of climate change
rising sea levels
melting ice caps
increase in temperature
weathering
the disintegration of rocks in their original place at or close to the ground surface
types of weathering
mechanical
chemical
biological
mechanical weathering
type of mechanical weathering is freeze thawing:
water collects in holes of rocks
when water freezes, it expands by 10%
this causes rock to widen
water melts and sinks deeper into these new cracks
the cycle continues
chemical weathering
type of chemical weathering is carbonation:
rain dissolves carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, forming weak carbonic acid which reacts with calcium carbonate in rocks which causes them to disintegrate
biological weathering
plants and treese grow in cracks, which causes them to widen
animals make burrows and tunnels
