Climate Change Flashcards
What is the Quaternary period?
The most recent geological time period, from 2.6 million years ago to today.
When did the last glacial period end?
15 000 years ago.
What is global warming?
The sharp rise in global temperatures over the last century.
What sources are there for evidence of climate change?
Ice and sediment cores, temperature records, pollen analysis, and tree rings.
How many years back does an ice core show the temperature?
400 000 years
How many years back does a sediment core show the temperature?
5 million years
Since when have temperature records been recorded?
1850s
How many years back do tree rings show the temperature?
10 000 years
What natural factors are causes of climate change?
orbital changes, volcanic activity and solar output
What human factors are causes of climate change?
Burning fossil fuels, cement production, farming and deforestation.
Why does cement production cause global warming?
Cement is made of limestone, which contains carbon.
How does climate change affect the environment?
- Glaciers and ice sheets melt, rising sea levels
- Sea ice shrinking causes loss of polar habitats
- Coastal areas like Miami will flood more regularly
- Great Barrier reef in Australia suffers from bleaching
- Species live at higher latitudes
- Limit bamboo growth which giant pandas rely on
How does climate change affect humans?
- Deaths due to heat increase
- Maldives lost to sea
- Changing rainfall causes problems with water availability, causing political tensions
- Smaller yield in Argentina’s wheat crops
- High latitude areas have higher crop yield
- More extreme weather means more money has to be spent
What mitigation strategies are there?
Planting trees, carbon capture, alternative energy production and international agreements.
Give a UK example of alternative energy production.
In East Anglia, wave, tidal and nuclear power projects have been planned.
