Climate Change Flashcards
Climate change
The large-scale, long-term shift in the planet’s average temperatures and global weather patterns
Global warming
A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere
Quaternary period
The current geological period dating from 2.6 million years ago to the present day
List three orbital changes impacting global climate and temperatures
Eccentricity, Obliquity, Pression
Eccentricity
Over 100,000 years the earth change from a circular to elliptical orbit
Obliquity
Over 41,000 years the Earth’s axis tilts from 21.5 degrees to 24.5 degrees and back
Pression
Over 22,000 years the Earth’s axis wobbles and changes which part is closest to the sun
Glacial
A geographical period of cold in time
Interglacial
A geographical period of warmth in time
Name three greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide, Methane, Water Vapour
Ice cores
Drilling down into ice sheets up to 20,000 years old, scientists can measure greenhouse gases present in ice bubbles
Dendrochronology
The wider the rings of the tree stumps the warmer and wetter the climate, the smaller the rings of the tree stump the colder and drier the climate, years are counted via the number of tree rings.
Sea conditions
Uses sea temperatures, sea levels and ice aps to measure temperatures in the atmosphere.
Mitigation
Making something less severe
Adaptation
Changing behaviours or infrastructure to make sure people can cope
