Climate Change

Question 1

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Answer 1

Difference (time, space)

Weather= conditions of the atmosphere at a specific place (more localised area) over a relatively short time e.g. a few hours/ a day

Climate= conditions of the atmosphere of a specific place (over a larger area, regional area, can also talk about local area) over a considerable period of time e.g. 30-40 years

Question 2

Is fog a climate condition? Why or why not?

Answer 2

Yes. Climate conditions refer to the specific atmospheric conditions experienced at a particular time and place, which can be part of the broader climate pattern of a region.

fog is a climate condition as it is a specific and observable weather event that can occur within the broader context of a region’s climate.

Question 3

What is temperature?

Answer 3

Temperature is the degree of heat in the atmosphere. Measured in degree celcius or Fahrenheit. Due to the heating of the earth by the sun.

Question 4

What do you know about the heating of the earth by the sun?

Answer 4

The sun heats the earth via radiation. Solar energy earth’s atmosphere as shortwave radiation UV rays and visible light. Some of this shortwave radiation is reflected and dispersed into space, but some is absorbed by and heats the atmosphere, or reaches and warms the surface of the earth. The absorbed energy is then emitted as long wave radiation, which warms the lower atmosphere by means of radiation, conduction and convection.

Question 5

Season is a characteristic of the temperate climate. True of false?

Answer 5

True

Question 6

What is atmosphere?

Answer 6

Atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the earth. Just focus on the layer (troposphere) so basically air gets thinner and thinner as you go higher than the troposphere atmosphere

Question 7

What are basic weather elements?

Answer 7

Temperature
Humidity
Precipitation
Air pressure
Wind (Direction, strength)
Cloud cover hour of sunshine

Intensity of the

Question 8

Does temperature vary across space and time and what are the factors that affects temperature?

Answer 8

Yes, temperature vary across space and time.
Some factors include, How much short wave radiation reaches the surface and is absorbed and How well longwave radiation is able to warm the lower atmosphere.

Question 9

What are the effects of increase in latitude?

Answer 9

At higher latitudes, the Sun’s rays are less direct. The farther an area is from the equator, the lower its temperature. At the poles, the Sun’s rays are least direct. Much of the area is covered with ice and snow, which reflect a lot of sunlight.

Question 10

As latitude increase, temperature gets colder. True of false?

Answer 10

True

Question 11

Which pole is colder, north pole or south pole?

Answer 11

South pole

Question 12

Is sandstorm an outcome of weather?

Answer 12

Yes

Question 13

What is precipitation?

Answer 13

Precipitation refers to any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the earth.
Some examples include rain, hail, snow etc.

Question 14

What is the definition of global warming?

Answer 14

An increase in Earth’s average surface/global temperatures due to increasing levels of greenhouse gases.

Question 15

What is the definition of climate change?

Answer 15

Any significant change(e.g. change in average weather conditions and change in variability) in the measures of climate (major changes in wind patterns, precipitation, temperature) for an extended period of time. (decades to millions of years).

Question 16

What are the two types of categories that I can divide into for the causes of climate change?

Answer 16

Natural causes of climate change
Human causes to climate change

Question 17

State the three natural causes of climate change.

Answer 17

1. Milankovitch cycles (Not tested)
   Deviations in the earth’s orbit
2. Sun spot variations.
3. Volcanic eruptions

Question 18

Explain what the Milankovitch cycle is about?

Answer 18

-orbit path Earth takes as it travels around the sun
-changes the amount of insulation earth receives
-over tens of thousands of years

eccentricity
In simpler words:
Milankovitch cycles are periodic changes in the orbital characteristics of a planet that control how much sunlight it receives, thus affecting its climate and habitability over hundreds of thousands of years.

Question 19

Explain what the sun spot variations is about.

Answer 19

-Changes in the sun’s magnetic field result in varying amounts of solar radiation being emitted.
-Associated with sunspots: cooler regions on the sun’s surface
-More sunspots when solar activity is high
-Solar activity cycle associated with earth’s cycles of temperatures.

so basically,
More sun spot indicates that there is high solar activity. High solar activity means that there is a higher temperature.
So the sun spots is the cooler region and is a response by the sun.

Question 20

Explain what the volcanic eruptions, which is a natural causes of climate, is about.

Answer 20

When there is volcanic eruptions ashes and greenhouse gases are emitted. This would form a layer which will cause global temperature to be cooler and cause global cooling as the layer will block sunlight from being radiated to the earth and absorbed by the surface.

Volcanic eruptions cause significant negative impact for the crop growth season for instance.

So basically:
Large amounts of CO2, water vapour , sulphur dioxide, dust and ash are released into the atmosphere during an eruption. These can reflect solar energy back to the space causing a gradual drop in the amount of sunlight that reaches earth’s surface. It can cool the earth for months/years. However, it is only a short-tern impact.

Question 21

Describe briefly climate change in the last 150 years.

Answer 21

Earth’s climate varies naturally over different time scales.

Changes in global climate since 1881.
Earth warmed up by 0.74 degrees celcius in 100 years.
greatest increase after 1980s
Some places recorded much higher temperature increases.
Arctic, Asia and Africa (1.2 degrees celcius to 1.4 degree celcius)

Question 22

Discuss natural and man-made causes of recent climate change.

Question 23

Explain the greenhouse effect and how human activities have led to the enhance greenhouse effect.

Question 24

Describe trends and draw conclusions from graphs on temperature and greenhouse gases.

Question 25

Describe and explain the impacts of climate change on natural systems.

Answer 25

Milankovitch cycles (Deviations in the earth’s orbit)

Variations in solar output (Sun spot)

Volcanic eruptions

Question 26

Describe and explain the impacts of climate change, specifically enhanced greenhouse gases on human systems.

Answer 26

EnhancedGreenhouse effect —> A natural phenomenon. Due to existence of greenhouse gases in atmosphere (e.g. CO2, CH4, Nitrogen oxide N2O) Greenhouse gases trap heat —Keeps earth’s lower atmosphere warm, allowing life to flourish
Average of 15 degrees celcius.

Disruption of the carbon cycle causing increase in global temperatures.
If left unchecked-> average global temperatures may rise a further 1.5 degrees celcius to 4.5 degree celcius in the next 100 years.

Basically, increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in atmosphere (greenhouse gases emitted at a faster rate since 1876)—> leading to excessive heat trapped in the atmosphere—> resulting in rise in global average temperatures—> lead to heat strokes, drought

Question 27

What is global warming?

Answer 27

An increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to increasing levels of greenhouse gases.

Question 28

What is climate change?

Answer 28

Any significant change in the measures of climate (includes major changes in: temperature, precipitation or wind patterns) for an extended period of time. (Decades to millions of years.)

Question 29

Climate change can refer to a change in….

Answer 29

Climate change can refer to a change in average weather conditions (e.g. mean annual temperatures and a change in variability (how it differs from the mean e.g. distribution of weather events around an average)

Question 30

What are the evidences of global warming?

Answer 30

Rising global temperatures
Increasing greenhouse gases
Melting sea ice in the arctic circle.

Question 31

What are the four effects of climate change?

Answer 31

1. Increase in atmospheric and ocean surface temperatures
2. Sea level rise
3. Changes in ocean circulations
4. Increase in extreme weather events (frequency and severity) e.g. drought, flood, wildfire and heatwave.

Question 32

Tell me more about what the increase in atmospheric and ocean surface temperatures was about.

Answer 32

Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have resulted in an enhanced greenhouse effect, trapping more heat in the atmosphere.

Much of this excess heat has been absorbed by the world’s oceans, resulting in an increase in global sea surface temperatures as well.
-Average of 1 degree celcius increase in the last century.

Not a uniform increase in ocean surface temperatures.
-Some parts are expected to be warmer than others.
-other areas have experienced decreases in temperatures.

However, with projected global warming, it is expected that all of the world’s oceans are expected to experience an increase in surface temperatures.

Question 33

What are the two factors related to global warming (for sea level rise) ?

Answer 33

Sea levels rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming.
-the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers
-the expansion of seawater as it warms.

Question 34

What are the changes in ocean circulations about?

Answer 34

Water in the oceans is constantly moving around the world as part of the global ocean circulation.
-Driven by
-A) Winds, blowing across the surface of the ocean
-B) Heat, causing water to expand or contract, affecting density
-C) Salinity, which increases density*

Creating warm surface flows and cool subsurface flows.

Climate change threatens to slow down global ocean circulation
-Increasing atmospheric temperatures heat up water at the surface, including at the poles, decreasing its density (thus less likely to sink since for water to sink, it needs to be denser than the water around it).
- The melting of glaciers also adds large amounts of freshwater into the oceans at higher latitudes, further decreasing its density.
-This reduces the sinking at the poles, slowing down ocean circulations. (A slowdown can lead to less efficient heat transfer from the equator to the poles, causing cooler temperatures in some regions and warmer temperatures in others. ChatGPT)

Question 35

What is a wildfire?

Answer 35

A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that burns in the wildland vegetation, often in rural areas.

Question 36

What are the causes of wildfires?

Answer 36

A fire needs three things: fuel, oxygen and heat.
Wild fires can occur naturally, ignited by heat from the sun or a lightning strike. Most wildfires are caused by human carelessness. E.g. Arson campfires, discarding lit cigarettes, not burning debris properly.
A wildfire can spread due to the wind, being on a slope or because of fuel.

Question 37

How can climate change affect wildfires?

Answer 37

Climate change affects wildfires by exacerbating the hot, dry conditions that help these fires catch and spread.

As global temperatures rise, we expect the size, frequency and severity of wildfires to increase in the years ahead.

Climate warming also increases evaporation on land, which can worsen drought and create conditions more prone to wildfire and a longer wildfire season.

Question 38

What is a heatwave?

Answer 38

A heat wave is a period of abnormally hot weather generally lasting more than two days.

Heat Waves
* A period of excessively hot weather that is abnormal for the
location, usually lasting for several days or longer
Increased average global temperatures due to climate change
are likely to increase the severity, frequency and length of heat
waves in different parts of the world
Temperatures can reach as high as, over even exceed, 400 C
12

Question 39

A warming climate can contribute to the ________ by increasing the chance of very hot days and nights.

Answer 39

A warming climate can contribute to the intensity of heat waves by increasing the chances of very hot days and nights.

Question 40

Impacts of climate change are __connected and changes in the physical climate will affect natural systems. This in turn affects humans ____ and indi____.

Answer 40

Impacts of climate change are interconnected and changes in the physical climate will affect natural systems. This in turn affects humans directly and indirectly.

Question 41

Why is the impact of climate change unevenly experienced across the world?

Answer 41

Varying climate variables of the place
Different local social and economic factors of a place.

Varying climate variables of the place: -such as precipitation and temperature
E.g. central Australia, which is usually dry, is expected to become even drier due to climate change
E.g. India, which receives intense rainfall during monsoon season, is
expected to see more precipitation and more intense flooding

Different local social and economic factors of a place
— Such as level of economic development
— In a more developed country, economic losses may be large due to
there being more built up areas
— However, in a developing country, economic losses are still substantial,
and may take longer to recover due to a lack of financial resources,
prolonging the economic losses

Question 42

What are droughts?

Answer 42

Droughts
* Recap: A long period of little to no rainfall in a specific area,
where areas become drier than normal
* Increased average global temperatures increases evaporation,
which reduces surface water stores and dries out soil and
vegetation, worsening already dry conditions

Question 43

What are the impacts of droughts on people?

Answer 43

Droughts lead to water shortage, resulting in multiple negative
impacts on people (Year 1 Geography)
Lack of water may lead to dehydration and death
Crop failure may also occur, affecting food supply and resulting
in malnourishment, or in the worst case, death
To obtain sufficient food and water, people may be forced to
move out of their homes, or displaced, due to drought
Case study: 2019-2020 drought in Afghanistan

Question 44

Where do wildfires occur?

Answer 44

Wildfires
* Unplanned and uncontrolled fires that burn in natural areas
such as forests or grasslands
* The warmer and drier climate caused by climate change
increases the amount of dead and dry trees and vegetation —
wildfires start and spread more easily, and are more difficult to
put out

Question 45

What are the impacts of wildfires?

Answer 45

Wildfires
* People trapped in or near wildfires may suffer suffocation,
burns and injuries, which may lead to death
* Further away, air pollution may result due to the release of
C02, carbon monoxide, ash, and other fine particulate matter
into the atmosphere air pollution may cause respiratory
illness, and in severe cases, death
* Wildfires may also destroy buildings and properties, leading to
homelessness and economic losses
*Case study: 2019-2020 Australian wildfires

Question 46

What are floods and what are some factors that leads to floods?

Answer 46

Floods
* Recap: An overflow of a large amount of water onto what is
normally dry land
* Warmer temperatures can lead to increased precipitation in
areas which are normally wet
* Increased temperatures also lead to more snowmelt
* Melting of glacial ice also results in sea level rise, increasing the
potential for coastal floods

Question 47

What are the impacts of floods?

Answer 47

Floods can cause loss of human life due to drowning and
injuries, as well as destroying buildings and properties, leading
to homelessness and economic losses (Year 1 Geography)
* Case study: 2020 monsoon flooding in Bangladesh
— Tropical monsoon climate
— Rivers fed by meltwater from the Himalayas
— Low-lying country, with many living along the coast

Question 48

What are tropical cyclones?

Answer 48

Tropical Cyclones
* Intense circular storms that originate over warm tropical
oceans, accompanied by strong winds, heavy rainfall and
storm surges
— Strong winds exceeding 320km per hour
— Heavy rainfall of over 100mm per day
— Storm surges where sea level can rise to 6m or more

Question 49

How did climate change contribute to tropical cyclones? (Not tested)

Answer 49

Climate change leads to warmer oceans and more water vapour
in the atmosphere, which is believed to be a driving force for
more intense tropical cyclones
* Places which usually experience tropical cyclones are seeing
more intense cyclones happening more often

Question 50

What are the impacts of tropical cyclones? (Not tested)

Answer 50

Tropical Cyclones
* The strong winds, heavy rains and storm surges brought by a
tropical cyclone can result in:
— Flooding
— Landslides
— Collapsing buildings and infrastructure
— Crops destroyed
Loss of lives, economic losses, and threats to food security
Case study: The Philippines, 2020

Through this case study, you can see the impact:
Tropical Cyclones
Case study: The Philippines, 2020
* The Philippines was hit by six tropical cyclones between
October to November 2020
* Strongest storm: Typhoon Goni (formed 26 October 2020)
— Nearly 1 million people evacuated
— Estimated $36 million lost due to damage of crops
— Widespread power outages
— At least 32 people dead

Question 51

What are the human activities that contributed to greenhouse gas emissions?

Answer 51

1. Increased use of fossil fuels
2. Large scale deforestation
3. Changing land use

Question 52

Describe and explain how the increased use of fossil fuels contributes to climate change.

Answer 52

Increased use of fossil fuels
Beginning of 20th century: start of industrialisation for many countries
Industrialisation + increased development—> increasing affluence
Result: Burning of fossil fuels in factories, power plants, vehicles—> releases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into atmosphere
usage of CFCs with increased consumerism (air-cons, refrigerators, aerosol cans, etc) ass well

LINK BACK TO THE QN:
Increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in atmosphere (greenhouse gases emitted at a faster)———-> leading to excessive heat trapped in the atmosphere—-> resulting in rise in/increase global average temperatures—> global warming——> climate change

Question 53

Describe and explain how large scale deforestation contributes to climate change.

Answer 53

More land required to cope with needs of a rapidly increasing world population (especially since 1950)
Competition for land for different uses: agriculture, transport, housing, industry, recreation, etc.
Results in the clearing of forests for land, especially tropical rainforests.
Forests serve as carbon sinks
Carbon sinks absorb and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere—> Processes that remove carbon from the atmosphere: carbon sequestration
3 key natural carbon dinks
—Plants
—Oceans
—Soil

Deforestation cuts down trees, releasing CO2 and NO2 into the atmosphere—> accelerates the build-up of CO2 since there is lesser carbon sinks–>LINK BACK TO THE QUESTION—>increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to the enhance greenhouse effect (greenhouse gases emitted at a faster rate)—> leading to excessive heat trapped in the atmosphere (Traps more heat)—> resulting in rise in global average temperatures—> global warming—> climate change

Question 54

Describe and explain how the changing land use (agriculture) contributes to climate change.

Answer 54

Agricultural activities
—> intensification of agriculture—> more land, more frequent, more yields to feed increasing world population ( For example: Huge areas of semi-forested grasslands are being cleared to make way for cattle pastures to feed the global demand for cattle meat)
1. Wet rice cultivation—> Decomposition of organic materials in flooded fields —> releases methane and nitrous oxide
2. cattle ranching—> bacteria in cattle’s gut help with digestion of food but also releases methane in the process

LINK BACK TO THE QUESTION—>increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to the enhance greenhouse effect (greenhouse gases emitted at a faster rate)—> leading to excessive heat trapped in the atmosphere (Traps more heat)—> resulting in rise in global average temperatures—> global warming—> climate change

Question 55

Describe and explain how the changing land use (Industrialisation) contributed to the climate change.

Answer 55

Industrialisation (Manufacturing)
Includes manufacturing of goods in industries
Requires burning of fossil fuels for electricity to power factories/power plants.
Production of electronic goods (E.g. handphones, computers), automobiles
To satisfy needs of the growing number of affluent consumers.

LINK BACK TO THE QUESTION—>increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to the enhance greenhouse effect (greenhouse gases emitted at a faster rate)—> leading to excessive heat trapped in the atmosphere (Traps more heat)—> resulting in rise in global average temperatures—> global warming—> climate change

Question 56

Describe and explain how the changing land use (Urbanisation) contributed to the climate change.

Answer 56

Urbanisation
A process whereby increasing populations live in urban areas
Causes increased consumption of energy for lighting, heating and cooling.
-By residential users (residents living in their buildings)
-By commercial activities (e.g. banks, malls, etc)
-For construction of of infrastructure and building materials as well
use of automobiles and other forms of transport also requires fuel for power.

LINK BACK TO THE QUESTION—>increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to the enhance greenhouse effect (greenhouse gases emitted at a faster rate)—> leading to excessive heat trapped in the atmosphere (Traps more heat)—> resulting in rise in global average temperatures—> global warming—> climate change

Question 57

What is an ice age?

Answer 57

Our climate has continuously changed slowly over thousands to
tens of thousands of years!
* Ice age = An ice age is a period of colder global temperatures and
recurring glacial expansion capable of lasting hundreds of
millions of years.
Within Ice Ages: glacial and interglacial periods
— Warm period = interglacial period where ice retreats to the poles
* We are actually currently in an interglacial period (the Holocene) in an
ice age (Quartenary Ice Age)