Climate change

Question 1

What is a greenhouse gas

Answer 1

• absorbs and emits radiation in the infrared range in the form of heat, resulting in greenhouse effect
• Earth’s surface emits longer wavelength which is absorbed and re-emitted onto the Earth’s surface by greenhouse gases

Question 2

effects of ghg

Answer 2

• sea levels rising –>melting of ice sheets, polar ice caps and glaciers, thermal expansion of sea water
• loss of freshwater resource
• loss of sea ice –> does not result in rising sea levels, animals lose access to feeding grounds, loss of albedo, absorb more sunlight, hence air above grows warmer leading to more ice melting
• heavy rainfalls –> rise in temp, greater evaporation, more water vapour in air, increased ppt –> more pollution due to runoff, water borne diseases, risk of flooding
• decreased rainfall in subtropics –> drought
• stress on freshwater supplies –> groundwater depletion, decline in water quality, bloom in microbial populations in freshwater supplies, reduce amt of dissolved O2 in water
• release of ghgs in frozen organic matter –> permafrost –> stores carbon and methane

Question 3

impact of climate change on plant distribution

Answer 3

• reduction of water content and turgor, cell expansion slows down
• alteration in level of photosynthetic pigment
• rapid decrease in amt of RUBISCO which leads to lower amts of carbon fixation
• increase ratio of roots to shoots
• stomatal closure
• decrease in number of stomata per leaf to. reduce transpiration