climate change Flashcards
name 3 uses of evidence we have
temp records
tree rings
ice and sediment cores
ice and sediment cores
new ice layer each year, scientists drill into them, by analysing the trapped gases
tree rings
new ring each year, warmer the temp and wetter it is the thicker the ring
temp records
thermometers give us reliable but short term records of data
name 3 natural causes of climate change
orbital changes, volcanic activity, solar output
name 3 human causes of climate change
burning fossil fuels, deforestation, farming
orbital changes
affects how much radiation earth receives, more energy is more warming
volcanic activity
eruptions eject large quantities of material, some of this material reflect the suns rays back out to space, causing the earth to cool, only affects for a short period.
solar output
suns energy output fluctuates making earth cooler and warmer
farming
methane has the same effect has co2 - traps outgoing heat from earth.
deforestation
trees and plants remove co2 so stop removing co2, trees are also are burnt releasing co2
burning fossil fuels
co2 released into atmosphere when fossil fuels are burnt - co2 absorbs outgoing heat from earth, so less is lost to space
name ways that climate change is affecting the environment
glaciers are shrinking and ice sheets are melting causing sea levels to rise as the water stored on land is returning to oceans
sea ice is shrinking leading to a loss of polar habitats
rising sea levels means low lying areas are more likely to flood like Miami
name ways that climate change is affecting people
deaths due to heat have increased
crops has suffered, causing smaller yields, this could increase malnutrition and starvation leading to death
name 3 mitigation strategies to manage climate change
planting trees
carbon capture
international agreements
what is a mitigation strategy
a way of reducing the causes of climate change by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases
planting trees
planting trees increases the amount of co2 that is absorbed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis
carbon capture
designed to reduce emissions from power stations burning fossil fuels, it involves capturing and transporting co2 underground
international agreements
the Paris agreement encourages developed countries to help developing countries put mitigation strategies into place.
how have people adjusted to the effects of climate change
changing agricultural systems
managing water supplies
coping with rising sea levels
changing agricultural systems
new crop types that are more suited to the climate
managing water supplies
water meters to discourage excessive water usage
coping with rising sea levels
rainwater and waste water can be collected and recycled
