Climate Change

Question 1

What is global warming?

Answer 1

The global climate has been changing since time began and will continue to change into the future. The Earth’s temperature has fluctuated in the last few hundred years. However, since around 1950 there has been a dramatic increase in global temperatures. This increase is known as global warming.

Question 2

How is global warming affecting glaciers?

Answer 2

Over the past 50 to 100 years, photographic evidence has shown that the world’s glaciers have been melting, which has caused them to retreat. The increase in global temperatures is causing glaciers to disappear and is increasing the melting of sea ice in the Arctic.

Question 3

How is global warming affecting ice cores?

Answer 3

Scientists often use ice cores to detect changes in temperatures. When snow falls it traps air into the ice. When scientists take a sample of ice it reveals the atmospheric gas concentrations at the time the snow fell. This is used to calculate temperature at that time. The ice can reveal the temperature of each year for the past 400,000 years. Scientists that study the ice cores say there is clear evidence that there has been a rapid increase in temperature in the past decades.

Question 4

How is global warming causing early springs?

Answer 4

In recent years there have been signs of a seasonal shift - spring arrives earlier and winters tend to be less severe. These seasonal changes affect the nesting and migration patterns of wildlife.

Question 5

How has global warming affected sea level?

Answer 5

Between 1901 and 2010, average global sea level rose by 0.19 m.

Question 6

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 6

A natural function of the Earth’s atmosphere is to keep in some of the heat that is lost from the Earth. This is known as the greenhouse effect.

Question 7

What causes climate change?

Answer 7

The atmosphere allows the heat from the Sun (short-wave radiation) to pass through to heat the Earth’s surface.
The Earth’s surface then gives off heat (long-wave radiation).
This heat is trapped by greenhouse gases (eg methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide), which radiate the heat back towards Earth.
This process heats up the Earth.

Question 8

What are human factors increasing global warming?

Answer 8

Burning fossil fuels, eg coal, gas and oil - these release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Deforestation - trees absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. If they are cut down, there will be higher amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Dumping waste in landfill - when the waste decomposes it produces methane.
Agriculture - agricultural practices lead to the release of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

Question 9

What are natural factors increasing global warming?

Answer 9

Orbital changes - the Earth has natural warming and cooling periods caused by Milankovitch cycles or variations in the tilt and/or orbit of the Earth around the Sun (Wobble, roll and stretch theory).
Volcanic activity - during a volcanic eruption carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
Solar output - there can be fluctuations in the amount of radiation from the sun. If there is high amount emitted there will be an increase in Earth’s temperatures.

Question 10

What are negative effects of global warming on the uk?

Answer 10

sea levels could rise, covering low lying areas, in particular east England
Scottish ski resorts may have to close due to lack of snow
droughts and floods become more likely as extreme weather increases
increased demand for water in hotter summers puts pressure on water supplies

Question 11

What are positive effects of global warming on the uk?

Answer 11

crops such as oranges, grapes and peaches can be grown in the UK
winter heating costs will be reduced as winters will be milder
accidents on the roads in winter will be less likely to occur

Question 12

What are negative effects of global warming around the world?

Answer 12

sea level rise will affect 80 million people
tropical storms will increase in magnitude (strength)
species in affected areas (eg Arctic) may become extinct
diseases such as malaria increase, an additional 280 million people may be affected

Question 13

What are positive effects of global warming around the world?

Answer 13

energy consumption may decrease due to a warmer climate
longer growing season for agriculture
frozen regions such as Canada may be able to grow crops

Question 14

What does mitigation mean?

Answer 14

Mitigation means to reduce or prevent the effects of something from happening.

Question 15

What does adaptation mean?

Answer 15

Adaptation strategies do not aim to reduce or stop global warming. Instead they aim to respond to climate change by limiting its negative effects.

Question 16

What are mitigation strategies for managing the impacts of climate change?

Answer 16

Alternative energy - using alternative energy such as solar, wind or tidal can reduce the use of fossil fuels. This will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Carbon capture - this is the removal of carbon dioxide from waste gases from power stations and then storing it in old oil and gas fields or coal mines underground. This reduces the amount of emissions into the atmosphere.
Planting trees - encouraging afforestation, means that there will be more trees to absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis.
International agreements - in 2005 the Kyoto Protocol became international law. The countries that signed up to the treaty pledged to reduce their carbon emissions by 5 per cent. However, this ran out in 2012 and its overall impact has been small. The US refused to join and major developing countries like China and India were not required to make any reductions.

Question 17

What are adaption strategies for managing the impacts of climate change?

Answer 17

Agriculture - farmers will have to adapt as some crops may not be able to grow in a warmer climate. However, other crops (eg oranges and grapes) will be able to be planted.
Water supply - water transfer schemes could be used. This is where water is transferred from an area of water surplus to an area of water shortage.
Reducing risk from sea level rise - areas at risk from sea level rise may use sea defences to protect the land from being eroded away.

Question 18

Whats afforestation?

Answer 18

The deliberate planting of trees on otherwise bare land. Afforestation can create new habitats for wildlife, stabilise soils and prevent surface run-off.

Question 19

What are Milankovitch cycles?

Answer 19

A theory that describes the effects of the Earth’s movements on its climate.

Question 20

What are greenhouse gases?

Answer 20

The gases responsible for global warming - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons).