Climate Change and Environmental Awareness Flashcards
All types of pollution are interconnected.
Fighting Pollution
The term climate change is used to refer to changes in the Earth’s climate. In the
most general sense, it can be taken to mean changes over all timescales and in all of
the components of climate, including precipitation and clouds as well as temperature.
Climate changes can be caused both by natural forces and by human activities.
Climate Change
a major threat to marine ecosystems
sea level rise
Heat stress in plants and animals affecting life cycles and productivity.
Increased temperature
A decrease in soil moisture in drier areas may accelerate forest loss.
Changes in precipitation
the result of increase carbon dioxide level in the
atmosphere
Ocean Acidification
Coral Bleaching: what is it?
- expulsion of zooxanthellae from the coral host
- 60-90% loss of symbionts
- loss of pigments of zooxanthellae
- 50-80% loss of photosynthetic pigments
- Caused by a number of factors but large-scale bleaching has been attributed to
elevated water temperatures and intense light intensities
The gathering of information carried out by the developer and other bodies to
understand the environmental effects of a development
Environmental Impact Assessment
release carbon dioxide, but they can also release sulfur dioxide and aerosols like volcanic ash or dust.
Volcanic Eruption
Climate change can potentially result from Earth’s orbit. The Milankovitch theory suggested this.
Orbital Changes
refers to the tilt of the Earth’s axis relative to its orbital plane around the Sun. The Earth’s axis is currently tilted at approximately 23.5 degrees.
Obliquity
refers to the shape of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Instead of a perfect circle, the Earth’s orbit is slightly elliptical or elongated. Eccentricity is a measure of how elongated the orbit is.
Eccentricity
refers to the slow, wobbling motion of the Earth’s axis caused by gravitational interactions with other celestial bodies, mainly the Sun and the Moon.
Precession
Landmasses are transported to new locations and latitudes as tectonic plates move over geological timescales.
Plate Tectonic Movements
The variation in solar radiation is correlated with sunspot activity. As a result of the sunspots’ suppression of heat, heat moves to the regions around them, making them brighter than usual and radiating more heat.
Variation of Solar Radiation
