CT3 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is weather?

A

Weather is short-term changes to the state of the
atmosphere e.g. sunny, cloudy or rainy. It changes
daily or even hourly

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2
Q

What is climate?

A

Climate is longer term weather patterns in a place
e.g. a tropical climate. It is studied over many years

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3
Q

When/why has temperature increased and decreased?

A
  • Temperature has increased when carbon-dioxide has been high. (Interglacial)
  • Temperature has decreased when carbon-dioxide levels have been low. (Glacial)
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4
Q

Freeze-thaw weathering

A

When water gets into gaps in the valley side., it freezes at night and expands, breaking the rock apart.

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5
Q

Abrasion

A

Abrasion is a type of erosion. It is when scree scratches along the valley bottom, wearing it away.

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6
Q

Plucking

A

A form of erosion. It is when the glacier freezes and sticks to the valley. As it melts it plucks rock away.

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7
Q

What are the two types
of glaciers?

A

Alpine sheets and ice sheets.

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8
Q

When snow falls, what
does it do to the
bottom layer?

A

Compresses (squashes) it.

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9
Q

What is ice that
survives one year
called?

A

Firn

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10
Q

When layers of snow fuse
together, what is
formed?

A

Glacial ice

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11
Q

What do glaciers do to
the land as they move?

A

They erode the land

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12
Q

How many years ago
did most glaciers
retreat (disappear)?

A

20,000 years ago

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13
Q

Moraine

A

A mass of rocks found at the end (terminus) of a glacier.

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14
Q

Why are U-Shaped valleys evidence of glaciation

A
  • A U-shaped valley is form by glacial erosion.
  • As the glacier moves downhill the sediment in the sole
    (bottom) of the glacier erodes the land through abrasion
  • Over time this creates a U-shape
  • When the glacier melts, the valley is left behind as
    evidence
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15
Q

Why are glacial striations evidence of glaciation

A
  • Striations are formed through erosion
  • As a glacier moves, the sediment in the sole (bottom) of
    the glacier scrape the floor
  • This is abrasion
  • It leaves marks on rock, providing evidence of glaciation
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16
Q

Why are glacial erratics evidence of glaciation

A
  • Erratics are formed through transportation and deposition
  • Glaciers transport sediment as they move downhill
  • When they melt, they deposit large boulders
  • This leaves large boulders in landscapes that they do not look like they belong in
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17
Q

What are the natural causes of climate change?

A
  • Volcanic activity
  • Changes in the earth’s orbit
  • Solar variations (sunspots)
  • Asteroid Collisions
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18
Q

How do volcanic eruptions cause climate change?

A

Volcanic eruptions release carbon-dioxide, warming the Earth but large eruptions of ash can also block sunlight and cool the Earth for small periods of time.

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19
Q

How do changes in the earths orbit cause climate change?

A

When it is more elliptical it is cooler as we receive less solar radiation.
When more spherical it is warmer. Right now, Earth’s orbit is becoming more elliptical.

20
Q

How does solar variations cause climate change?

A

When solar output is lower it may cause Earth to cool down.
When there are less sun spot it is cooler and when there are more it is warmer.

21
Q

How do asteroid collisions cause climate change.

A

Asteroid collisions throw dust clouds up, which block The Sun’s heat. This cools Earth.

22
Q

What is the greenhouse effect

A

The process through which heat is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by substances known as ‘greenhouse gases.’

23
Q

Why is the greenhouse effect important?

A

It keeps the Earth at a inhabitable temperature.

24
Q

What are periods of cooling and warming known as?

A

A cooling period is a glacial whereas a warming period is an inter glacial.

25
Q

What is the relationship between CO2 and temperature?

A

The more CO2 in the atmosphere the higher the temperatures are as it enhances the greenhouse effect.

26
Q

Examples of greenhouse gasses

A
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Methane (CH4)
  • Nitrous oxide (N2O)
  • Water vapor (H2O)
27
Q

Examples of fossil fuels

A
  • Coal
  • Petrol
  • Natural Gas
28
Q

What human activities are increasing greenhouse gasses?

A
  • Cows
  • Deforestation
  • Transportation
  • Rice farming
  • Energy production
  • Land fill
29
Q

How do cows increase greenhouse gasses?

A

Cows fart produce methane (CH₄) as a by-product

30
Q

How does deforestation increase greenhouse gasses?

A

Releases CO2 AND trees
can then absorb less CO2.

31
Q

How does transportation increase greenhouse gasses?

A

Burning petrol and diesel releases carbon-dioxide (CO2)

32
Q

How does rice farming increase greenhouse gasses?

A

Bacteria releases methane (CH₄) when it is growing.

33
Q

How does energy production increase greenhouse gasses?

A

Burning fossil fuels like oil/gas/coal releases CO2 and N2O

34
Q

How does land fill increase greenhouse gasses?

A

Decaying waste releases methane (CH₄) into the atmosphere.

35
Q

What is the albedo affect?

A

A measure of how reflective a surface is.
The ability for a surface to reflect sunlight.
e.g. sand, snow, concrete.

36
Q

What countries are affected by wildfires?

A

Australia
Indonesia
Morocco
USA

37
Q

What countries are affected by heatwaves?

A

USA
Spain
Japan
Pakistan

38
Q

What countries are affected by flooding?

A

Thailand
Oman
France
India

39
Q

What countries are affected by crop failure?

A
  • Madagascar
  • India
  • Mexico
  • Pakistan
  • Western Africa
40
Q

What are alpine glaciers

A

They form on mountainsides and move down through valleys. Sometimes they create U-shaped valleys by moving scree.

41
Q

What are ice sheets

A

They are not limited to mountainous areas.
They form broad domes and spread out from their centers in all directions.
They cover vast areas.

42
Q

How will climate change affect heatwaves?

A
  • In the next 10 years heatwaves will become 4.1x more likely.
  • Extreme heatwaves could make parts of the Middle East too hot for humans to endure.
  • Globally, an extra 4.9 million people will die each year from extreme heat should the average temperature raise beyond 2C.
43
Q

How will climate change affect crop failiure?

A
  • Madagascar is the first country at risk of ‘climate change famine’ after 4 years of almost no rain.
  • Extreme crop droughts (usually once a decade) will double if temperatures rise by over 2C.
  • Any further and a 3rd of all the world’s food production will be at risk.
44
Q

How will climate change affect wildfires?

A
  • Virtually all of North America and Europe will be at heightened risk of wildfires at 3C of heating.
  • Wildfires have large ripple effects e.g. 1 million children missing school in California.
  • By the end of the century, North America will all be at risk and the continent will regularly be smothered in smoke.
45
Q

How will climate change affect flooding?

A
  • Earth’s hotter climate is causing the atmosphere to hold more water, then releasing the water in the form of extreme precipitation events.
  • Unless action is taken 216 million people (mostly in developing countries) will have to leave their homes.
  • In 2020, the UK had 1 month of rainfall in 48 hours.