factors affecting climate change

Question 1

climate

Answer 1

the characteristic pattern of weather conditions within a region, including temperature, wind velocity, precipitation and other features, averaged over a long period of time

Question 2

what are 6 pieces of evidence that climate is changing?

Answer 2

ice sheet depths are decreasing
ocean levels are rising
oceans are acidifying
average global temperatures have increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius; 1.4 degrees in Ontario
wind patterns have changed over the past 50 years
precipitation patterns have changed over the past 50 years

Question 3

name 4 types of natural causes of climate change (global warming or cooling)

Answer 3

extraterrestrial
atmospheric factors
land and ocean factors
tectonic (terrestrial) factors

Question 4

what are 4 extraterrestrial causes of climate change?

Answer 4

changes in solar activity
movement of Earth in space
changes in the Earth’s rotation, orbit, and tilt
latitude

Question 5

what is changes in solar activity?

Answer 5

the amount of solar radiation fluctuates over time

Question 6

what contributes to changes in solar activity?

Answer 6

sunspots

Question 7

what are sunspots?

Answer 7

more radiation is emitted by the sun when the number of sunspots is high

Question 8

what patterns do sunspots follow?

Answer 8

an 11 year cycle of activity showing variations in solar output of approximately o.1%

Question 9

what is the movement of Earth in space?

Answer 9

Earth rotates and revolves constantly through space around the sun

Question 10

what causes seasons?

Answer 10

the Earth’s 23.5 degree tilted axis of rotation

Question 11

what is change in the Earth’s rotation, orbit, and tilt?

Answer 11

changes in movement or position can affect the intensity of solar radiation on different parts of the planet

Question 12

what contributes to changes in the Earth’s rotation, orbit, and tilt?

Answer 12

eccentricity
tilt
wobble

Question 13

what is eccentricity?

Answer 13

orbit in space changes from circular to elliptical over a period of 100 000 years; when more elliptical, the Earth receives more radiation when closest to the sun

Question 14

what is tilt?

Answer 14

Earth’s tilt varies between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees over a period of 41 000 years; the greater the tilt, the greater the temperature difference between summer and winter

Question 15

what is wobble?

Answer 15

the Earth “wobbles” slightly as it rotates since it is not a perfect sphere

Question 16

what is latitude?

Answer 16

sun’s rays hit Earth’s surface at different angles due to the curved shape of Earth; at latitudes north or south of the equator, sun’s rays spread over larger areas compared to equator–> the surface heats up less compared to the equator

Question 17

what is an atmospheric factor?

Answer 17

greenhouse gases

Question 18

what is a greenhouse gas?

Answer 18

gases in the atmosphere that absorb thermal energy

this helps the Earth to retain energy so that it does not fly off in space (the greenhouse effect)

Question 19

what would happen without the greenhouse effect?

Answer 19

life on Earth would not be possible, Earth would be a frozen wasteland

Question 20

what are 5 examples of greenhouse gases?

Answer 20

carbon dioxide
methane
nitrous oxide
ozone
water vapour

Question 21

what are 5 land and ocean factors?

Answer 21

convection currents
ocean currents
precipitation patterns 
heat capacity of water
albedo

Question 22

what are convection currents?

Answer 22

hot air rises, cold air sinks; creates wind patterns

Question 23

what are ocean currents?

Answer 23

oceans absorb and release energy
winds help to move ocean water
differences in temperature causes giant ocean currents like rivers under the water

Question 24

what are precipitation patterns?

Answer 24

wind and air masses create jet streams which are high altitude winds; impacts where and when rain falls

Question 25

what is heat capacity?

Answer 25

the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of a substance one degree Celsius
water absorbs a lot of solar energy before it evaporates and retains heat for a long time

Question 26

what is albedo?

Answer 26

lighter objects reflect solar energy; darker objects absorb solar energy
ice reflects solar energy so it may explain how ice ages progress faster and faster since more ice means more reflected solar energy

Question 27

what are 2 tectonic factors?

Answer 27

movement of tectonic plates

volcanic eruptions

Question 28

what is the movement of tectonic plates?

Answer 28

affects wind and ocean currents; can cause the release of greenhouse gases

Question 29

what are volcanic eruptions?

Answer 29

releases aerosols (tiny particles) that reflect solar radiation back into space
releases significant amounts of greenhouse gases
they can cause warming or cooling depending on the interaction of other factors

Question 30

what is an example of anthropogenic climate change?

Answer 30

anthropogenic

Question 31

what is anthropogenic?

Answer 31

resulting from human influence: release of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels; the release of carbon dioxide from storage on land and in the oceans