Geography YEar 4 Climate Change Flashcards
What is Global Climate Change, how long can it last and what issit caused by?
- GCC refers to Long-term variation in global climate (temperature, precipitation, wind patterns).
- it Can last for several decades or longer.
- it’s Caused by natural variability or human activities (anthropogenic factors).
Flashcard 2: What is Global Warming and How Has Climate Changed Over Time?
- Global warming → long-term rise in Earth’s temperature.
- Earth’s temperature ↑ 0.74°C in the last century.
- Glacial period (18,000 years ago) → cooler temperatures, large ice sheets.
- Interglacial period → rising temperatures, melting ice sheets.
How Do Sunspots Affect Earth’s Climate + what type of cycle do they follow?
- The areas surrounding sunspots radiate more energy → increasing solar radiation.
- More sunspots → more solar radiation → higher temperatures on Earth.
- Sunspot numbers follow an 11-year cycle of rising and falling.
what are sunspots?
Sunspots are areas on the Sun with lower temperatures.
How Do Large Volcanic Eruptions Affect Earth’s Climate?
Greenhouse gases (CO₂ & water vapor) → Absorb infrared radiation → trap heat → long-term warming.
Sulfur based particles + Ash + dust reflect sunlight → Scatter and reflect solar radiation, causing temporary cooling.
Cooling from volcanic aerosols alters global wind patterns → affects ocean currents and monsoon systems.
OVERALL volcanic eruptions offset greenhouse gas emissions -> cooling down earth BUT they distrupt the lives of locals
How Do Volcanic Particles Affect Temperature?
- Sulfur-based particles, dust, and ash absorb and reflect solar energy → reducing sunlight reaching Earth.
- This temporarily lowers global temperatures by offsetting the greenhouse effect.
Example of Volcanic Eruption Impact on Climate
Mount Pinatubo (1991):
Global temperature drop: 0.6°C
Cooling effect lasted for 15 months.
What is the Greenhouse Effect and the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?
- The greenhouse effect is a natural process where greenhouse gases trap heat (longwave radiation) emitted from Earth’s surface.
- The enhanced greenhouse effect occurs when human activities increase greenhouse gas concentrations, leading to higher global temperatures.
How Do Human Actions Contribute to the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?
- Burning fossil fuels → produces large amounts of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases → intensifies the enhanced greenhouse effect.
- Changing land use (agriculture, urbanization, deforestation) → releases greenhouse gases and reduces CO₂ absorption by trees.
How Does Deforestation Contribute to the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?
- Deforestation → reduces the number of trees that absorb CO₂ → releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere.
- Clearing forests → exposes soil to sunlight → increases soil temperature and carbon oxidation rate.
How Does Changing Land Use Contribute to the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect (cont.)?
- Land use changes (e.g., agriculture, urbanization, deforestation) → releases greenhouse gases and reduces CO₂ absorption by trees.
- Land use activities → burning fossil fuels → adds more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
How Do Livestock Rearing and Decomposition Contribute to the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?
- Livestock rearing → releases methane → contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect.
- Natural decomposition → releases methane into the atmosphere.
How Does greenhouse gas Affect Ocean Temperatures?
- Most heat trapped by greenhouse gases is absorbed by oceans.
- Average ocean temperatures have been increasing, but this warming is uneven, with some areas warming faster than others.
What Are the Contributors to the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect? (6)
- Deforestation
- Changing land use
- Burning fossil fuels
- Livestock rearing
- Natural decomposition
- Paddy fields
How Do Paddy rice Fields Contribute to the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?
Paddy rice fields → rapid decomposition due to high amt of moisture in soil → high methane emissions → contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect.
How Does Climate Change Affect Ocean Circulation and define global ocean circulation?
- Global ocean circulation is the large-scale movement of water.
- Warm water moves from the equator to the poles, cools, becomes denser, and sinks.
- As climate change heats surface waters, sinking at the poles reduces, slowing down ocean circulation (e.g., Atlantic currents have slowed by 15%).
Why is Ocean Circulation Important? (3)
- Warm ocean currents warm coastal areas, giving milder winter temperatures.
- Warm waters evaporate faster, leading to rainfall in affected areas.
- Cold ocean waters bring nutrients to the surface, supporting phytoplankton growth.
How Does Melting Ice Impact Climate and Water Resources?
- Melting ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost release freshwater in the short term, improving water security.
- However, in the long term, loss of ice reduces surface runoff and contributes to flooding risks.
- Permafrost melting can release ancient viruses and microorganisms, posing health risks to humans.
What is the Impact of Melting Permafrost on Health?
- Resurrected viruses: Examples include 15,000-year-old viruses under Tibetan ice and ancient nematodes from Siberian soil.
- These can pose a health risk as they may infect humans.
How Does Climate Change Affect Disease Migration?
-Tropical diseases (e.g., malaria, dengue) are moving to higher latitudes due to changing climates.
- More areas are now at risk, adding to the disease burden and creating economic and social challenges.
What Are the Positive Effects of Arctic Ice Melting?
- Arctic melting opens up trade routes.
- Shipping traffic has increased in the Arctic region due to longer periods of passable sea ice.
- However, this also creates political tension as powerful countries vie for control over the region.
How Does Rising Ocean Temperature Affect Sea Level and what does rising sea levels lead to?
- Thermal expansion of sea water due to higher temperatures increases sea levels.
How Does Rising Sea Level Impact Agriculture and fisheries?
- Rising sea levels → seawater contaminates groundwater → threatens freshwater fisheries + increases risk of waterborne diseases.
- Rising sea levels → floods padi fields → reduces agricultural yields/destroys crops → affects food security
How Does Rising Sea Level Affect Migration?
- Rising sea levels force people from low-lying areas to migrate to cities or other countries.
- This climate-induced migration can bring challenges to host countries, such as overcrowding and resource strain.
How Are High-Income Countries (HICs) Adapting to Rising Sea Levels?
- HICs, like Singapore, are investing in technology (e.g., sea walls and embankments) to manage rising sea levels.
- However, less affluent regions lack the resources to adopt such technologies.
How Do Warmer Waters Affect Marine Life?
- Warmer waters cause marine life to migrate to cooler areas.
- This affects fish stocks in warmer regions, threatening food security.
-Some regions, such as Portugal, benefit from larger fish stocks due to warmer waters.
How Are Countries Adapting to Changes in Marine Life Migration?
- Countries are adapting through aquaculture or importing fish.
- However, not all countries have the resources to practice aquaculture or afford fish imports.
How Will Climate Change Affect Precipitation in Wet Regions?
- Wet regions are expected to get wetter, with increased precipitation.
- Warmer air holds more water vapor, leading to increased evaporation.
- Excessive precipitation will be more common in areas with surface water.
How Will Climate Change Affect Precipitation in Dry Regions?
- Dry regions are expected to get drier, with decreased precipitation.
- Increased temperatures increase evaporation, reducing surface water and drying out soil and vegetation.
- Dry seasons will likely get drier, increasing the frequency of droughts.
The impacts of climate change on natural systems:
(4)
- Increase in atmospheric and ocean surface temperatures
- Changes to ocean circulations
- Changes in precipitation on land
- Impact on ecosystems
How Does Climate Change Threaten Coral Reefs?
- Coral bleaching caused by warming waters threatens coral reefs.
- Coral reefs are highly sensitive to changes in temperature, making them vulnerable to climate change.
What is Ocean Acidification and How Does It Affect Aquatic Life?
Increase in CO₂ emissions → oceans absorb more CO₂ → formation of carbonic acid → dissolves calcium carbonate → shellfish & corals struggle to build skeletons/shells → threatens their survival.
_ Since the Industrial Revolution, ocean acidity has increased by 25%, disrupting aquatic ecosystems.
How Does Ocean Acidification Affect Marine Food Webs?
- Ocean acidification threatens species like shellfish and corals, disrupting the marine food chain.
- Marine life that depends on these species, like certain fish, will also be affected.
How Does Slowing Ocean Circulation Disrupt Marine Food Webs?
- Slower ocean circulation reduces mixing of warm surface water with cooler, deeper waters.
- This separates phytoplankton from nutrients, leading to a drop in phytoplankton.
- The loss of phytoplankton affects the marine food chain.
How Does Warming Ocean Temperatures Affect Marine Species?
- Warming oceans lead to the migration of aquatic species to cooler areas.
- Species typically move polewards and into deeper waters, shifting geographic distribution.
- This results in decreased diversity in equatorial regions and increased diversity in poleward regions.
How Does Climate Change Affect the Composition of Aquatic Ecosystems?
- As species move to new areas, the mix of prey, predators, and competitors in ecosystems changes.
- This disrupts existing food webs and changes the composition of aquatic ecosystems.
How Will Climate Change Affect Some Marine Species that migrated/cant migrate?
- Some species will flourish, while others will not.
- Species that can migrate may thrive in new areas.
- Species like corals that cannot migrate may face local or global extinction.
Global climate change slows down ____ which leads to ____
- ocean circulation
- less temp regulation
What are factors affecting evaporation and how does the (1) factor strengthen precipitation pattern RECAP? (2)
- temperature
- temp ↑, evaporation ↑, water vapour reaches dew point, condensation (wet places get wetter -> CC strengthening precipitation patterns
- temp ↑, air parcel ↑, relative humidty ↓
(dry places get drier)
- presence of wate rbodies
Explain how aquatic animals may die from suffocation.
just say that ocean temperature ↑ so ocean can’t contain as much oxygen as usual so animals die from suffocation
How Does Climate Change Affect Terrestrial Ecosystems?
- Geographic distribution of species changes as they move polewards to find suitable climates → change in the composition of terrestrial ecosystems → disrupting food webs.
- Invasion of foreign species can further impact native ecosystems → disrupting existing food webs + changes to terrestrial ecosystems
What Happens When Terrestrial Species Can/cannot Adapt?
- Some species flourish, while others decline if they cannot find suitable habitats to migrate to.
- Mountain species may have nowhere to go if temperatures become too high.
- Plants that cannot move may decline if they fail to adapt to rising temperatures.
How Do Droughts Impact Terrestrial Ecosystems and fauna and flora sepcifically?
- strengthening of/changes in precipitation patterns → dry places get drier → droughts
- Plants are vulnerable to droughts since they cannot move to find water.
- Weakened plants are more prone to disease and insect attacks.
- Animals face food shortages, leading to possible extinction.
- Animals migrate in search of water and food, potentially spreading diseases (e.g., cholera).
How Does Excessive Precipitation Affect Terrestrial Ecosystems?
- Intense rainfall can cause floods, destroying habitats.
- Terrestrial species may drown or lose their habitat.
What are the Direct Impacts of Climate Change on Humans?
Extreme weather events:
→ Heatwaves
→ Droughts
→ Floods
→ Tropical cyclones
→ Wildfires
These events cause social and economic impacts on humans.
Flashcard 2: What are the Indirect Impacts of Climate Change on Humans?
Affects:
→ Provisioning ecosystem services
→ Regulating ecosystem services
→ Cultural ecosystem services
How Does Climate Change Affect Heatwaves and what are they?
- Heatwaves = periods of excessively hot weather, usually lasting for days or longer.
- Temperatures can exceed 40°C.
- Climate change → higher temperatures → heatwaves become more intense and frequent.
How Does Climate Change Contribute to Droughts and what are they?
- Drought = prolonged period of low precipitation, leading to water shortages.
- Climate change increases evaporation rates, worsening drought conditions.
How Does Climate Change Contribute to Floods and when do floods occur?
- Flooding occurs when an area experiences excessive precipitation over a long period.
- Climate change strengthens existing precipitation patterns → wet regions become wetter.
How Does Climate Change Affect Tropical Cyclones?
- Tropical cyclones = intense storms over warm tropical oceans, bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges.
- Climate change → warmer oceans & more water vapor → stronger, more intense cyclones.
How Does Climate Change Affect Wildfires and what are they?
- Wildfires = uncontrolled fires in forests and grasslands.
- Climate change → warmer & drier conditions → more dry vegetation → wildfires start easily and spread rapidly.
How Does Climate Change Affect Crop Yield?
- Extreme temperatures and changes in precipitation disrupt optimal growing conditions for crops.
- Floods and droughts harm crops and reduce yields.
- These changes affect food security and economic livelihoods, especially in farming regions.
- Living organisms reliant on crops are also negatively impacted.
How Does Climate Change Affect Fish Production?
Impacts on Fish Production:
Positive and negatuve
Negative Impacts:
- Climate change causes fish species to migrate to higher latitudes.
- This reduces the availability of fish in some regions.
- Affects food security and economic livelihoods in affected areas.
Positive Impacts:
New areas with more diverse fish species could benefit economically and socially.
Impact of Heatwaves on Humans (social and economic)
Social Impacts:
- Heatwaves lead to heat strokes, breathing difficulties, and death.
- Health issues, including respiratory illnesses, increase.
Economic Impacts:
- Damage to infrastructure and reduced worker productivity.
- Crop failure threatens food security, leading to higher food prices.
Impact of Droughts on Humans (social and economic)
Social Impacts:
- Water shortages lead to the spread of diseases.
- Lack of clean water results in dehydration and death.
Economic Impacts:
- Crop failure reduces agricultural production, leading to food insecurity.
- Increased poverty due to the loss of livelihoods in affected areas.
Impact of Floods on Humans (social and economic)
Social Impacts:
- Loss of lives, displacement, and destruction of homes.
- Increased risks of diseases and health impacts due to poor sanitation.
Economic Impacts:
- Destruction of property and infrastructure results in economic loss.
- Damage to crops threatens food security, leading to higher food prices.
How Does Climate Change result in Vector-Borne Diseases and what service is this under?
REGULATING SERVICES
Increase in Vector-Borne Diseases:
- Warmer temperatures provide a better environment for mosquitoes and ticks to survive.
- These vectors are able to move to higher latitudes and altitudes, spreading diseases.
Negative Impacts of Climate Change -> Vector-Borne Diseases negatuve imapcts
- More people are at risk of vector-borne diseases.
- Increased illness and loss of life.
- Higher healthcare costs for affected countries.
- Reduced productivity due to illness.
- How Does Climate Change Affect Cultural Services (Melting of Arctic Ice)?
- Negative Impacts of Melting Arctic Ice on Cultural Practices
- Climate change causes Arctic ice to melt.
- Disrupts cultural practices of indigenous Arctic people.
- Affects traditional activities such as food storage in ice cellars and the use of sled dogs.
- How Does Climate Change Affect Cultural Services (Degradation of Natural Landscapes)?
- Negative Impacts of Degradation of Natural Landscapes
- Climate change leads to the degradation of natural landscapes.
- natural landscapes are major attractions in some regions.
- negaively affects tourism industry
Gimme the 2 indirect impact of CC on humans (cultural services)?
- melting arctic ice
- degradation of natural landscape
gimme the 1 indirect impact of CC on humans (regulating services)?
increase in vector borne dieseases
gimme the 2 indirect impact of CC on humans (provisioning services)?
- impacts on fish industry
- impacts on crop yield
what are the anthropogenic factors and what do they lead to
- buring fossil fuels
- changing lands use
- deforestation
- agriculture
- industies
- urbanisation
enhanced greenhoue effect
what are the flooding and disease aspect of rsing sea levels?
- This leads to flooding of low-lying areas and may cause some countries (e.g., Kiribati, Maldives) to disappear.
- Rising sea levels →increases risk of waterborne diseases.
What are the natural causes of climate change
- Changes in the Earth’s orbit and angle of tilt.
- Occurrences of sunspots
- Large-scale volcanic eruptions.
What Causes Changes in Earth’s Orbit Shape?
The gravitational pull of Jupiter and Saturn causes Earth’s orbit to shift from nearly circular to slightly elliptical over time.
When the orbit is most elliptical:
When the orbit is most elliptical:
→ More solar radiation at the closest point to the Sun.
→ Less solar radiation at the farthest point from the Sun.
when is more spherical both hemispheres receive almost the same amount of solar radiation
How Does Earth’s Tilt Change Over Time?
Earth’s axis tilts between 21.5° and 24.5° over thousands of years (currently 23.5°)
Changes in _____ due to orbit shape shifts can lead to_____
Changes in solar radiation due to orbit shape shifts can lead to long-term climate variations, including ice ages and warming periods.
What Happens When Earth’s Tilt Decreases?
- Hemispheres lean further from the Sun.
- Winters become warmer, summers become cooler.
- Ice sheets can grow, leading to global cooling.
What do Earth’s Tilt influence?
Variations in tilt influence seasonal temperature differences, contributing to ice ages and long-term climate shifts.
