glaciation key terms

Question 1

what is carbon dating?

Answer 1

using radioactive testing to find the age of rocks within contained living material

Question 2

what is erosion?

Answer 2

the weathering away of the landscape

Question 3

what is geology?

Answer 3

an earth science compromising the study of solid earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the process by which they change

Question 4

what is strata?

Answer 4

horizontal layers of rock

Question 5

what causes changes in global climate?

Answer 5

-milankovich cycles
-solar variations
-volcanic eruptions
-meteorological processes

Question 6

what is eccentricity? - milankovich

Answer 6

the earth changes orbit from circular to more elliptical therefore changing the amount of radiation received from the sun every 100,000 years

Question 7

what is wobble? - milankovich

Answer 7

axial tilt varies from 21.8 to 24.4 which changes the intensity of sunlight received at the poles, therefore changing the seasonality of the earths climate every 41,000 years
-the greater the tilt, the greater the difference between summer and winter

Question 8

what is tilt? - milankovich

Answer 8

the earth wobbles on its axis changing the point in the year at which the earth is closest to the sun causing long term changes to when different seasons occur, happens over a 21,000 year cycle

Question 9

what are solar variations?

Answer 9

sun spots on the earths surface, more sun spots mean more emissions increase the earths average temperatures which change between 0.5 to -0.5 happens when the sun is emitting more radiation in the form of flares

Question 10

how do volcanic eruptions effect global climate?

Answer 10

big explosive eruptions producing ash and sulphur dioxide gas rise high creating a blanket meaning solar energy is reflected back into space. which lasts 4-5 years

Question 11

what is a warm based (temperate glacier) ?

Answer 11

-water is present throughout the ice mass and acts as a lubricant
-this allows for greater rates of movement and therefore more erosion
-often found at mountain glaciers at lower latitudes and higher altitudes then polar glaciers

Question 12

what is a cold based (polar) glacier?

Answer 12

-occurs in high latitudes where snowfall is below 0
-no meltwater so little ice movement and little erosion
-e.g greenland and antarctica