Global Climate: 2.2 Consequences of Climate Change

Question 1

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Answer 1

• Weather: the actual temperature or precipitation in a specific place on a specific day.
• Climate: general predictions based on weather patterns and averages over long periods of time.

Question 2

4 Examples of Extreme Weather Events in 2015 (DHIC)

Answer 2

• Droughts in Brazil, California, and Queensland.
• Heatwaves in Europe, India, and Pakistan.
• Intense rain or floods in Ghana, Texas, Myanmar.
• Cyclones in the South Pacific.

Question 3

Effects of Drought, Heatwaves, Flooding and Cyclones

Answer 3

• Drought in USA - Dried up wetlands, devastating the ecosystem. Loss of water, reduced crop production.
• Heatwave in Pakisatan - Many people in hospital, thousands dead.
• Flooding in Texas - damage of infrastructure, buildings and loss of life.
• Cyclone in Vanuatu - loss of life and increased homelessness.

Question 4

What is found in each sphere of the earch?

Answer 4

• Atmosphere: The mixture of gases that surround the earth.
  Troposphere = zone of motion and weather.
  Stratosphere = ozone, protection from UVB rays.
• Biosphere: Contains all living organisms.
• Hydrosphere: All of the water in every state (S,L,G). 97% in ocean.
  2/3 of fresh water in ice sheets.
  Includes groundwater in rocks and water in the atmosphere.

Question 5

What are the links between the hydrosphere and biosphere?

Answer 5

Hydrosphere gives biosphere water to drink.

Biosphere gives hydrosphere water from sweat.

Question 6

What are the links between the biosphere and atmosphere?

Answer 6

Atmosphere gives biosphere carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.
Biosphere gives atmosphere carbon dioxide and water vapour from respiration, as well as oxygen from photosynthesis.

Question 7

What are the links between the atmosphere and hydrosphere?

Answer 7

Atmosphere gives hydrosphere water by precipitation.
Hydrosphere gives atmosphere water by evaporation.
Atmosphere contains hydrosphere from water vapour that enters by evaporation and sublimation. (heating)
Higher temperatures = more evaporation.
Warmer air = higher capacity to hold water.

Question 8

In what ways will Climate Change impact the Hydrosphere? (6 things)

Answer 8

• Annual precipitation will increase in high altitudes, the equatorial Pacific + wet regions of the subtropics.
• Annual precipitation will decrease in the mid-latitudes and dry regions of the subtropics. Reduce water sources.
• Extreme weather events will be more frequent, longer, and more intense.
• Thermal expansion of oceans as water absorbs heat.
• Melting of snow and ice: glaciers of Mt. Kilimanjaro + the Andes are retreating. Ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic are shrinking. Snow cover is decreasing.
• Less ice storage = less river flow in summer = less water resources + hydroelectric power.

Question 9

Rising sea levels statistics.

Answer 9

Between 1901-2013 they rose by 20 cm and may rise by another 30-80 cm by end of 21st century.

Question 10

Where is flooding a risk and what are (5) impacts of it?

Answer 10

Over 40% of global pop. lives <100km to a coastline. Rising sea levels = increased risk of flooding.
Especially in low-lying, coastal regions: Netherlands, Bangladesh, Maldives.
- Damage to infrastructure, homes and industry (jobs)
- Risk to human life e.g. drowning
- Salinisation of agricultural land, less crop variety
- Contamination of freshwater
- Degradation of coastal ecosystems e.g/ wetlands, mangroves, beaches.

Question 11

Where is Carbon Stored/Released from?

Answer 11

Geosphere: stores majority of earth’s carbon:
80% in limestone + other calcium carbonate-based rocks. 20% in fossil fuels.
Human extraction + combustion of fossil fuels = releases carbon.
93% atmospheric carbon stored in ocean.

Question 12

How will Climate Change impact Ocean Absorption of carbon? (3)

Answer 12

• Absorption occurs most rapidly in cooler water.
• Warm water holds less gas so warmer temp. means that less carbon dioxide can be stored.
• Acid rain + pollutants = change the chemical composition of the oceans = damages fragile ecosystems that cycle the carbon.

Question 13

How will Climate Change impact Sea Ice Carbon Storage?

Answer 13

Large areas of sea ice are melting = positive feedback loop because sea ice removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The chemical processes involved in the formation of sea ice have a significant impact on the carbon cycle.

Question 14

Global Temperature Predictions by 2100

Answer 14

If GHG emissions reduce + increase CO2 absorption (forestation) = global temp. will increase by 0.3 to 1.7°C.
If high GHG emissions continue, temps. could rise by 2.6 to 4.8°C.

Question 15

What will climate change do to the terrestrial biosphere?

Answer 15

Temperature rise will increase organism migration, competition for survival, increased pest species, extinction.
Increased geographical range of animals brings risk to local species. E.G. Prizzly bear.
Increased risk of drought and wildfires and desertification.

Question 16

What will climate change do to the aquatic biosphere?

Answer 16

Warm-water fish out-competing cold-water fish.
Salmon/trout = could lose 50% of their habitat by 2080.
Saltwater intrudes freshwater = species relocate/die. Species lost from food chains/webs, disrupting ecosystem.
Sea ice ecosystems = reduced duration and extent.
Ocean acidification:
Coral reefs risk coral bleaching.
Coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef could drop to less than 10% from ocean temp rise + pollution = may never recover.
Reduction in reproduction, growth and development of marine organisms. Unable to form calcium carbonate shells or skeletal features.

Question 17

How will climate change impact animal migration? Give an example of a species that have migrated early and consequences.

Answer 17

Migratory species = move in response to seasonal changes. Climate change = alter timing of migration and mating. For example, warmer temperatures could result in some birds nesting and having offspring earlier.
28 species of migratory bird that winter in the south are returning north 13 days earlier in spring than a century ago.
Early migration = lack of food sources = higher mortality rates.

Question 18

How is carbon stored and released in the biosphere? (give percentages of carbon from forests and deforestation)

Answer 18

80% above-ground and 30% below-ground carbon is stored in forests, 45% carbon in Russian Taiga and Amazonia.
12 million hectares of forest and woodland lost each year, adding 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere.
Rising temp is increasing soil decomposition rates, increasing CO2.

Question 19

Examples of Extreme Heat Weather Events and the Hottest Day in July in the UK

Answer 19

75 countries have new record high temps but only 15 have record lows.
In 2010, 19 countries saw record high temps and none set lows.
30% of the new record highs set in Europe are attributed to global climate change.
1 July 2015 in UK: 36.7°C: level 3 ‘heatwave action’ alert was declared for the whole of England.
A large fire consumed 12 hectares of Forest in Norfolk.
A lorry carrying batteries burst, closing M1 motorway.
London was hotter that Rome and Athens.
Scotland and north-east England suffered severe thunderstorms, torrential rain + hailstones.

Question 20

Consequences of Extreme Heat on Cold + Deep Freeze USA Example

Answer 20

Shrinking snowcover and mountain glaciers.
Winter freeze = late and spring thaw = early, resulting in two weeks less freeze annually.

North-eastern USA, 13 February 2016
A cold front across the Great Lakes.
Temps below –17.8°C.
Wind chill warnings due to 72 km/h winds.
Official shelters available for homeless.
Occurred after several weeks of unseasonably warm weather.

Question 21

Extreme precipitation: Drought case study

Answer 21

2008 in southern India.

• High surface temperatures in Indian Ocean caused a shift in the monsoon rains.
• The whole of central India had a 50% reduction in monsoon rains.
• The rest of India received over 90% of the expected rainfall.
• The shift in monsoons may force a change in cropping patterns.

Question 22

Climate Change Effects on Agriculture

Answer 22

• Extreme precipitation/temp. reduces crop growth, desiccates plants or washes them away completely.
• Seasonal shifts in temp. range = significant problems for fruit crops.
• Higher summer temperatures cause heat stress in crops + drier/less fertile soil + livestock mortality, vulnerability, productivity.
• Decreased food supply for livestock.
• Risk of salinisation is increased as higher temperatures increase evaporation.
• Weeds, pests and fungi produce more in warm conditions –> may result in some diseases spreading from low to mid-latitudes.
• Crops may expand to higher latitudes.

Question 23

Overall impacts of climate change

Answer 23

Ecosystems, human health, fresh water resources and agriculture.
Food security
Species are migrating, trees are dying.

Question 24

Risk, Vulnerability, Perception and Resilience Definitions

Answer 24

RISK - the probability of an event causing harmful consequences

VULNERABILITY - The susceptibility of a community to the impacts of a hazard event.

Perception - your opinion on climate change

Resilience - the degree to which people can cope with the impacts of climate change

Question 25

Examples of Adaptations

Answer 25

Adaptation:

• Flood barriers and improved drainage
• Farmers change planting time or use different varieties
• New climate-smart buildings with green roofs for reduced flooding and cooling
• Durban, SA: 2008 Buffelsdraai landfill site: community reforestation project. Plant 1/2 million indigenous trees to offset CO2 emissions from 2010 world cup.

Question 26

Adaptation and Mitigation definition:

Answer 26

Adaptations are actions to reduce our vulnerability to climate change. Changing the way we live to cope with global warming to help in the short run. E.G. Planting trees, changing water systems, heat emergency action plans.

Mitigation is about decreasing energy use and carbon emissions such as using a bike, on a much larger scale.

Question 27

5 Examples of Mitigation

Answer 27

• Carbon Taxing: forces consumers to adpot new technologies to reduce CO2 emissions. Greater impact on low-income households.
• Carbon Offsetting: neutralisaing emissions by investing in projects which offset them. E.G. forestation, community initiatives.
• Carbon Trading: buying and selling carbon between companies. Mainly used by EU.
• Alternative fuels E.G. Geo-thermal, solar, HEP, wind, tidal.
• France Green roofs, rooftops in commercial zones must be partially covered in plants or solar panels.

Question 28

Human impacts of climate change: examples of direct, biospheric and indrect impacts.

Answer 28

Direct: changes in the atmospheric system: temp, rain, extreme weather.

• Heatwaves = heart + breathing problems.
• Occupational health risk –> heatstroke and death.
• Europe 2003 - 35 thousand deaths.

Biosphere

• Increased geog. ranges + survival rates + reproduction of disease vectors; E.G. mosquitoes that carry malaria.
• Greater precipitation increases habitat for mosquitoes, which carry malaria.
• Malaria already kills 300,000 children under 5 years old yearly –> predicted increase up to 15% by 2100.
• Desertification

Indirect: a result of direct changes + the biosphere:

• Lack of access to safe drinking water as supply pipes are destroyed or contamination
• Poor sanitation and ruptured sewage pipes mix with floodwaters = cholera and typhoid.
• Resource availability: destroy entire crops, water supplies ecosystems degraded.
• Migration: By 2050 = 150 million environ. refugees from coastal flooding, erosion and agricultural disruption.

Question 29

Human Vulnerability disparity:

Answer 29

• People in low-lying areas will suffer more frequent flooding.
• Coastal plains and small islands will be hit by storms + sea level rises.
• Areas with already poor air quality, as in Beijing and many other Chinese cities.
• The very young and the very old are less temperature tolerant + more susceptible to disease.
• HICs can implement adaptation + recover from extreme events.
• People in LIC’s have poorer-quality homes, worse health care and lower access to nutritious food, and no funds to recover and rebuild communities.

Question 30

How is climate change impacting ocean transport?

Answer 30

Increased range of temperatures = cracking and buckling in roads, railways and runways.

Rising sea levels and changes in erosion and sedimentation are altering shipping routes and ports:

The shrinking ice caps around North Pole = shorter shipping routes could increase trade 10% and decrease shipping distance by 37% to Japan.

Northern sea routes will be open all year by 2030.
Southern nations = reduction in shipping through the canal = negative impact on Egypt = lose revenue as fewer ships pass through.