Global Warming Flashcards
What are impacts of global temperature increase
Impacts of global temperature increase are
Increase by 2 degrees 9% of corals lost
50% of insect habitats will be lost
Ice will melt in Arctic, rising sea levels and flooding
What are the issues with models of climate change
Issue with models of climate change are
Incomplete knowledge of how climate systems work
Can not take all variables that affect our climate into consideration correctly (e.g we don’t know exactly how much C02 is released)
We assume current trends will continue.
Why is past evidence adding to global warming a controversial issue
Past evidence adding to global warming is an issue because data is old and therefore may not be accurate
What could global temperature increase be caused by
Global temperature increase could be caused by natural fluctuations in solar activity (sunspots).
Other natural cycles e.g volcano eruption
How do volcanic eruptions affect global warming
Volcanic eruptions affect global warming because C02 is released in volcanic eruptions.
Why may research be wrong
Research may be wrong because a scientist could be biased depending on who is employing them and paying them to conduct research.
Why is 0-40degrees a good temp for organisms
0-40 degrees is suitable for organisms because below 0 metabolism stops because enzymes are inactive.
Enzymes denature at 40 degrees so there are fewer enzyme substrate complexes so less energy is released .
Why do people disagree with reducing fossil fuels
People disagree with using fossil fuels because no direct evidence C02 leads to global warming.
Removal of carbon sinks peat bogs, deforestation leads to increase in C02.
Some believe global warming is due to natural cycles e.g sunspots
Past evidence may be inaccurate because it’s old
There are limitations of climate change models
Scientists may be biased because they may be employed by a company with vested interest.
How does global warming happen
Global warming happens when greenhouse gases e.g CO2 increase e.g fossil fuel burning and these gases accumulate in the atmosphere. UV light (short wavelengths) passes through greenhouse gases but infrared radiation (long wave lengths) is absorbed by greenhouse gases, increasing GMST.
