Influence of Human Activities on Changes to Climate Flashcards
What is the anthropogenic greenhouse effect and how does it differ from the natural effect
An enhanced version of the natural greenhouse effect beginning in the Industrial Revolution. The difference is the source of greenhouse gases and the rate at which the climate is changing
What are some effects of climate change on human health
In addition to the effects on humans already discussed (loss of stock to fishing communities, reduction of terrestrial crops and livestock in agricultural communities, exposure to more extreme weather hazards, loss of glacial fresh water supplies in some communities, increased flooding of coastal cities and low-lying island communities), climate change can have a negative effect on human health
How is biome shift occuring
The open grasslands in some continents are shifting south (e.g. Great plains from the USA into Canada)
Ocean currents
* The shift of ocean currents through changes to water chemistry and conditions can affect the distribution of species
* Some animals migrate permanently into deeper colder waters
How are extreme heat events predicted to change in the future?
Increase in frequency, duration and intensity
What is the cryosphere?
It is the ice and snow (e.g. ice sheets, ice shelves, glaciers, etc). It has characteristics of both the hydrosphere and lithosphere
How has snowfall in Australia changed in the past?
It has been a measured reduction in approximately the past 70 years
What are the cryosphere trends in the Arctic?
The arctic is warming at nearly triple the rate of other places globally
What is the albedo effect?
The light ice causes increased reflection of solar radiation, whereas the darker ocean absorbs radiation and heat
This also applies to light and dark vegetation
How does the albedo effect cause a negative feedback loop in reducing Arctic ice sheets
The less ice there is, the more heat there will be, and the more heat there will be, the more and faster the ice will melt
What is permafrost
Permafrost is permanently frozen soil.
Where permafrost starts, the Northern tree line starts
What are the effects of melting permafrost?
- More water discharge into rivers, increased erosion
- Increased erosion brings nutrients and causes eutrophication
- New plants, more trees and bushed (on unfrozen soil)
What factors cause sea levels to change? Two main factors:
- Melting terrestrial ice (not sea ice)
- Thermal expansion
What is the effect of rising sea levels?
- Biome shift of mangroves: Mangroves have very specific requirements, such as regular tides and a fairly flat area
- Importance of mangroves
- Bramble cay malomy (Melomys rubicola) - first known species to be declared extinct due to anthropogenic climate change
How has the pH of ocean altered as a result of anthropogenic climate change?
It has decreased. As more CO2 interacts with water, it reacts to form carbonic acid. This interferes with calcereous organisms
What is the relationship between water temperature and dissolved oxygen content?
As water temperature increases, dissolved oxygen content decreases
We have experienced almost a 5% drop since the last century
