Natural and Anthropogenic Causes of climate change

Question 1

Natural - Volcanic Eruptions

Answer 1

• Volcanic eruption influences climate due to gases.
• The SO2 gas in the stratosphere reflects heat outside the Earth which creates a short-term cooling effect.
• take years before the cooling effect disappears completely creating a ‘volcanic winter’ such as Mount Tambora 1815 eruption North America and Europe had a ‘Year without summer’.
• global temperature decreases by 0.4°- 0.7° and causes widespread crop failure in the population.
• co2 released into the atmosphere does not inherently lead to long term climate change but could create short-term warming effects felt by surrounding regions

Question 2

Anthropogenic - Deforestation

Answer 2

• release of CO2 in the atmosphere through the clearing of trees’ carbon storage.
• The rate of deforestation was estimated at ten million hectares per year between 2015 and 2020.
• Trees and other plants absorb CO2 through photosynthesis.
• CO2 is converted into organic carbon and stored in the fibres of the plant (in the roots, trunk, branches, and leaves).