Natural Causes of Climate Change case study

Question 1

What are the natural causes of climate change?

Answer 1

• eccentricity
• precession
• axial tilt
• solar activity
• volcanic activity

Question 2

How does eccentricity cause climate change?

Answer 2

• Earth’s orbit around sun changed from circular to elliptical to circular again
• closer and further away from sun
• every 100,000 years
• causes temperatures to fluctuate by 5-6*C

Question 3

How does precession cause climate change?

Answer 3

• Earth wobbles on axis, North and South hemispheres pointed more or less directly at sun
• every 26,000 years
• temperatures fluctuates by 2-3*C

Question 4

How does axial tilt cause climate change?

Answer 4

• Earth’s axis changes over time so hemispheres point more or less directly at sun
• axis changes between 21.5 and 24.5 degrees
• temperatures fluctuates by 2-3*C

Question 5

How does solar activity cause climate change?

Answer 5

• sunspot is a dark patch on sun’s surface
• explosions are called solar flares
• sunspot activity means sun gives off more heat
• 11 year period
• can create ‘Little Ice Ages’

Question 6

How does volcanic activity cause climate change?

Answer 6

• violent eruptions blast ash, has and liquids into atmosphere
• ash can block out the sun
• sulphur dioxide reflects solar radiation
• CO2 acts as a greenhouse gas
• can last for weeks, months, years or longer
• can both lower and raise temperatures