Natural Climate Change

Question 1

The Earth’s Climate is Always ____________.

Answer 1

Changing.

Question 2

The ______________ Period is the most Recent Geological Time Period, Spanning from about 2.6 Million Years Ago to the Present Day.

Answer 2

Quaternary.

Question 3

In the Period Before the ______________, the Earth’s Climate was __________ and Quite Stable.

Answer 3

Quaternary…Warmer…

Question 4

During the Quaternary, _________ Temperature has Shifted between ______ Glacial Periods that last for around 100,000 Years, and ___________ Interglacial Periods that Last for 10,000 Years.

Answer 4

Global…Cold…Warmer…

Question 5

The Last Glacial Period _________ around 15,000 Years Ago. Since then, the Climate has been ___________.

Answer 5

Ended…Warming…

Question 6

What are the Four Natural Causes of Climate Change?

Answer 6

• Orbital Changes.
• Volcanic Activity.
• Solar Output.
• Asteroid Collisions.

Question 7

Orbital Changes are ______________ in the way the Earth moves round the Sun.

Answer 7

Variations.

Question 8

The Stretch (known as ________________) is where the Path of the Earth’s Orbit around the Sun changes from an almost Perfect Circle to an ___________ and back again every ________ Years.

Answer 8

Eccentricity…Ellipse…96,000…

Question 9

The Tilt is the where the Earth’s Axis is __________ at an Angle as it _________ the Sun. This Tilt Changes over a Cycle of about _________ Years.

Answer 9

Tilted…Orbits…41,000…

Question 10

The Wobble (also called the ______________) is where the Axis of the Earth ___________ like a Spinning Top on a Cycle of about __________ Years.

Answer 10

Precession…Wobbles…22,000…

Question 11

The Orbital Change Cycles affect the Amount of Solar ____________ (Energy) the Earth receives. If the Earth receives more Energy, it gets __________.

Answer 11

Radiation…Warmer…

Question 12

Orbital Changes may have caused the Glacial and Interglacial __________ of the _______________ Period.

Answer 12

Cycles…Quaternary…

Question 13

Major Volcanic Activities Eject Large Quantities of Material (____) into the _______________. Some of these Particles ___________ the Sun’s Rays back out to Space, so the Earth’s Surface _______.

Answer 13

Ash…Atmosphere…Reflects…Cools…

Question 14

Volcanic Activity may cause Short-Term Changes in the __________ (the Eruption in Indonesia in 1815 caused a ‘Year Without ___________’ the following Year).

Answer 14

Climate…Summer…

Question 15

The Sun’s Output of Energy isn’t ____________ - it Changes in Short Cycles of about ____ Years.

Answer 15

Constant…11…

Question 16

Periods when Solar Output is _____________ may cause the Earth’s Climate to become ___________.

Answer 16

Reduced…Cooler…

Question 17

The Maunder Minimum was a Period of Reduced ________ Activity between 1645 and 1715 which Coincided with the Little Ice Age.

Answer 17

Solar.

Question 18

Asteroids Hitting the Earth’s Surface can Throw Up Huge Amounts of _______ into the ______________ - these Particles Prevent the Sun’s Energy from Reaching the Earth’s Surface so Global Temperatures _____.

Answer 18

Dust…Atmosphere…Fall…

Question 19

Some Scientists Believe that an Asteroid Collision caused a Period of Global __________ around ________ Years Ago.

Answer 19

Cooling…12000…

Question 20

What are the Three Different Ways in which Scientists can Work Out how the Climate has Changed over Time?

Answer 20

• Tree Rings.
• Ice Cores.
• Historical Records.

Question 21

Most Trees Produce _____ Ring within their Trunks every ______. The Thickness of the Ring Depends on the __________ when the Ring was Formed. Scientists take Cores through Tree Trunks then Date each ______ by Counting them.

Answer 21

One…Year…Climate…Ring…

Question 22

Ice Sheets are made up of Layers of _____ - One Layer is Formed each ______. Scientists Drill into Ice Sheets to get Long _______ of Ice. By Analysing the ______ Trapped in the Layers of Ice, they can tell what the Temperature was each Year.

Answer 22

Ice…Year…Cores…Gases…

Question 23

Historical Records (Diaries and Paintings) can Extend a Record of __________ Change Back. Historical Diaries can Show what the Climate was like in the ______. Paintings of Fairs and Markets on Frozen Rivers Show that __________ in Europe were Regularly much Colder 500 Years Ago than Now.

Answer 23

Climate…Past…Winters…

Question 24

Which Two Sources have been Used to Reconstruct the UK’s Past Climate?

Answer 24

• Medieval Warm Period.

- Little Ice Age.

Question 25

The _______________ Warm Period was a Period of Warming Between ____ and _____. Harvest Records show that England was Warm Enough to Grow Large Amounts of _________. Tree Ring Data Suggests this was also the Case during Roman Times.

Answer 25

Medieval…900…1300…Grapes…

Question 26

The Little Ice Age was a Period of __________ that followed the Medieval ______ Period. Paintings from the _____ Century show the London Frost Fairs, which took place on a Frozen River Thames. Historical Records Talk about Arctic _____ Reaching Scotland.

Answer 26

Cooling…Warm…17th…Ice…