Paper 1 - Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Question 1

What is extreme weather?

Answer 1

Weather that’s significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern. E.g.

• flooding
• drought
• storms
• flash floods

Question 2

Britain has been regularly hit by extreme unusual weather events.

Answer 2

We regularly get low pressure depressions from the west which being heavy rain and cause flooding but we’ve been getting extreme flooding e.g. 2009 in Cockermouth, Cumbria over a months worth of rain in 24 hours ( 317mm) and lead to the flooding of 1300 homes. It then happened 6 years later which can be attributed to global warming.
A drought is an extended period of low or no rainfall. A heatwave is a period of higher then usual hot temperatures. In July 2019 a temperature of 38.7 was recorded at Cambridge Botanic Gardens setting a new high temperature in the UK.
Exceptionally cold winters bring snow last year the ‘Beast from the East’ with temps exceeding -10’C

Question 3

Causes of the Cockermouth, Cumbria flood 2009:

Answer 3

• A months worth of rainfall: 31.7cm fell in 24 hours
• the soil was already saturated from a previous rainstorm so the rain flowed overland into 2 rivers : River Cocker and River Derwent
• Cockermouth sits in the valley where these 2 rivers meet so the extra rain meant the rivers flooded
• the town centre flooded with a 2.5m high flood of water, mud and sewage

Question 4

Social effects of the Cumbria floods:

Answer 4

Police Officer Bill Barker was killed when a bridge in Workington collapsed. Many more people were injured and 1,500 homes were flooded, causing great distress. River water contaminated with sewage brought health risked. 200 were evacuated - 50 by helicopter.

Question 5

Economical effects of the Cumbria floods of 2009:

Answer 5

The regional economy was instantly hit. Many businesses closed and didn’t open till long afterwards. Debris transported by the river destroyed 6 important regional bridges. 3051 businesses were affected. Insurance claims totalled £100 mill

Question 6

Environmental effects of Cumbria floods 2009:

Answer 6

At the peak flow, water erosion by river Derwent triggered landslides along its banks. The river tore loose and carried away hundreds of trees, damaging local ecosystems and habitats.

Question 7

Management to reduce risk: preparation

Short term

Answer 7

Met Office we’re monitoring rainfall and River’s Agency monitored river levels which the Environmental Agency (EA) used to call an evacuation of Cockermouth town centre but they left it too late so some shoppers/ workers had to be rescued. Warnings went out via text and news for those who had to be rescued by the fire service. 200 people were rescued and 50 of them by helicopter.

Question 8

Management to reduce risk: protection

Long term

Answer 8

They had £4.4 million management scheme. New defence walls and new floodgates at the back of houses in Waterloo street.

Question 9

But when the rivers flooded again in 2015, the river went over the river flood walls as they weren’t high enough

Answer 9

Bad planning

Question 10

Short term was relatively effective and successful as funds were raised and the government provided £1 million to help with clean up and repairs for bridges also, 1800 bridges were checked, temporary footbridge to walk on, ATM machines and extra buses.

Answer 10

The Cumbria Flood Recovery fundraised £1 mill in 10 days 4 homeowners and small businesses

Question 11

Evidence that weather is becoming more extreme in the UK

Answer 11

Cockermouth flooded in 2008 and then 6 years later in 2015 which shows the weather is getting more extreme because a months worth of rainfall fell in 24 hours. The new £4.4 million flood defences e.g. floating flood walls were not high enough and so the town flooded again

Question 12

Quarternary period to the present day

Answer 12

The period of time that stretches from 2.6 mill years ago to the present day. This period marks the time when there was a global temp drop and the most recent ice age began. It’s thought that the Earth has experienced 5 ice ages in its history. The ice ages are separated by warmer periods called interglacials. We’re in a interglacial but this planet is warming being sped up by fossil fuels burning creating global warming.

Question 13

Each year there is….

Answer 13

More melting in summer than snowing in the winter so all ice sheets and glaciers are in retreat - getting smaller.
E.g. NASA data shows that since 2002, the volume of ice loss in Antarctica 🇦🇶 is 134 billion tons per year.

Question 14

Since 1914, the Met Office have recorded reliable climate change data using weather stations and now satellites 🛰

Answer 14

This shows that the Earth’s air surface temp has increased by 1’C over the last 100 years.

Question 15

Sea levels have risen by 19 cm since 1900

Answer 15

This is due to thermal expansion + glaciers melting

Question 16

Scientists use tree rings to see when the climate was warmer + wetter as the tree rings will be wider

Answer 16

The tree is then carbon dated to work out how old each ring is.

Question 17

What are ice cores?

Answer 17

Ice cores are extracted from e.g. Antarctica, the ice depth can be dated by pollen trapped in ice. The amount of CO2 bubbles trapped in ice shows temperature e.g. more CO2 shows a warmer period.

Question 18

How does farming cause climate change?

Answer 18

20% of greenhouse gases comes from farming. As more countries turn to a ‘western diet’ (eat meat) more cattle are raised.
Cows burping release methane which is 3x worse than CO2 emissions.

Question 19

How does deforestation cause climate change?

Answer 19

17% of Amazon rainforest has been cut down in the last 50 years. Rainforests are vital in absorbing CO2 in the process of photosynthesis and releasing O2 which cools our planet.
Forests are cut down and replaced with grazing land e.g: 80% of deforestation in Brazil is down to cattle fan bing and growing palm oil.

Question 20

How does burning fossil fuels cause climate change?

Answer 20

Gas, coal and oil accounts for 50% of greenhouse gases. We burn them to create electricity e.g. 58% of China’s power is coal power. Industry and transport also burn them which releases CO2 and is causing global warming.

Question 21

Solar output:

Answer 21

The output of the Sun is measured observing sunspots on the sun’s surface. The output of the sun increased slightly from 1900 to 1940. Satellites have recorded the intensity of solar energy output using radio meters, since 1978.

Question 22

Volcanic activity:

Answer 22

Volcanic eruptions can temporarily cause climate change. In June 1981, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted. Approx 20 mill tonnes of sulphur dioxide(SO2) was released by Mount Pinatubo. When SO2 mixes with water vapour, it becomes a volcanic (sulphate) aerosol. Volcanic aerosols reflect the sunlight away and reduce the Sun’s heat energy entering the Earths atmosphere. Following mount Pinatubo’s eruption, global temps dropped by approx 0.5’C

Question 23

Orbital change

Answer 23

The distribution of the sun’s energy on the Earth changes due to the Earth’s orbit:

• the Earth’s orbit is an ellipse. The sun is not perfectly in the centre of the ellipse and the ellipse changes shape every 100,000 years. This means the distance between the Earth and the Sun changes as the Earth orbits. As the Earth orbits closet to the sun, the climate becomes warmer and the opposite happens as it orbits away.
• The Earth’s axis is tilted on an angle. The angle of the tilt changes due to gravitational pull of the moon. When the angle of the tilt increases, this can exaggerate the climate so summers get warmer and winters get colder. The angle of the tilt moves back and forth every 41,000 years.
• the Earth isn’t a perfect sphere so as the Earth spins, it wobbles on its axis in a 20,000 year cycle.

Together these 3 orbital changes vary the distribution of the Sun’s energy on the Earth. This can mean a significant impact on climate change. However, scientists suggest that orbital change wouldn’t cause an ice age for at least 30,000 years.

Question 24

What is mitigation?

Answer 24

Mitigation strategies aim to reduce the causes of global warming by reducing the concentration of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere.

Question 25

How does alternative energy production reduce CO2 levels?

Answer 25

Energy is needed to power many consumer goods, food and transport. Alternative energy sources such as nuclear power, HEP and solar power, release less greenhouse gases than burning fossil fuels.
The EU’s renewable energy directive sets a binding target of 20% final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020.

Question 26

How does carbon capture work?

Answer 26

Involves capturing CO2 released by industry or through burning fossil fuels and then storing it safely underground.
It’s drilled underground into permeable rock e.g. limestone with an impermeable rock e.g. granite on top to stop it escaping.
By 2050, CCS could provide more than 20% of carbon cuts cuts according to the International Energy Agency(IEA.)

Question 27

How does planting trees reduce global warming?

Answer 27

Reforestation aims to reverse deforestation by planting trees. As more trees are planted, more CO2 is removed from the atmosphere.
The largest tropical reforestation effort in history, led by Conservation International aims to restore 73 mill trees in the Brazilian Amazon by 2023.

Question 28

How does international agreements aim to reduce the rate of climate change?

Answer 28

The UN negotiated a new international climate change agreement for all countries at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. The Paris agreement was signed by 170 countries. It will be implemented by 2020. The EU commission has set the EU’s vision for a new agreement that’ll reduce global emissions by at least 40% below 2010 levels by 2030. By 60% for 2050.

Question 29

What are adaptation strategies?

Answer 29

Adaptation strategies aim to limit the negative effects of climate change on humans.

Question 30

Change in agricultural systems:

Answer 30

Agriculture practices will need to be modified in the future to account for changing temperatures and rainfall patterns. Farmers may need to change the crops they grow or when they grow them. For example, they may need to grow more drought - resistant crops.

Question 31

Managing water supplies:

Answer 31

With many areas set to get drier, water needs to be managed sustainably. Water meters and water-efficient devices can be installed to encourage reduced water use. The water supply can also be increased through practices such as desalination or recycling rain water.

Question 32

Adjusting to rising sea levels:

Answer 32

Sea levels have risen over 200mm since 1870 and are set to continue rising. Physical defences such as sea walls and barriers reduce the risk of flooding but these are often very expensive. In LIC’s, homes built in high- risk areas are often built on stilts as expensive physical defences are not an option.