Science Unit 7 Lesson 3

Question 1

Scientists have determined that droughts, flooding, and wildfires are all being made more extreme by what?

Answer 1

human-made climate change.

Question 2

According to the UN World Meteorological Organization, 14 of the 15 hottest years on record have occurred since the year 2000. What do these trends show us?

Answer 2

The trends show that Earth’s global average temperatures are continuing to increase.

Question 3

What is global average temperature?

Answer 3

the average of thousands of temperature measurements in the atmosphere, oceans, and on land over a specific time period

Question 4

How does increased temperature cause more drought?

Answer 4

As temperatures rise, the rate of evaporation increases. Areas that tend to be dry will experience more extreme drought. This is because warmer air holds more water than cooler air. Because the air is warmer, clouds will not condense as quickly.

Question 5

How are some clouds affecting global warming?

Answer 5

Some types of clouds help to cool the Earth by reflecting light from the sun back into space. Other types of clouds hold the heat in, just like greenhouse gases. Scientists have observed that more heat-trapping clouds are forming, adding to climate change.

Question 6

While arid regions experience more extreme drought, what happens to regions that tend to receive more precipitation?

Answer 6

They will face extreme storms

Question 7

How does increased runoff affect the ground?

Answer 7

Runoff increases as rain increases. The ground is unable to absorb water fast enough, so water runs off, picking up debris and chemicals along the way. These wind up in bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Question 8

In the Great Plains, Midwest, and Northeast regions of the U.S., the strongest storms have seen a What percent increase in the amount of rain produced.

Answer 8

30%

Question 9

What affect does snow have on water availability?

Answer 9

Each winter, snow falls in mountainous regions, storing water that melts later through the spring and summer. This snow melt provides water that people rely on for household, agricultural, and industrial use. As the Earth warms, much of the snowfall is replaced with rain. The snow that does fall arrives later and melts earlier. This changes the timing of the availability of water.

Question 10

What is turbidity?

Answer 10

Turbidity is cloudiness caused by stirred- up sediment; turbid water is not good for drinking and can be harmful to aquatic life.

Question 11

Increased heavy rains causes ….

Answer 11

more runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farmland. The runoff also carries increased sediments, causing turbidity in the water; turbid water is not good for drinking and can be harmful to aquatic life

Question 12

What temperatures increase the risk of algal blooms and bacterial growth.?

Answer 12

warmer temperatures

Question 13

What are things that can increase the salinity of surfacewater?

Answer 13

Near the coasts, freshwater is at risk of increased salinity. Rising ocean levels can push saltwater upstream into bodies of water, making them unusable

Question 14

How can groundwater experience salinity?

Answer 14

As water demands increase with temperature, more roundwater is extracted. This can lower the water table, which affects ecosystems which rely on the availability of groundwater. As the water table falls, plants’ roots can no longer reach it. Lower groundwater levels can also allow infiltration of saltwater along the ocean shore. As with surface water, saltwater intrusion into the
water table can make the water unusable.

Question 15

What does warmer ocean temperatures cause? How does it affect storms and ocean life?

Answer 15

Warmer ocean temperatures fuel more intense storms, such as hurricanes. As the water warms, it becomes less able to sustain aquatic life. Warmer ocean waters kill coral reefs, which provide a habitat for hundreds of types oforganisms.

Question 16

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, oceans have become __% more acidic.

Answer 16

30

Question 17

What causes coral bleaching?

Answer 17

Coral bleaching is caused by rising ocean temperatures.

Question 18

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), since 1750, the sea level has risen an average of __ centimeters.

Answer 18

20

Question 19

How is the ocean rising bad for the environment?

Answer 19

Rising tides cause increased erosion. They also infiltrate coastal fresh water with salt water. The salt water reduces plant life which needs fresh water to survive; this affects the entire food web. Salt water also makes the water unusable for household, agricultural, and industrial needs.

Question 20

As the oceans rise, over ___ million people worldwide could be displaced.

Answer 20

600

Question 21

How does the ocean rising affect people?

Answer 21

The human population is also at risk. About 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of a coast and 10% live less than 9 meters (29.5 feet) above sea level. This means that, as the oceans rise, over 600 million people worldwide could be displaced. Not only will this endanger human life, but it will also have dramatic economic impacts as houses, businesses, and infrastructure will need to be replaced.

Question 22

What are climate change indicators?

Answer 22

These measurements are called climate change indicators because they show the progression of global climate change.

Question 23

What happens to the timing of snow as global warming becomes stronger?

Answer 23

As the Earth warms, much of the snowfall is replaced with rain. The snow that does fall arrives later and melts earlier. This changes the timing of the availability of water.

Question 24

How does the lowered water table affect plants?

Answer 24

As the water table falls, plants’ roots can no longer reach it.

Question 25

What do warmer ocean temperatures do to coral reefs?

Answer 25

Warmer ocean waters kill coral reefs, which provide a habitat for hundreds of types oforganisms.