Section 1 - Climate change Flashcards
What is climate change
the changing of the earths climate due to human or natural activity
Give 2 examples of natural climate change
- Eccentricity (orbital change)
- Axil tilt
- Sun spots
What is eccentricity
When the earth changes from a circular orbit around the sun to an elliptical orbit around the sun every 100,000 years
What is axis tilt
The earths axis towards the sun moves between 21.5 to 24.5 degrees every 41,000 years
What are sunspots
Dark patches on the sun which change over 11 years. The spots release more heat
Name 2 examples of human climate change
- Agriculture
- Burning fossil fuels
- Deforestation
How does agriculture cause global warming
The farming of cattle and rice releases methane and adds to the greenhouse gases
How does burning fossil fuels cause global warming
They release CO2 and add to the ozone layer
How does deforestation cause global warming
When trees are cut down, they release the CO2 that they had stored . It also means there are less sources to give out oxygen
Name some evidence for climate change
- Retreating glaciers and ice sheets
- Seasons shifting
- Analysing ice cores
- Tree rings
Which glacier has retreated
The rhone glacier in Switzerland has receded 2000m
How many days early are birds starting to nest
11 days
By what percentages the thickness of ice sheets diminished
40%
What percentage of the suns rays does the ocean absorb
90%
What is mitigation
creating alternative methods to make something less severe such as climate change
