Topic 5- (Climate change and cuases)

Question 1

What is weather

Answer 1

State of atmoshpere at a specific time

Question 2

What is climate

Answer 2

The general weather patterns in an area over a long period of time

Question 3

What is an Ecosystem

Answer 3

A community of abiotic and biotic organisms that interact

Question 4

What period does the Earth cycle through

Answer 4

-Glacial
-Non Glacial

Question 5

How do ice cores prove climate change?

Answer 5

-Arctic and Antarctic build up in layers of yearly snowfall (trap bubbles of gas)
-Each layer shows the atmoshperic gas levels at different times
-Can calculate temp for every year to 400,000 yrs ago

drill a cylinder of ice

Question 6

Ice cores results

Answer 6

Always been slight fluctuation of temperature and CO2 levels but today there is an unnatural increase

Question 7

Problems with using ice cores?

Answer 7

-Artic and Antarctic metling, with thinner layers each year
-Drills can disrupt results as they produce heat

Question 8

How has Co2 levels proven climate change?

Answer 8

-Direct link between CO2 and annual temperature
-CO2 levels dramaticaly increasing recenttly

Question 9

How has tree rings proven climate change?

Answer 9

• Wider ring width shows years with more rain and higher temp (better growing conditions)

can dismiss soil levels

Question 10

What was pre industrail CO2 levels vs now?

Answer 10

-280ppm
-420ppm

parts per million

Question 11

What are the natural cuases of climate change?

Answer 11

• Volcanic eruptions
• The Milankovitch cycle
• Sun spots

Question 12

How do volcanic eruptions cuase climate change?

Answer 12

• Release ash which blocks sunlight + lowers temp in shorterm
• Release CO2 cuasing longterm global warming

Question 13

How/which volcanic eruption cuased the year without summer?

Answer 13

Mount Tambora, 1815

produced so much ash that it blocked the sun rays

Question 14

What are the three points of the Milankovitch cycle

Answer 14

• Earth’s Obliquity (angle)
• Earth’s Eccentricity (orbit)
• Earth’s Precession (wobble)

Question 15

How does the Earth’s Eccentricity cuase climate change?

length + affect

Answer 15

-100,000 years (complete orbit)
-Circular to eliptical
- Cuases period closer to the sun
——–> NONE atm, currently in circular orbit, meaning should be no extremes

Question 16

How does the Earth’s Obliquity cuase climate change?

Angles, Length, affect (compare 9k years ago)

Answer 16

-22.1° vs 24.5°

-41,000 years
——>Slightly extremer summer+ winter at 23.4°

Question 17

How does the Earth’s Precession cuase climate change?

Length, affect

Answer 17

-26,000 years
—-> emphasises conditions due to Obliquity and Eccentricity

Question 18

What are the stores in the Carbon cycle?

Answer 18

-Ocean
-Plants
-Soil