Unit 1 - World at Risk (Climate Change)

Question 1

Climate

Answer 1

the average conditions of precipitation, temperature, pressure and wind over a 30 year period

Question 2

Climate Change

Answer 2

any long term trend or shift in climate detected by a sustained shift in the average value for any climatic element

Question 3

Volcanic and Cosmic Causes (natural cause)

Answer 3

volcanic eruptions eject ash and sulpher dioxide into the atmosphere. This prevents the sunlight from getting into the atmosphere and cools the temperature. (Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 led to the cooling of the earth by 0.5 degrees for a short time)

Question 4

Atmospheric Forcing (natural cause)

Answer 4

greenhouse gases absorbing outgoing long-wave radiation from the earth and reflecting some back to the surface. Trapping of the gases heats up the atmosphere..

Question 5

Global Dimming (natural cause)

Answer 5

pollutants like soot and sulpher dioxide reflect solar energy back into space - cooling effect

Question 6

Astronomical Forcing (natural cause)

Answer 6

temperature varies due to variations in the earths orbit and axis tilt, this variation changes the amount of solar radiation the earth receives.

Question 7

Solar Output (natural cause)

Answer 7

the energy emitted by the sun varies due to sunspots, the effect of the sunspot is to blast more solar radiation towards the earth. No sunspots = intense cold periods such as the little ice age.

Question 8

Human Causes:

Answer 8

• atmospheric pollution (burning of fossil fuels, use of cars) releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
• deforestation and farming

Question 9

Radiation

Answer 9

the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles especially high-energy particles which cause ionisation

Question 10

What are the main greenhouse gases?

Answer 10

• carbon dioxide
• nitrous oxide
• methane
• ozone
• chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Question 11

Greenhouse Gases

Answer 11

a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation

Question 12

Greenhouse Effect

Answer 12

the trapping of the suns warmth in a planets lower atmosphere

Question 13

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Answer 13

impact on the climate from the additional heat refrained due to the increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that humans have released into the earths atmosphere since the industrial revolution. (referred too as climate change or global warming)

Question 14

Attitudinal Fix

Answer 14

helping to change peoples attitudes towards something and therefore reducing the impacts

Question 15

Technological Fix

Answer 15

using technology to make something better/lessen the impacts

Question 16

Mitigation

Answer 16

refers to policies which are meant to delay, reduce or prevent climate changes caused by global warming such as switching to renewable energy and increasing the amount we recycle

Question 17

Adaptation

Answer 17

refers to policies which are designed to reduce the existing impacts of global warming such as protection against flooding and coastal erosion

Question 18

IPCC

Answer 18

intergovernmental panel on climate change - provide a clear scientific view of climate change in the future (2100)
- created by the UN and the world meteorological organisation (WMO) in 1988