Unit 3: What are the consequences of climate change? Flashcards
Consequences of Climate Change in the Atmosphere
- Rise in Global mean temperature
- Changes in climatic zones
- Changes in precipitation patterns
- more frequent extreme weather events
changes in climatic zones
- climatic zones extend poleward
- tropical areas -> EXPAND poleward -> temperate area
- temperate areas -> SHIFT poleward -> tropical area
- polar areas shrink
- dry regions -> increase
changes in precipitation patterns
changes:
rising temperature -> increase evaporation rates
1. warmer air can hold more moisture -> more precipitation in some moist tropical areas + high latitude areas
2. high evaporation rate -> dry out the land quickly -> dry air -> less precipitation in dry regions in mid-latitude areas + semi-arid tropical areas
more frequent extreme weather events
- warmer oceans -> more evaporation + condensation -> more common + intense tropical cyclones
- storm surges
- heat waves and wildfires
- cold spells
- rising sea level -> greater + frequent storm surges -> more precipitation in some places
-» flooding - drought (more severe and long lasting)
how flooding is caused
- rising sea level
- greater + frequent storm surges
- more precipitation in some places
-» flooding
storm surges meaning
abnormal rise in seawater during a storm
why there are changes in precipitation patterns
climate change -> shift in air + ocean currents -> change in precipitation patterns
Consequences of Climate Change in the Hydrosphere
- Retreat and disappearance of glaciers
- Melting of sea ice
- Disruption of ice shelf (e.g. Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica)
- Melting of Ice sheet -> rising sea level
- Ocean acidification
- Rising sea level
Retreat and disappearance of glaciers
short term:
melting of glaciers -> river flow decreases
long term:
glaciers depleted -> river flow decreases
melting of sea ice example
floating ice in the arctic ocean disappears
melting of ice sheet
melting of greenland + antarctic ice sheet -> rising sea level
ocean acidification
increasing co2 from global warming -> oceans absorb more co2 (co2 is slightly acidic) -> PH value of ocean lowers
rising sea level cause
meltwater running into the ocean + thermal expansion of seawater
Consequences of Climate Change in the Lithosphere
- Inundation of low-lying coastal areas and islands
- Salinisation
- More serious wave erosion
- Loss of global coastal wetland
- Melting of frozen ground / permafrost
reasons of inundation of low-lying coastal areas and islands
- melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice and snow
- thermal expansion of water
examples of inundation of low-lying coastal areas and islands
- Maldives
- Turela
- Bangladesh
Salinisation in hydrosphere
- rising sea level
- intrusion of sea water + salinisation of ground water supplies
where is erosion more serious
at the coast