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Geography Core 7 > Unit 3: What are the consequences of climate change? > Flashcards

Unit 3: What are the consequences of climate change? Flashcards

1
Q

Consequences of Climate Change in the Atmosphere

A
  1. Rise in Global mean temperature
  2. Changes in climatic zones
  3. Changes in precipitation patterns
  4. more frequent extreme weather events
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2
Q

changes in climatic zones

A
  • climatic zones extend poleward
  • tropical areas -> EXPAND poleward -> temperate area
  • temperate areas -> SHIFT poleward -> tropical area
  • polar areas shrink
  • dry regions -> increase
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3
Q

changes in precipitation patterns

A

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

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4
Q

more frequent extreme weather events

A
  1. warmer oceans -> more evaporation + condensation -> more common + intense tropical cyclones
  2. storm surges
  3. heat waves and wildfires
  4. cold spells
  5. rising sea level -> greater + frequent storm surges -> more precipitation in some places
    -» flooding
  6. drought (more severe and long lasting)
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5
Q

how flooding is caused

A
  1. rising sea level
  2. greater + frequent storm surges
  3. more precipitation in some places
    -» flooding
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6
Q

storm surges meaning

A

abnormal rise in seawater during a storm

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7
Q

why there are changes in precipitation patterns

A

climate change -> shift in air + ocean currents -> change in precipitation patterns

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8
Q

Consequences of Climate Change in the Hydrosphere

A
  1. Retreat and disappearance of glaciers
  2. Melting of sea ice
  3. Disruption of ice shelf (e.g. Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica)
  4. Melting of Ice sheet -> rising sea level
  5. Ocean acidification
  6. Rising sea level
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9
Q

Retreat and disappearance of glaciers

A

short term:
melting of glaciers -> river flow decreases
long term:
glaciers depleted -> river flow decreases

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10
Q

melting of sea ice example

A

floating ice in the arctic ocean disappears

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11
Q

melting of ice sheet

A

melting of greenland + antarctic ice sheet -> rising sea level

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12
Q

ocean acidification

A

increasing co2 from global warming -> oceans absorb more co2 (co2 is slightly acidic) -> PH value of ocean lowers

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13
Q

rising sea level cause

A

meltwater running into the ocean + thermal expansion of seawater

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14
Q

Consequences of Climate Change in the Lithosphere

A
  1. Inundation of low-lying coastal areas and islands
  2. Salinisation
  3. More serious wave erosion
  4. Loss of global coastal wetland
  5. Melting of frozen ground / permafrost
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15
Q

reasons of inundation of low-lying coastal areas and islands

A
  1. melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice and snow
  2. thermal expansion of water
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16
Q

examples of inundation of low-lying coastal areas and islands

A
  1. Maldives
  2. Turela
  3. Bangladesh
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17
Q

Salinisation in hydrosphere

A
  • rising sea level
  • intrusion of sea water + salinisation of ground water supplies
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18
Q

where is erosion more serious

A

at the coast

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19
Q

melting of frozen ground / permafrost…

A
  • release co2 + methane into the atmosphere
  • increase slope instability
20
Q

Consequences of Climate Change in the Biosphere

A
  1. Shift of distribution of plants
  2. Extinction of species
  3. Desertification
  4. Hill Fires
21
Q

Shift in distribution of plants

A
  • deserts expand -> semi-arid region

because:
1. increasing temperature
2. soil degradation
3. decreasing rainfall
- tropical rainfalls -> savanna / degrade to desert (e.g. Amazon Basin)

  • Forests (tree line) expand poleward / into highland areas
  • area of tundra shrinks
  • northern high latitudes -> native plants cannot adapt to warmer climates -> cannot survive -> less plants in Northern high latitudes
22
Q

where do forest expands as a result of global warming

A

polewards / into highland areas

23
Q

why do tropical rainfalls degrade and what do they turn into due to global warming

A
  1. increasing temperature
  2. soil degradation
  3. decreasing rainfall

-> turn into savanna / degrade into deserts

e.g. amazon basin

24
Q

why are there less plants in northern high latitudes due to global warming

A

global warming -> northern high latitudes -> native plants cannot adapt to warmer climates -> cannot survive -> less plants in Northern high latitudes

25
Q

why has there been more common + intense tropical cyclones

A

global warming -> warmer oceans -> more evaporation + condensation -> more common + intense tropical cyclones

26
Q

extinction of species due to global warming ___

A
  1. increases risk of some species and rapid growth of others
  2. disturb food chain
  3. destroys the ecosystem
  4. inundate coastal habitats

warmer ocean temperature -> death of algae on corals -> coral bleaching -> reduce habitats -> disrupt food chain -> disrupt ecological balance

27
Q

examples of extinct animals

A
  1. king penguin in the Antarctic region
  2. polar bears
28
Q

examples of inundated coastal habitats

A
  1. mangrove
  2. beaches
  3. marshes
  4. mudflats
29
Q

how is the ecological balance disrupted due to global warming

A

global warming -> warmer ocean temperature -> death of algae on corals -> coral bleaching -> reduce habitats -> disrupt food chain -> disrupt ecological balance

30
Q

Desertification

A

global warming -> higher evaporation rate -> dry soil
- unfavourable to vegetation growth

31
Q

how desertification leads to climate change / drought

A

desertification
-> land degradation ->
-> loss of vegetation ->
-> decreased:
1. evapotranspiration
2. cloud formation
3. absorption of Co2
-> DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE

32
Q

how climate change / drought leads to desertification

A

long term change of climate towards aridity
-> temperature rises + high evaporation ->
-> 1. water table decrease (drop)
2. soil moisture deficit
3. decrease of condensation and rainfall ->
-> loss of protective vegetation cover
-> increase in soil erosion
-> DESERTIFICATION

33
Q

hill fires in biosphere

A
  1. reduces total area of vegetation
    less evaporation + transpiration -> intensify drought
34
Q

how are droughts intensified

A

less evaporation + transpiration

35
Q

Consequences of Climate Change socio-economically

A
  1. migration of people
  2. agriculture + food supply
  3. freshwater supply
  4. health issues
  5. tourism
  6. infrastructure + navigation
36
Q

reasons of migration of people

A
  1. inundate coastal lowlands
  2. intensified coastal erosion
  3. more storm surges
  4. coastal flooding
37
Q

negative climate change impacts on agriculture and food supply

A
  1. loss of soil moisture due to higher evaporation rate
  2. lower land productivity
  3. desertification -> decrease arable land
  4. inundate coastal farmland
  5. warmer + shorter winter -> active pests
  6. more frequent flooding + drought
  7. greater threat to countries who are already suffering from food shortage (e.g. the Sahel)
38
Q

positive climate change impacts on agriculture and food supply

A
  1. extends the growing season + frost free period in middle + high latitude areas (e.g. Russia + NE China)
  2. increase crop varieties in middle + high latitude areas
39
Q

climate change on freshwater supply

A

decrease of precipitation -> increasing evaporation rate -> shrinking of irrigations + ice caps (long run)
-» decrease of freshwater supply

  • intrusion of seawater into freshwater aquifers in coastal areas -> groundwater too salty for drinking or irrigation
  • ease water shortage problems in some areas with increasing precipitation (positive impact!)

example:
melted ice caps and glaciers from the Himalayas -> decreased irrigation water supply -> disrupt farming activities along Ganges River

40
Q

how is freshwater supply decreased

A
  1. decrease of precipitation
  2. increasing evaporation rate
  3. shrinking of irrigations + ice caps (long run)
    -> decrease of freshwater supply
41
Q

global warming on health issues

A
  • change distribution patterns on
    1. parasites
    2. bacteria
    3. carriers of infectious diseases
    e.g. dengue + malaria spreading to temperate areas
  • heat-related health problems
  • fewer cold-related health problems (positive impact!)
42
Q

global warming on tourism

A
  • shorter ski season + decreasing snow cover on mountains -> disrupt winter tourism + skiing industry
  • disrupt tourism in countries with more frequent heat waves
  • coral bleaching -> less attractive for tourists
43
Q

global warming on infrastructure + navigation

A

global warming -> melting of permafrost -> reduce stability of buildings + roads + pipelines
-disrupt transport
- large ice blocks breaking off from ice glaciers / ice shelves -> threat of ships around North Atlantic + Antarctica

positive impacts in Arctic:
1. shorter shipping routes -> new shipping lanes
2. tap oil + fisheries + mineral resources

44
Q

how species go extinct due to global warming

A
  1. climatic changes -> some species unable to adapt to climate changes
  2. rise in sea levels -> inundates coastal habitats -> loss of living and breeding grounds for some species
    -&raquo_space; mass die off of some species -> local or global extinction of certain species -> biodiversity decreased -> food chain breaks down -> ecosystem destroyed
    -> extinction
45
Q

coral bleaching in ecosystems

A

water temperature rise -> coral bleaching -> marine life loses food and shelter -> loss of marine habitats -> mass die-offs of some marine animals -> disrupts balance of marine ecosystems

46
Q

changes in precipitation patterns: why do some places have MORE precipitation?

Geography Core 7 (6 decks)

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