7.2 - Climate Change: Causes And Impacts

Question 1

What dies climate refers to

Answer 1

Long term average weather conditions in a particular region or location

Question 2

What is climate influenced by

Answer 2

Solar radiation, atmospheric circular patterns, ocean currents, land features, and greenhouse gas concentrations

Question 3

What does weather refer to

Answer 3

The current state of the atmosphere at a specific time or place

Question 4

What are weather conditions described as

Answer 4

Weather conditions can change rapidly and are often described in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation type, wind direction, and speed

Question 5

What influences weather and climate

Answer 5

Weather and climate are strongly influenced by oceanic circulatory systems, which play a vital role in regulating temperature, moisture distribution, and atmospheric dynamics

Question 6

What do ocean currents influence

Answer 6

Ocean currents, driven by factors like wind, temperature, and salinity gradients, redistribute heat across the Earth’s surface
- Warm ocean currents carry heat from the tropics towards higher latitudes, moderating temperatures in coastal areas and influencing regional climates
- Cold ocean currents transport cold water from polar regions towards lower latitudes, resulting in cooler coastal temperatures and affecting the formation of coastal fog and marine ecosystems

Question 7

When does upwelling occur

Answer 7

Upwelling occurs when cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface, primarily driven by wind that moves surface waters out the way, allowing deeper waters to rise up to replace them

Upwelling brings deep, nutrient-rich waters to the surface, supporting abundant marine life and contributing to the productivity of fisheries in coastal areas

Question 8

What is El Niño

Answer 8

El Niño events involve the warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, causing shifts in atmospheric circulation and leading to droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events in various parts of the world

Question 9

What is La Niña

Answer 9

La Niña events, on the other hand, involve cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures and can result in contrasting weather patterns

Question 10

What is the Gulf Stream

Answer 10

The Gulf Stream, a strong warm ocean current in the Atlantic Ocean, plays a critical role in shaping weather and climate in the North Atlantic region

It helps transport warm water and influences the temperature and moisture content of the air, affecting weather patterns and storm development

Question 11

How does the oceanic circulatory system influence weather

Answer 11

Oceanic circulatory systems also influence the distribution of moisture in the atmosphere
Evaporation from warm ocean surfaces adds moisture to the air, which can lead to the formation of clouds, precipitation, and the development of storm systems

Question 12

What does changes in oceanic circulatory systems do

Answer 12

Changes in oceanic circulatory systems, such as alterations in current strength or shifts in their paths, can have significant implications for regional and global climates
These changes can result from natural variability, as well as long-term climate change driven by factors like greenhouse gas emissions

Question 13

What does atmospheric circulatory systems influence

Answer 13

Weather and climate are also significantly influenced by atmospheric circulatory systems, which result in the movement of air masses, distribution of heat, and the formation of weather patterns

• These circulatory systems, such as global wind patterns, jet streams, and local wind systems, impact both daily weather conditions and long-term climate trends

Question 14

What helps transport heat

Answer 14

Global wind patterns, such as the Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar cells, are large-scale circulations driven by the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface
These wind patterns help transport heat from the equator towards the poles, influencing the distribution of temperature and pressure on a global scale

Question 15

What are jet streams

Answer 15

The jet streams are narrow, fast-flowing bands of winds in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

They form as a result of the temperature differences between air masses and play a significant role in shaping weather pattern

Question 16

What are local wind systems

Answer 16

Local wind systems, such as sea breezes, land breezes, and mountain-valley breezes, are influenced by differential heating and cooling of land and water surfaces
- These winds can affect local weather conditions, especially in coastal and mountainous regions

Question 17

What is the Coriolis effect

Answer 17

The Coriolis effect, caused by the Earth’s rotation, influences the direction of winds and the formation of atmospheric circulation patterns
- It deflects air masses in the Northern Hemisphere to the right and in the Southern Hemisphere to the left, resulting in the characteristic curving paths of winds

Question 18

How do human activities influence greenhouse gases

Answer 18

Human activities are significantly contributing to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to various impacts on the Earth’s climate system
Increased levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour result from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes

Question 19

What are sources of greenhouse gases

Answer 19

• carbon dioxide
• methane
• water vapour

Question 20

How is carbon dioxide a source of greenhouse gases

Answer 20

Main sources include the combustion of fossil fuels for energy generation, transportation, and industrial processes

Deforestation and land-use changes, such as clearing forests for agriculture or urbanisation, contribute to CO2 emissions indirectly by reducing the planet’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis

Question 21

How is methane a source of greenhouse gases

Answer 21

Produced by natural processes like the decomposition of organic matter in wetlands, forests, and oceans

Human activities such as agriculture (particularly rice cultivation and livestock farming), coal mining, oil and gas extraction, and waste management (landfills) contribute to methane emissions

Question 22

How is water vapour a source of greenhouse gases

Answer 22

• Water vapour is the most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and its concentration is primarily determined by temperature and humidity levels
• While human activities do not directly emit water vapour as a greenhouse gas, they can indirectly influence its levels through activities that affect temperature and moisture, such as deforestation, land-use changes, and the burning of fossil fuels that release other greenhouse gases

Question 23

How does the greenhouse gases affect global temp

Answer 23

These greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, causing the Earth’s temperature to rise, leading to global warming

Question 24

How does the greenhouse gas affect the world

Answer 24

The increase in mean global temperature has wide-ranging effects, including melting ice caps and glaciers, shifts in precipitation patterns, and changes in ecosystem dynamics

The higher concentration of greenhouse gases is contributing to the intensification of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall

Question 25

How do long term change in climate and weather occur

Answer 25

occur as a result of the altered energy balance in the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans

• Rising greenhouse gas levels also contribute to the thermal expansion of seawater and the melting of land-based ice, resulting in sea level rise
• The combination of increased global temperatures and rising sea levels poses significant risks to coastal communities, low-lying regions, and ecosystems

Question 26

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect

Answer 26

The enhanced greenhouse effect is different from the natural greenhouse effect because it is primarily driven by human activities that release excessive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to an intensified trapping of heat and subsequent global warming

Question 27

What are the affects of climate change

Answer 27

• changes in after availability
• distribution of biomes and crop growing areas
• loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services
• coastal flooding
• ocean acidification
• damage to human health

Question 28

What are some examples of negative feedback loops in climate change

Answer 28

For example, as temperatures increase, the enhanced evaporation may lead to increased cloud cover, which can reflect more sunlight back into space, thus cooling the Earth’s surface

Another negative feedback mechanism involves the absorption of carbon dioxide by oceans and vegetation, which helps regulate its concentration in the atmosphere

Question 29

What are some examples of positive feedback loops in climate change

Answer 29

For example, as temperatures rise, the melting of ice caps and glaciers reduces the Earth’s albedo, causing more sunlight to be absorbed and increasing warming

Another positive feedback mechanism involves the release of methane from thawing permafrost, which further enhances the greenhouse effect

Question 30

What is lag time

Answer 30

Time lags refer to the delay between a cause and its effect in the climate system, which can span decades or even centuries

Question 31

What factors contribute to the varying perceptive on climate change

Answer 31

• conflicting enviromental value systems
• complexity of global climate models
• uncertainty in predictions
• impact on public perception and policy