Climate Change Flashcards
What kind of climate change would cause a change in the history of life on earth?
An ice age
What is an ice age?
A long geological period of drastic decrease in the temperature of the earth’s surface and atmosphere
How many ice ages have occurred?
Four
When did the ice ages occur?
700 mya
320 mya
286 mya
Current (controversial)
What is glaciation?
The process whereby large ice sheets, that never melt and move very slowly down mountainsides, form
Why does glaciation take place during ice ages?
Large ice sheets form due to cooling temperatures
How did ice ages affect organisms?
Species that could not adapt to the cool temperatures died out
Some species were forced to migrate to the equator (because it was warmer there)
What indirect affect did the ice ages have on climate?
The climate because drier
All of the water was tapped in ice and snow
How did the drier climate affect organisms?
Many terrestrial species became extinct due to this
What effect did ice ages have on the ocean?
Sea level dropped due to ice formation
How did the decreased sea level affect life on earth?
Many aquatic life forms died out
What are the stimated causes of an ice age?
Continental drift Plate tectonics Reduction of carbon dioxide Volcanic eruptions Changes in the earth's orbit
