G1 - Question 1 - Climate Change

Question 1

How can we measure climate change? (8 points)

Answer 1

Dendrochronology (Tree Rings)
Ice Cores (Vostok)
Pollen Analysis
Carbon dioxide measurements (Mauna Loa)
Glacial Tills
Ocean bed deposits
Radiometric dating (testing oxygen isotopes)
Insect species analysis (coleopetra)

Question 2

What is the carbon dioxide ppm in the atmosphere?

Answer 2

392ppm, from 270ppm in 1800s

Question 3

Explain the volcanic Eruption theory

Answer 3

Eruptions of high silica content volcanos leads to the emission of silica rich magmatic gases which mix with water vapour to form aerosols, generally less than 2mm in diameter which leads to global cooling in the stratosphere (solar shortwave radiation is reflected by the particles back into space). Occured in Pinnatubo, 1991, leading to -1degree C globally and in Tambora (biggest in 10000 years), 1915, which led to several years of reported bad harvests in 1916.

Question 4

What are the three components of the Milankovich cycle?

Answer 4

Precession (19,000-24,000yrs)
Tilt (41,000 yrs)
Eccentricity (100000yrs)
combines every 416,000 yrs

Question 5

Describe the sun spot theory

Answer 5

intense magnetic activity that occur in pairs on the photosphere of the sun, which cause an eddy convection break reducing solar energy output as temperature drops from the specific zones by over 1000degC. In 2008, the Sun was spot-free 73 percent of the time, extreme even for a solar minimum.

Question 6

Evidence of glacial retreat

Answer 6

Greenland - 2.85million km3 water which will raise oceans by 6-7metres. Jakobshavn, helheim and kangerdlugssuaq glaciers are draining 1/5th of ice water - jakobshavn doubled rate of movement between 2001-2003, over 12600m per year.

Question 7

what has the temperature increase been over the past 100 yrs

Answer 7

+0.5DegC

Question 8

What Alpine evidence is there for climate change?

Answer 8

Switzerland - upwards migration of the tree line by 1-4m/ yr, set to increase to 10m per year - extinction of the Edelweiss flower likely
Yellowstone - migration of treeline 460m upwards, 92% loss of White Bark Pine, reducing the grizzly population

Question 9

What evidence is there for temperate climate change?

Answer 9

Bogs of Tregaron - temperatures exceeding +11DegC, which is altering relief patterns, resulting in moisture stress leading to the decimation of the sphagnum moss

Question 10

Why was the Kyoto Protocol good?

Answer 10

It was the first time all countries from around the world collectively met to discuss climate change as a real issue, and recognised developing countries caused the anthropogenic build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (around 77% of emissions between 1750 and 2004). 192 ratified the protocol

Question 11

Why was the kyoto protocol bad?

Answer 11

The USA (contributor of 25% of global carbon) and Australia (contributor of the highest amount of carbon per capita) did not ratify. It did not bond developing countries, who would produce substantial amounts of carbon between 1997 and 2012, and the limit of GHGs was too high to be exceeded

Question 12

What followed Kyoto and why was it good

Answer 12

Doha, 2012. It was good as the conference established that the developed countries would have to pay for environmental losses and all nations including america ratified. It fell short of imposing tough sanctions, and Russia is unlikely to abide by ruling. Bigger emphasis is being put on 2015 and 2020 conferences, of which $10 billion is being mobilised for.

Question 13

What are the signs of climate change in Africa? (5 points)

Answer 13

Climate change more pronounced - +0.6C compared to global 0.4C
> Lake Chad is drying up, significantly less water than 30-40 years ago
> Malaria rates increasing as increased rainfall in areas (like Kenya) of the continent is forming larger bodies of stagnant water
> Agricultural productivity in Uganda is falling
> All African countries by 2025 will be under water stress
> El Nino floods in Eastern Africa (+300mm rainfall) in 1997

Question 14

What marine evidence is there for climate change?

Answer 14

Change in the thermohaline circulation evidenced by more extreme weather in Europe in recent years
3.3mm rise per year
Due to:
> Ice cap melt
> Thermal Expansion

Question 15

What is happening to the Great Barrier Reef?

Answer 15

Acidity increase from 8.2 to 8.3 pH is leading to the dissolution of the calcium exoskeleton of the coral bed, meaning an eventual mass loss of rich biodiversity, the loss of tourism and the loss of an offshore breakwater. same for Seychells

Question 16

Evidence of El Nino: New Years Flood California

Answer 16

… 1997. 118 deaths nationally, 20,000 homes lost, $1.8 billion property damage. 300 sq mi flooded, 29 inches of rain. Due to low pressure from the west

Question 17

Evidence for El Nino: The Australian drought

Answer 17

of 2003. Worst recorded - 2,300,000 hectares of land scorched in the West, Sydney - 40% water left. Food prices rocketed as crops died of dehydration. Also accompanied by a European heat wavc, with droughts and hose pipe bans, evidence of teleconnections

Question 18

What are the rates of carbon emissions for developed and developing nations?

Answer 18

OECD (Developed country) 12 metric tonnes of pollution/ person/ year, sub-Saharan africa 0.5m tonnes/ person/ year

Question 19

What is the ITCZ

Answer 19

Inter Tropical Convergence Zone

Question 20

What are the three cells of the tri cellular model?

Answer 20

Hadley cell, Ferell Cell and Polar Cell

Question 21

What evidence is there for long term climate change?

Answer 21

Bronze age warming: Settlements in Greenland, indicating cultivatable land
Mini-Ice Age: Poverty and civil unrest in Europe due to food shortages, images of the Thames frozen from 1600s

Question 22

Describe El Nino and La Nina

Answer 22

El Nino is a reverse of the walker cell due to diminished trade winds. The thermocline reverses as a warm front extends from the coast of peru to a cold region in Indonesia. The result of this is low pressure (rain) on the East of the model and no rain on the West. La Nina is extreme normal - extremely dry in Peru, extremely wet in Australia (Queensland floods of 2010)

Question 23

What is the Vladimir Tikhonov and what did it achieve a year ago?

Answer 23

The Vladimir is a 162,000 tonne cargo vessel which successfully traversed the NSR, a route previously blocked by ice. This is affecting port towns like the Suez and Singapore. It saves 40% of travelling time and avoids pirated routes, which cost $7-12billion in insurance

Question 24

What is the highest global warming potential gas and value?

Answer 24

CFCs, at 14,100GWP (C02 is 1GWP)

Question 25

List the types of GHGs

Answer 25

CO2
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
Ozone 
CFCs

Question 26

What are the impacts of climate change upon the Inuit?

Answer 26

155,000 Inuit in decline - fishing becoming harder as ice is unstable due to thinning. 24 villages are at risk from floods due to coast erosion, as the ice no longer defends them.
Caribou are being overhunted as greater focus is put upon them for exports and food
Fish stock is increasing as phytoplankton bloom on the greater open waters, but the changing patterns are impacting copepods which feed on different algae. At the bottom of the food chain, this has severe repercussions

Question 27

How is the UK responding to Climate Change

Answer 27

20% renewable energy by 2020
Car scrappage scheme to remove cars without catalytic converters
Vehicle Excise Duty to encourage purchasing of greener vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf
Participates in ETS in Europe
Nationwide domestic recycling
Sustainable forestry scheme introduced

Question 28

How are regions responding to climate change

Answer 28

Keep Leicester Cool
Carbon Neutral Newcastle
First Buses Green Hybrid Initiative
BEDZed
Low Emission Zones

Question 29

Pressure Groups

Answer 29

Greenpeace - Activists, governmental influence
Friends of the Earth - moderates, governmental influence
WWF - moderates, governmental intitiatives, Earth Hour

Question 30

What is happening to Tuvalu?

Answer 30

Land is being claimed by the sea, (15cm rise over last 100 yrs) as sea level rises. Loss of culture, homes and heritage. Highest point is only below 5m ADO. Remaining residents threatened as Polaka fruit at risk from contamination of salt waters. Many are now environmental refugees, moving to NZ