Climate Change

Question 1

Carbon dioxide (human source)

Answer 1

Burning fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, natural gas)
- energy, transportation, industry
Deforestation

Question 2

Methane (human source)

Answer 2

Agricultural activities (rice farming, cattle ranching etc.)
Decay of organic materials in landfills and sewage treatment plants
Mining and gas extraction
Burning forests

Question 3

Nitrous oxide (human source)

Answer 3

Management of livestock feed and waste
Nitrogen fertilizer
Industrial processes
Fossil fuel use

Question 4

Chlorofluorocarbons

Answer 4

Refrigeration

Question 5

Anthropogenic greenhouse effect

Answer 5

INCREASE in energy trapped by the atmosphere due to greenhouse gases from human activities

Question 6

Weather

Answer 6

Atmospheric conditions including temperature, precipitation, wind and humidity in a particular location over a short period of time such as a day or a week

Question 7

Climate

Answer 7

The average of the weather patterns in a region over a long period of time

Question 8

Climate zone

Answer 8

A region identified by its specific temperature, precipitation and plant communities

Question 9

Ecoregions

Answer 9

New climate zones, which focus on the energy of the region (landforms, soil, animals, plant and climate)

Question 10

What does earth’s climate system include?

Answer 10

Air, land, water and ice

Question 11

What are all living things powered by?

Answer 11

The sun

All energy comes from the sun in the form of radiation

Question 12

When radiation comes into contact with matter…

Answer 12

Energy can either be absorbed, transmitted or reflected by a particle

Question 13

how much energy is reflected?

Answer 13

30%

Question 14

how much energy is absorbed?

Answer 14

70%

Question 15

carbon dioxide (natural source)

Answer 15

volcanic eruptions
the burning of organic matter
cellular respiration from plants and animals

Question 16

water vapour (natural source)

Answer 16

evaporation

transpiration

Question 17

methane (natural source)

Answer 17

biological processes (plant decomposition in swamps and animal digestion)

Question 18

ozone (natural source)

Answer 18

exists naturally in the stratosphere

acts as a greenhouse gas in the troposphere

Question 19

nitrous oxide (natural source)

Answer 19

reactions of bacteria in soil and water

Question 20

carbon sink

Answer 20

a reservoir that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in another form

Question 21

examples of carbon sink

Answer 21

ocean

trees

Question 22

feedback loop

Answer 22

a process is which the result acts to influence the original process

Question 23

heat sink

Answer 23

a reservoir that absorbs and stored thermal energy like an ocean

Question 24

most important greenhouse gases

Answer 24

water vapour

carbon dioxide

Question 25

what proxy record shows the longest record

Answer 25

ice cores

Question 26

importance of albedo

Answer 26

helps determine temperature
if temperature decreases - more ice formed - more albedo - cooler
if temperature increase - less ice - less albedo - warmer

Question 27

effects of climate change

Answer 27

rising temperatures, rising sea levels (melting ice - thermal expansion)
severe weather (more intense heatwaves and hurricanes etc.)
changes in precipitation patterns
change in ecosystems (plants flowering earlier, animals mating earlier)

Question 28

industrial revolution impact on climate change

Answer 28

technological advancement (started late 1700s)
development of steam powered ships, railways, electrical power generation and the internal combustion engine

Question 29

albedo effect

Answer 29

positive feedback loop in which an increase in earth’s temperature causes ice to melt, so more radiation is absorbed by earth’s surface, leading to further increase in temperature