bio Flashcards
(149 cards)
WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE??
A LONG TERMM SHIFT IN GLOBAL OR REGIONAL CLIMATE PATTERMS, MOSTLY DRIVEN BY HUMAN EMITTED GREENHOUSE GASES
WHAT DO INDUSTRIAL AGE CO2 EMISSIONS DO?
Industrial-age CO₂ emissions ENHANCES the GHG effect, heating the planet.
WHICH MAY leads to melting glaciers, rising seas, changing precipitation, and more extreme weather.
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
Process where atmospheric gases trap the Sun’s heat, warming the planet (a natural and necessary proc
Global Warming
The observed rise in Earth’s average surface temperature, largely due to increased GHGs
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; scientific body assessing climate science and impacts.
What is climate change?
Long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns, mainly caused by human activity.
What causes recent climate change?
Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The trapping of the sun’s heat in Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases.
Name 3 main greenhouse gases.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O).
What human activities release greenhouse gases?
Transportation, electricity, farming, deforestation, waste, and industry.
What is global warming?
The long-term increase in Earth’s average temperature due to greenhouse gases.
How much has Earth warmed since pre-industrial times?
About 1°C.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term; climate is the long-term average.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
Strengthened warming due to extra greenhouse gases from human actions.
Why is water vapor not the main cause of global warming?
: It increases with temperature and amplifies warming, but doesn’t cause it directly.
What sectors emit the most greenhouse gases?
Electricity/heat production, agriculture, transport, industry.
What is a fossil fuel?
A fuel formed from ancient plants and animals, like coal, oil, or gas.
How do cars and factories cause climate change?
How do cars and factories cause climate change?C
What’s the problem with deforestation?
Fewer trees = less CO₂ is absorbed from the atmosphere.
What is a feedback loop in climate science?
A process where warming causes changes that make warming worse.
What’s a tipping point?
A critical limit where small changes cause big, often irreversible effects.
What happens when permafrost melts?
Methane is released, which causes even more warming.
Why is the Arctic warming faster than other regions?
Melting ice makes the surface darker, absorbing more heat (albedo effect).
What is a sea-level rise?
The increase in ocean levels due to melting glaciers and expanding warmer water.