Climate Change Flashcards
(26 cards)
What is it meant by the GCSE command word ‘assess’?
Rank in order of importance/significance.
What is the name given for cooling period in Earth’s history?
Glacial period.
What is it meant by the term ‘inter-glacial’?
Period of global warming.
True or False? There is a correlation (link) between CO2 atmospheric concentrations & global temperatures.
True.
Identify x4 pieces of evidence for the past climate change.
- Glacial retreat
- Ice core analysis
- Tree ring analysis
- Sea level rise
Explain how scientists use tree rings to tell us about past climates.
Scientists study the thickness of the rings in order to tell us what the climate was like - the thicker the ring, the warmer and wetter the climate is.
Explain how scientists use ice cores to tell us about past climate.
Scientists use advanced technology to analyse the gases trapped in the ice core layers - the more carbon dioxide present, the warmer the climate was.
Which piece of evidence for the past climate change is most reliable?
Ice core analysis - due to the technology they use to analyse the ice cores.
Give x3 examples of fossil fuels.
Coal, oil &natural gases.
What are greenhouse gases?
Potentially harmful gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere - carbon dioxide & methane.
What is the ‘enhanced greenhouse effect’?
Human activities increasing the amount of greenhouse gases being released in the atmosphere - this is trapping extra heat, causes the Earth’s atmosphere to rise.
Identify x3 human activities that are enhancing the greenhouse effect.
Choose three of the following:
- Deforestation
- Transport
- Industry
- Energy
- Agriculture
- Landfill
True or False? Developing (poor) countries have the highest greenhouse gas emissions.
False.
What are the x4 natural causes of climate changes?
- Orbital theory
- Volcanic activity
- Solar activity
- Asteroid collision
Explain how volcanic activity has impacted upon the Earth’s climate in the past.
Super volcano eruptions cause huge amounts of ash and volcanic material to enter the Earth’s atmosphere - it creates a huge blanket which blocks out the Sun, causing the Earth’s temperature to drop.
True of False? An asteroid impact would cause global temperatures to drop significantly.
True.
What x2 factors are causing global sea levels to rise?
- Melting ice caps and glaciers
- Thermal expansion
Identify x3 global impacts of climate change (other than rising sea levels).
Choose x3 of the following:
- Ocean acidification
- Forest fires
- More extreme weather events e.g. tropical cyclones
- Food and water shortages
- Flooding
What is the most significant global impact of climate change and why?
(This is your own opinion, there is no right or wrong answer - choose one of the impacts you listed for Q18 and explain why its s significant)
Why the Maldives are under threat from climate change (think of at least x2 reasons).
They are incredibly low lying, mos of the islands are less than 1m above sea level, has the lowest high point in the world (8ft above sea level), 21% f the population live below the poverty line.
Identify x3 potential impacts of climate change on the Maldives.
Choose x3 of the following:
- Risk of storm surges and flooding - Damage to the country’s tourist industry
- Damage to the country’s fishing industry
- Damage to the country’s coral reefs
-Putting people’s homes and livelihoods at risk
What is meant by the term ‘mitigtion’?
It is a way of managing climate change preventing or at least slowing down the impacts.
What can individuals do to mitigate climate change (think of at least x3 options?
Choose x3 of the following (some of your own):
- Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth
- Recycle
- Turn of the lights
- Eat less meat
- Walk to school
- Plant a tree in the garden
- Reuse plastic bags etc
What can be done on a global scale to mitigate climate change (think of at least x3 option)?
Choose x3 of the following:
- Afforestation
- Signing international agreements
- Using alternative energy sources
- Carbon capture and storage
