climate change key questions Flashcards
(36 cards)
Why is our weather becoming stuck?
The jet stream is becoming stuck resulting in prolonged periods of rainfall, heatwaves and drought.
What is the jet stream?
The jet stream is a core of strong winds around 5 to 7
miles above the Earth’s surface, blowing from west to east.
How can seasonal changes evidence climate change?
Birds are nesting 9 days earlier due to warmer temperatures.
How can shrinking glaciers and melting ice evidence climate change?
Warm temperatures are needed to melt glaciers and
ice.
How can rising sea levels evidence climate change?
Thermal expansion - warm water expands.
Name an island that is under threat from rising sea levels.
The Maldives.
Why are ice cores used to measure temperatures in the distant past instead of thermometers?
Thermometers were not invented in the past to measure temperature.
Apart from using water
molecules in ice cores, how else can we measure temperatures from the distant past?
Studying oxygen in ocean sediments.
What is the name given to the theory that describes the affect on the Earth’s orbit?
The Milankovitch Cycle.
What is axial tilt?
When the earth’s axis can tilt from 21.5 to 24.5 degrees.
What is eccentricity?
The change of the Earth’s
orbit from circular to elliptical.
What is precision?
The Earth’s wobble.
How can sunspot activity affect
climate?
The more sunspots there are,
the more heat is released.
How long is the sunspot cycle for?
11 Years.
How does volcanic activity affect climate change?
Volcanic ash can block out the Sun, reducing temperatures
on the Earth. This tends to be a short-term impact.
Describe the greenhouse effect.
When the atmosphere allows most of the heat from the sun to pass straight through it to warm up the Earth’s surface.
The Earth’s surface will then give off long-radiation which gets trapped by greenhouse gases and warms up the plant.
When do we get short-wave radiation in the greenhouse effect?
The radiation being emitted by the sun.
When do we get long-wave radiation in the greenhouse effect?
When the Earth gives off heat.
What percentage of the enhanced greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide responsible for?
60%
What percentage of the enhanced greenhouse effect is methane responsible for?
20%
What percentage of the enhanced greenhouse effect is nitrous oxide responsible for?
Very small concentrations.
How does rice farming affect the climate?
Releases methane which is a greenhouse gas.
How does burning fossil fuels affect the climate?
Released carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas.
Name three examples of alternative energy sources.
Wind, hydro-electric and nuclear.
