Climate Change - Paper 1 Flashcards
(25 cards)
Define climate change
The long term change in Earth’s temperature
What is the quaternary period?
The last 2.6 million years
2.6 is almost 2.5 (a quarter of 10)
Give 3 pieces of evidence for climate change
Global temperature data - the ten hottest years have all occured since 2010
Melting Ice - satellite images since 1979 show the shrinking of Arctic Sea ice
CO2 levels in ice cores - lots of CO2 suggests Earth was warmer
Wider tree rings - suggests warmer and wetter climate because the tree grew faster in that year - are reliable records for up to 13,000 years
Give a problem with using Global temperature data as evidence for Climate Change
Older data was collected using less reliable equipment than that used today
Give a problem with using melting Arctic Ice as evidence for climate change
Although it is reliable, evidence doesn’t extend over a long period of time (satellite images only taken since 1979)
Why is using CO2 levels in Ice Cores a good piece of evidence for climate change?
Evidence can track change over a period of 800 000 years
Give 3 natural causes of Climate Change
Milankovitch Cycles - changing distance between the Earth and the Sun
Varied solar output - dark spots on the Sun’s surface can alter the amount of thermal energy we receive, causing fluctuations in temperature
Volcanic activity - large volcanic eruptions can cause ash and gases to block out the sun, cooling the Earth
Name 2 ways deforestation contributes to climate change
Felling or burning trees (e.g. through slash and burn) releases the insulating CO2 gas into our atmosphere and removing forest cover reduces the CO2 absorption capacity of the environment, both exacerbate the greenhouse effect which traps solar radiation, heating our Earth
Where is Methane released in agriculture?
Livestock
Rice farming
Give 2 social impacts of climate change
Flooding (e.g. in the Philippines)
Heat related illness
Crop failure and consequent food shortages
What is the difference between mitigation and adaption to climate change?
Mitigation reduces the causes of climate change (like excessive levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) whereas adaptation is the adjustments made to live with climate change
Give 4 methods of mitigation of climate change
Alternative energy production (e.g. renewables like wind or solar)
Carbon capture and storage
Afforestation
International agreements (e.g. Paris 2015)
Name an international agreement which attempted to mitigate climate change
Paris 2015
Give an issue with alternative energy production as a method of climate change mitigation
Switching production sources can take a long time
Nuclear waste is hard to dispose safely
What is carbon capture and storage?
Technology used to prevent CO2 emissions from fossil fuel power stations from entering the atmosphere
Give an issue with afforestation to mitigate climate change
Planting sufficient trees would take a long time
Planting enough trees to remove just 25% of CO2 could take 1000 years
Give an issue with carbon capture and storage
Very expensive
Give an issue with international agreements for the mitigation of climate change
Difficult to get countries to agree and stick to significant targets
Give 3 methods of adaptation to climate change
Changing agricultural systems (e.g. more efficient irrigation, drought resistant crops)
Managing water supply (e.g. reducing water usage or recycling it)
Reducing impact of sea level rise (e.g. stilts for houses)
Give 2 examples of how agriculture could adapt to climate change
Drought-resistant crops
More efficient irrigation
Give examples of managing water supply as a method of adaptation to climate change
Reducing water usage (e.g. aerators on taps)
Recycling water
Water transfer schemes (moving water from areas of surplus to deficeit)
Give a drawback of reducing impact of sea level rise as a method of adaptation to climate change
Coastal defences like sea walls can be costly, as with building houses on stilits
These methods also require regular maintenance and will not last forever
Outline two ways the environment will be effected by climate change (4 marks)
The melting of ice and thermal expansion of water thanks to the rising temperatures will lead to sea level rise, flooding large, especially coastal, areas, including vital animal habitats. On the other hand, increased evaporation due to the heat in areas like North and Central Africa will also cause drought, and increased desertification.
Mark Scheme top band:
* organised and relevant throughout
* uses supporting evidence and examples
* uses developed statements (e.g. with conjuctions) to fully explore ideas
* uses geographical terms
What is thermal expansion?
Water’s increase in volume when it heats up
