Long Trm Changes Background

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Climate is highly unstable shown by previous climate. records over the last million years

Large fluctuations in global temps at regular intervals

Past 400,000 years - 4 major cycles with cold glacials followed by warmer inter-glacials

Each cycle lasts about 100,000 years

Last glacial, 20,000 years ago average annual temps in the British Isles were 5 degrees lower than today

Scotland, Wales, Ireland and most of northern England were submerged by ice up to 1 Km thick

Warmer inter-glacial periods, temps are similar to todays

Longer time = more extreme temps

250 million years ago, global temps reached 22 degrees ( 7-8 degrees Celsius higher than todays )