Science Unit 7 Lesson 3 Flashcards
Scientists have determined that droughts, flooding, and wildfires are all being made more extreme by what?
human-made climate change.
According to the UN World Meteorological Organization, 14 of the 15 hottest years on record have occurred since the year 2000. What do these trends show us?
The trends show that Earth’s global average temperatures are continuing to increase.
What is global average temperature?
the average of thousands of temperature measurements in the atmosphere, oceans, and on land over a specific time period
How does increased temperature cause more drought?
As temperatures rise, the rate of evaporation increases. Areas that tend to be dry will experience more extreme drought. This is because warmer air holds more water than cooler air. Because the air is warmer, clouds will not condense as quickly.
How are some clouds affecting global warming?
Some types of clouds help to cool the Earth by reflecting light from the sun back into space. Other types of clouds hold the heat in, just like greenhouse gases. Scientists have observed that more heat-trapping clouds are forming, adding to climate change.
While arid regions experience more extreme drought, what happens to regions that tend to receive more precipitation?
They will face extreme storms
How does increased runoff affect the ground?
Runoff increases as rain increases. The ground is unable to absorb water fast enough, so water runs off, picking up debris and chemicals along the way. These wind up in bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and oceans.
In the Great Plains, Midwest, and Northeast regions of the U.S., the strongest storms have seen a What percent increase in the amount of rain produced.
30%
What affect does snow have on water availability?
Each winter, snow falls in mountainous regions, storing water that melts later through the spring and summer. This snow melt provides water that people rely on for household, agricultural, and industrial use. As the Earth warms, much of the snowfall is replaced with rain. The snow that does fall arrives later and melts earlier. This changes the timing of the availability of water.
What is turbidity?
Turbidity is cloudiness caused by stirred- up sediment; turbid water is not good for drinking and can be harmful to aquatic life.
Increased heavy rains causes ….
more runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farmland. The runoff also carries increased sediments, causing turbidity in the water; turbid water is not good for drinking and can be harmful to aquatic life
What temperatures increase the risk of algal blooms and bacterial growth.?
warmer temperatures
What are things that can increase the salinity of surfacewater?
Near the coasts, freshwater is at risk of increased salinity. Rising ocean levels can push saltwater upstream into bodies of water, making them unusable
How can groundwater experience salinity?
As water demands increase with temperature, more roundwater is extracted. This can lower the water table, which affects ecosystems which rely on the availability of groundwater. As the water table falls, plants’ roots can no longer reach it. Lower groundwater levels can also allow infiltration of saltwater along the ocean shore. As with surface water, saltwater intrusion into the
water table can make the water unusable.
What does warmer ocean temperatures cause? How does it affect storms and ocean life?
Warmer ocean temperatures fuel more intense storms, such as hurricanes. As the water warms, it becomes less able to sustain aquatic life. Warmer ocean waters kill coral reefs, which provide a habitat for hundreds of types oforganisms.
