GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE | CD1

CLIMATE

generalised cycles of the past used to predict the future

WEATHER

what is happening in the present or near future

THE 6 VITAL SIGNS

global average surface temperature, atmospheric CO2 concentration, forest area, land ice area & volume, arctic ice minimum area & volume, sea level rise

GREENHOUSE GAS EFFECT

when gases in Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's heat

THE 6 GREENHOUSE GASES

CO2_, H2O, Methane (CH4), CFC (chlorofluorocarbons), Ozone (O3), Sulphates and nitrates (SOx and NOx compounds)

KEELING’S CURVE

graph of the accumulation of atmospheric CO2

WHY IS MAUNA LOA THE BEST LOCATION FOR GATHERING ATMOSPHERIC CO2 CONCENTRATION DATA?

remote, unaffected by industrial activity

AEROBIC RESPIRATION EQUATION

sugar + O2 → CO2 + H2O + energy

PHOTOSYNTHESIS EQUATION

CO2 + H2O + energy → sugar + O2

WHY DOES THE CO2 CURVE GO UP AND DOWN DURING THE YEAR?

in spring and summer, plants begin to bloom, scrubbing the atmosphere of CO₂ with photosynthesis

CARBONIC ACID EQUATION (include states)

H2O(l) + CO2(g) → H2CO3(aq)

HOW DOES INCREASED ATMOSPHERIC CO2 CONCENTRATION CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

more atmospheric CO2 = more gases trapping heat & heating up the Earth

WHAT HAPPENS TO CORAL REEFS IN ACIDIC WATER?

weakened calcium carbonate structures

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TREES ARE DESTROYED?

the carbon stored in them is released back into the atmosphere as CO2

HOW DOES DEFORESTRATION CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

deforestation = less trees = less plants photosynthesising = more CO2

2 PLACES EXPERIENCING THE MOST FOREST AREA LOSS

amazon rainforest, indonesian rainforest

ARCTIC ICE MINIMUM EXTENT

the area of ocean where at least 15 percent of the surface is frozen

WHAT IS ABSORBING ALL EXCESS ATMOSPHERIC HEAT?

ice and water

WHAT CHANGE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE MELTING ARCTIC ICE?

transportation of goods by boat through the arctic

MOULINS

conduits that funnel the meltwater runoff from the ice surface that leads to faster sliding of the ice sheet

WHAT CAUSES RISING SEA LEVELS?

melting arctic ice and the expansion of warming seawater

4 WAYS CARBON ENTERS THE ATMOSPHERE

exhalation, burning fossil fuels, plant decay, fires

WHAT DOES PHOTOSYNTHESIS DO?

absorbs atmospheric CO2 and turns it into sugars

WHAT ORGANISM PERFORMS PHOTOSYNTHESIS?

plants

WHAT KIND OF ENERGY DO PLANTS USE TO PHOTOSYNTHESISE?

solar energy

WHAT DO DECOMPOSERS DO?

break down dead organisms to create new compounds

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT DECOMPOSITION?

nitrogen in dead organisms would not be released, nitrogen taken from the soil would not get replaced, plant growth would decrease

CARBON SINKS

the long-term storage carbon is kept in

WHAT 3 THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE USE CARBON SINKS?

release the stored carbon into the atmosphere, release carbon faster than it can be replenished by nature, throw off the balance of carbon by use of fossil fuels

EXAMPLES OF CARBON SINKS

coal, soil, limestone

HOW IS NITROGEN GAS REMOVED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE?

by nitrogen fixation by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil

4 TYPES OF NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA

nitrogen-fixing bacteria, decomposing bacteria, nitrifying bacteria, denitrifying bacteria

HOW IS WATER CONVERTED INTO VAPOUR?

evaporation, transpiration

HOW DOES WATER RETURN TO THE OCEANS FROM LAND?

surface run-off, groundwater flow

SURFACE RUN-OFF

precipitation that does not soak into the soil but instead moves on land toward streams

GROUNDWATER FLOW

water that exists underground that is discharged into a stream

EXAMPLES OF PRECIPITATION

rain, sleet, snow

HOW CAN POLLUTED AIR POLLUTE THE WATER

through condensation, the polluted air can be brought down to and pollute rivers, streams, lakes and oceans

HOW DOES PRECIPITATION CONTRIBUTE TO POLLUTION

pollutes water with air pollutants

HOW DOES SURFACE RUN-OFF CONTRIBUTE TO WATER POLLUTION

pollutes water with ground pollutants

HOW DOES PLANTING LEGUMINOUS PLANTS HELP WITH SOIL FERTILITY?

legumes have bacteria that convert nitrogen into a form plants can use

HOW IS INCREASED ATMOSPHERIC CO2 CONCENTRATION CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

increased CO2 concentration enhances the natural greenhouse effect and traps more heat in the Earth's atmosphere

HOW IS FOREST LAND AREA LOSS CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

reduction in forests diminishes the Earth's capacity to sequester CO2, leading to higher atmospheric CO2 levels

HOW DO TREES HELP DIMINISH CO2 LEVELS?

they are carbon sinks that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere

HOW DOES A SMALLER ARCTIC ICE MINIMUM EXTENT PROVE CLIMATE CHANGE EXISTS?

direct consequence of warming temperatures, which causes the ice to melt more extensively and earlier because the ice is absorbing all the excessive heat

HOW DOES LESS ICE AFFECT OUR PLANET?

less ice = less sunlight reflected back into space = more is absorbed by the darker ocean waters = warming waters and planet

EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES THAT BURN FOSSIL FUELS

burning coal, oil, and natural gas for electricity, transportation, and industrial processes

EFFECTS OF BURNING FOSSIL FUELS

emits greenhouse gases, increased concentration of greenhouse gases traps more heat in the atmosphere, leading to hotter temperatures

EXAMPLES OF DEFORESTATION

clearing forests for agriculture, logging, and urban development

EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION

less organisms photosynthesising & absorbing CO2, destruction of habitats, endangering biodiversity and disrupting ecosystems

EXAMPLES OF INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE

large-scale farming practices that include the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and extensive irrigation

EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE

emits a lot methane gases from livestock farming, emits nitrous oxide from the use of synthetic fertilizers, intensive agriculture leads to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity