Comprehensive Analysis of Climate Change: Mechanisms, Causes, Mitigation, and Adaptation

Flashcards covering the definition, natural cycles, anthropogenic causes, mitigation strategies, and adaptation methods related to climate change.

What is the definition of climate change?

Any significant change in the Earth's climate over a long period of time.

What is the Quaternary Period and when did it begin?

The most recent geological period, spanning from $2.6\text{ million}$ years ago to the present day, characterised by ice ages and alternating warm and cold periods.

How does the natural greenhouse effect function?

Atmospheric gases trap heat radiating from the Earth toward space, keeping the planet warm enough to sustain human life.

How does radiation interact with the Earth's surface during the day and night?

During the day, solar radiation passes through the atmosphere and heats the Earth's surface; at night, the surface cools by emitting infrared (heat) radiation.

How do major volcanic eruptions cause short-term global cooling?

They eject large quantities of ash and particles into the atmosphere that reflect incoming solar radiation back out to space, cooling the Earth's surface.

What global temperature change was caused by the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo?

A global temperature decrease of $0.5^\circ\text{C}$.

What is eccentricity in the Milankovitch cycles and how long is its cycle?

The change in the shape of Earth's orbit from a nearly circular shape to an ellipse (oval), spanning a cycle of approximately $96{,}000$ to $100{,}000\text{ years}$.

What is obliquity and what are its historical range and current angle?

The tilt of Earth's rotational axis relative to its orbital plane, varying between $22.1^\circ$ and $24.5^\circ$ over a $41{,}000\text{-year}$ cycle; it is currently tilted at $23.4^\circ$.

What is axial precession and what is its cycle duration?

The slight rotational wobble of the Earth on its axis, resembling an off-centre spinning toy top, spanning a cycle of about $25{,}771.5\text{ years}$.

What are sunspots and how do they correspond to solar energy output?

Intense magnetic storms on the Sun's surface that host solar flares; increased sunspot numbers correlate with periods of higher solar energy output and increased temperatures.

How much did atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration increase between 1750 and May 2020?

It increased from $280\text{ ppm}$ in 1750 to $417\text{ ppm}$ in May 2020.

What proportion of carbon emissions in Northern Ireland comes from grazing livestock?

Nearly $30\%$ of all emissions, primarily emitted as methane by cows and sheep.

Why does cement manufacturing release carbon dioxide?

Cement is produced by crushing and heating limestone, a sedimentary rock containing calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$), which releases substantial amounts of $CO_2$.

Why does deforestation increase atmospheric carbon dioxide levels?

Felling trees eliminates organisms that absorb $CO_2$ during photosynthesis, and burning or decomposing felled trees releases their stored carbon.

What is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and what is its primary weakness?

A mitigation technology that captures $CO_2$ from fossil-fuel power stations and injects it into geological reservoirs; its primary limitation is its high cost.

What are the limitations of afforestation as a climate change mitigation strategy?

It requires substantial land, can be expensive, saplings may be planted in unsuitable climates, and trees eventually release stored carbon when they rot.

What are the weaknesses associated with international climate agreements such as Kyoto, Copenhagen, and Paris?

Not all major emitters ratify or comply, enforcement mechanisms are weak, and meetings often produce non-binding promises rather than mandatory reductions.

How can farming practices adapt to changing climate conditions?

By educating farmers, introducing new cropping patterns suited to altered seasons, and implementing advanced irrigation systems to prevent water loss.

What adaptation methods protect coastal communities from rising sea levels?

Constructing hard sea walls, building houses on stilts to avoid damp and flooding, restoring natural mangrove buffers, and relocating vulnerable populations.