Geo lock in test

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on evidence of past climate change during the Quaternary period and the natural and human causes of climate variation.

Quaternary Period

The geological period that began 2.6 million years ago, characterized by continuous cycles of cold glacial and warm interglacial periods.

Glacial Period

A cold climate phase within the Quaternary period during which global temperatures drop and ice sheets expand.

Interglacial Period

A warm climate phase occurring between glacial periods within the Quaternary period.

Holocene

The current interglacial period in which humans live, which began approximately 10,000 years ago when the last glacial period ended.

Ice Cores

Cylinders of ice built up year by year that trap past air bubbles containing gases such as $CO_2$, providing long-term evidence of climate and temperature changes going back up to 800,000 years.

Tree Rings

Annual growth rings in trees used as climate evidence for up to 10,000 years, where one ring represents one year; thick rings indicate warm/wet conditions while thin rings indicate cold/dry conditions.

Historical Records

Human-sourced evidence of climate from the last few thousand years, including written diaries, paintings, photographs, extreme weather records, and evidence from farming and settlement.

Eccentricity

Changes in the shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun over long time scales, which alter the amount of solar energy received by Earth.

Axial Tilt (Obliquity)

Variations in the angle at which Earth's axis tilts, affecting how solar energy is distributed and triggering glacial and interglacial cycles.

Axial Wobble (Precession)

The natural wobbling motion of Earth's axis over thousands of years, altering the solar radiation Earth receives.

Volcanic Activity

A natural event where eruptions release gases like sulphur dioxide and $CO_2$ alongside volcanic ash, which reflects sunlight back into space and leads to short-term global cooling lasting several years.

Solar Output

The variable energy output of the Sun; periods with more sunspots mean more solar energy reaches Earth, slightly increasing global temperatures.

Fossil Fuels

Coal, oil, and natural gas burned by human activities, releasing large volumes of $CO_2$ and enhancing the greenhouse effect.

Agricultural Emissions

Greenhouse gases produced by farming practices, such as methane from livestock and rice farming, and nitrous oxide from chemical fertilizers.

Deforestation

The clearance of forests that reduces carbon storage, resulting in less $CO_2$ absorbed from the atmosphere and additional $CO_2$ released when trees are burned.