bio 122- Climate Change- exam 4

The __________ is causing global climate change

accumulation of greenhouse gases

The accumulation of greenhouse gases is causing global climate change

Greenhouse gases

•are airborne chemicals that capture and hold heat within Earth’s atmosphere.

The accumulation of greenhouse gases is causing global climate change

Greenhouse gases include: 

–Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

–Methane (CH₄)

–Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

–Water (H₂O) vapor

Global Climate Change: The Data

•_________greenhouse gas levels are higher now than at any time in the past 800,000 years.

Atmospheric

Global Climate Change: The Data

•Since 1880, ___________ temperatures have increased.

global surface

Carbon dioxide is an Important Player

•The human activities that contribute the most CO₂ to the atmosphere are power generation and industry.

________act as an atmospheric blanket, trapping heat

Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases act as an atmospheric blanket, trapping heat

The greenhouse effect

•vital to life on Earth; without it, most of Earth’s surface would be too cold to support life.

Greenhouse gases act as an atmospheric blanket, trapping heat

•The more greenhouse gases there are

the more heat is trapped

Greenhouse gases act as an atmospheric blanket, trapping heat

The consensus among scientists is

atmospheric accumulation of human-made greenhouse gases is gradually warming the Earth, causing global climate change

_______ has many far-reaching effects on ecosystems

Global climate change

Global climate change has many far-reaching effects on ecosystems

Ecosystem effects include:

–With rising temperatures, the ranges of many species are shifting toward the poles or to higher elevations.

–Polar habitats are melting away.

Ecosystems effects impact human life

Ecosystem effects include:

–Warming oceans —> coral to lose their symbiotic algae —> coral death —> loss of entire reef ecosystems.

–Earlier snow melt —> dry conditions —> increase in devastating wildfires.

Acid rain

an effect of greenhouse gas

Thermohaline Circulation

•Cold water melts from glaciers in the north Atlantic

•Sinks driving the water down and away-generating currents that move throughout the oceans

•Currents then carry water and nutrients throughout the ocean