Climate Change

Define climate

Describe the climate of the UK

Temperate climate which is found between 40 and 60 degrees N + S of equator

When was the Quaternary period?

2.6 million years ago

Why might some people believe climate change not to be a threat?

The Earth experiences patterns of warming + cooling called glacial and interglacial periods

How much has the earths temp increased from 1880

1.2 degrees

How do ice cores work?

Drill into ice + extract ice that is 1000s of years old and analyse water molecules to calculate past temperatures

Adv of ice cores

Adv - Can create graphs of temp. changes. over 400k years Objective evidence

Describe an example of sea ice positions

Columbia glacier retreating at a rate of 30m a day, has lost half of its thickness

Reliability of sea ice positions GOOD

Globally distributed, is happening everywhere. Objective evidence, can see retreat.

Reliability of sea ice positions BAD

Partly due to ocean currents, not climate change.

How is global temp data useful?

Objective, uses computer programming, 1000 ground weather stations, satellites, sparse distribution of weather stations

How can we use fossil evidence?

Discovery of warm animals in cold places indicate climate change in past.

Adv and disadv of sediment evidence

adv - can use oxygen isotopes to calculate past temp disadv - only shows there was a cold period not how long it lasted

Name the 3 milankovtich cycles

precession, eccentricity + axial

How long do the milankovitch cycles take?

eccentricity - 100,000 years precession - 26k axial tilt - varies between 21 and 24 degrees

What are sunspots?

Dark patches on suns surface linked to occurrence of solar flares. Increases to max + minim.

How do volcanoes affect climate?

Eruption of ash + sulphur dioxide into atm. Ash blocks out sun, cools earth. Sulphur dioxide converts into sulphuric acid which can block out radiation from atm

What type of radiation is heat?

Short wave solar radiation

What type of radiation is released by Earths surface?

Long wave radiation

What % of emissions are caused by burning fossil fuels?

57%

Name 2 social threats in UK

Heatwaves cause elderly death, water shortage

Name 2 economic threats in UK

1 million properties damage at a 12 billion flood risk, roads + rail need maintenance

Name 2 environmental threats in UK

Erosion of salt marshes due to cliff collapse, droughts

Name social threats worldwide

Kiribati + Maldives at risk of submersion as Maldives 1.3m above sea level. Mumbai at risk of flooding, pop. 20 million

Name environmental impacts worldwide

60% of GBR coral bleached, Russia is warming 2.5x faster than avg and contains huge arctic regions + permafrost