higher geo - climate change

where did carbon originally come from

bubbled out of the mantle in the form of CO2 gas by volcanoes

how does the hydrosphere remove carbon from the atmosphere

carbon dissolves in seawater

how does the biosphere remove carbon from the atmosphere

carbon is absorbed by vegetation through photosynthesis - converting carbon into sugar and other chemicals. carbon enters the food chain and makes up the bodies of animals

how many tons of carbon move from the atmosphere into life forms every year

63 billion

how does the lithosphere remove carbon from the atmosphere

carbon dissolves into rainwater and then chemically weathers rocks

how is carbon added to the atmosphere

respiration, organisms decaying, oceans giving it out in CO2 exchange

the short term carbon cycle

all the ways that carbon is stored or moved about

the long term carbon cycle

movement of carbon into / out of fossil fuels or rocks

4 examples of greenhouse gases

carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), sulphur dioxide (SO2)

2 examples of sedimentary rocks created in our oceans that lock up carbon

limestone and shale

6 examples of anthropogenic causes of climate change

1. burning of fossil fuels for transport, industry and power - produces CO2

2. increased car exhaust emissions - increaseed nitrous oxide emissions, nitrous oxide is 200-300 times more effective in trapping heat than carbon dioxide

3. deforestation - less vegetation to absorb CO2 through photosynthesis, and often involves burning vegetation afterwards, producing CO2.

4. production of cement - limestone is converted to lime, emitting CO2

5. production of ammonia - used to purify water, in cleaning supplies and making fertiliser, greenhouses produced as a byproduct.

6. CH4 is released from landfill sites as waste decomposes.

5 physical causes of climate change

1. volcanic eruptions - volcanic dust in the atmosphere shields the earth from the sun, lowering the global temperature.

2. milankovichs theory - differences in the tilt of the earth in relation to the sun.

3. differences in solar energy - sunspot activity can increase/decrease global temperatures

4. the albedo effect

5. melting permafrost releases large quantities of methane gas from decomposing organic matter

what are the 3 milankovitch cycles

1. shape of the orbit changing shape - when orbit is a circle, the overall amount of energy received by the earth is higher

2. the tilt of the earth - why we have seasons, when the tilt is the greatest we get hot summers, when its the lowest we get cool summers.

3. the wobbling of the earth on its axis, due to the tidal forces caused by the gravitational pull of the sun, causing one hemisphere to be closer to the sun and therefore having more extreme seasons.

how can ice cores be used as evidence of climate change

molecules and air can be trapped inside ice, subtle changes in temperature can be measured from ice cores extracted in Antarctica

how can ice cover be used as evidence of climate change

areas such as greenland and the artic have seen the thinning of ice sheets

how can pollen analysis be used as evidence of climate change

different types of plant are adapted better to different conditions, studying pollen preserved in sediment can show changes in the type of vegetation in a particular area, providing a guide as to what the climate was like at different times

how can ocean acidification be used as evidence for climate change

since the beginning of the industrial revolution the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by around 30%. This increase is the result of humans emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere and hence more being absorbed into the ocean

7 stages of how the greenhouse effect works (simple)

1. solar radiation at most wavelengths passes through the earths atmosphere

2. the earth absorbs most of the radiation and warms up

3. the earth radiates heat energy

4. some heat escapes into space

5. some heat is absorbed by greenhouse gases in atmosphere

6. greenhouse gases radiate heat in all directions

7. lower atmosphere warms up

what is the largest contributor of the natural greenhouse effect

water vapour - responsible for 98% of the natural greenhouse effect

7 stages in the ENHANCED greenhouse effect

1. greenhouse gases allow more solar radiation to pass through earths atmosphere

2. earth absorbs most of the radiation and warms up

3. earth radiates heat energy

4. less heat escapes into space

5. more heat absorbed by greenhouse gases in atmosphere

6. greenhouse gases radiate heat in all directions

7. lower atmosphere heats up

9 negative impacts of climate change

1. Droughts - periods with little/no rainfall, climate change causes these to happen as increased atmospheric temperatures can cause dry seasons to extend into long droughts.

2. Extinction - when a species dies out, habitats are becoming lost or unsuitable for animals

3. Tropical storms - climate change causes these to happen as sea temperatures are higher, increasing the severity and frequency of tropical storms

4. Acidification - oceans becoming more acidic, as they are absorbing more CO2 from the atmosphere, impacting corals - which expel algae and turn white.

5. Infrastructure - at the coasts will have to be improved and made more resilient as climate change is increasing frequency and severity of storms and rising sea levels, leading to more coastal erosion.

6. low lying islands - could be flooded, climate change is causing this to happen as the thermal expansion of the oceans and the melting of continental ice sheets is causing sea level rise

7. evacuation - people cant live safely in coastal areas

8. diseases, might become more widespread, shortages of water and food and increasing temperatures - increasing area where malaria carrying mosquitos can live.

9. wildfires - due to increased global temperatures

example of a wildfire

Australias Black Summer in 2019-2020, where 19 million hectares burned

example of a tropical storm

Typhoon Haiyan - 7th Nov 2013, 6300 deaths, Phillipines

example of a place that is a low lying island and where people are evacuating from

the Maldives - as in the last 100 years, sea levels have risen by 15-20 cm

example of a drought

UK, summer of 2026, England had just 6.5mm of rain in July, and there was a period of 60 days with no rain

4 benefits of climate change

1. longer growing season - can feed expanding population

2. fewer deaths to the cold

3. reduced winter energy demands

4. cargo ships can travel easier from europe to asia due to melting of artic sea ice