Global Climate Change

climate

long-term atmospheric conditions, including temperature, wind, humidity, precipitation, solar radiation, atmospheric pressure

global climate change

changes in multiple facets of earth’s climate, such as temperature, precipitation, storm frequency, and intensity

greenhouse gases

human generated _________ is driving climate change

nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane

examples of greenhouse gases

atmosphere

__________ moderates extreme changes in temperature and facilitates precipitation

absorbed or reflected

good amount of light penetrates through the atmosphere and is either _________ or __________

photosynthesis

light that penetrates through the atmosphere is essential for organisms that do __________

heat

atmosphere prevents ________ from leaving

carbon dioxide

80% of greenhouse gas emissions are _________

transportation, electric power, industry

__________, ____________, and _________ are main sources of US greenhouse gases

methane

each molecule of _________ that is released can trap 84x more heat than 1 molecule of CO2

nitrous oxide

________ is 264x better at trapping heat than CO2

fluorinated gases

___________ are 264x better at trapping heat than CO2

lithosphere

carbon has been transferred from where it is stored (__________) to the atmosphere

deforestation

___________ has reduced how much carbon is stored in plants

industrial production

____________ makes a lot of carbon go into the air

ocean

_________ is a massive sink for CO2

HFCs

lower the lever of ozones

radiative forcing

measure of the impact of a particular factor on Earth’s temperature

stratospheric ozone

what is up in the atmosphere that protects us from the sun

tropospheric ozone

a secondary pollutant that is generated from car emissions reacting with the sunlight to form ozone

ozone (O3)

unstable molecule that whenever it comes it contact with, it reacts

paleoclimate

study of ________ and use of proxy measurements to understand the climate of the ancient past

ice cores and gas bubbles

you can use _________ and __________ trapped in ice to study paleoclimate

sediment

you can use _______ cores to study paleoclimate

tree

you can use _______ rings to study paleoclimate

atmosphere and oceans

you can use direct measurements to study climate such as chemical composition of the ________ and _________

seasons

monthly mean goes up and down because of the different __________ impact plants and their ability to take in CO2

temperature

late 1800s is when they started keeping accurate records of ___________

models

________ can help make predictions for the future

intergovernmental panel on climate change

addressed impacts on wildlife, ecosystems, and society and discusses strategies for mitigation and/or adaption

acidic

ocean is becoming more __________

temperature, precipitation

global climate change causes increasing ___________ and changing ________ patterns

extreme

_______ weather is more frequent and more intense

ice, sea levels

global climate change causes melting ________ and rising ________

organisms and ecosystems

global climate change causes impacts on ________ and _______

human

global climate change impacts ________ society

drought

increased temperature have led to more drying, which leads to __________

megafires

fires that burn more than 100,000 acres

crown fires

________ are so hot they can create their own weather

fires

_________ are beneficial for the ecosystem because it keeps everything in balance

water

melting ice causes reduced ________ supply from spring

positive feedback loop

melting ice is a ___________

melting glaciers and thermal expansion

_______ and ________ causes sea level rise

flooding

_________ occurs more easily and rapidy due to rising sea levels

saltwater

not only flooding issue, but drinking water impacts when ________ contaminants aquifers

temperature-regulated

__________ natural phenomena are affected by climate change

earlier

springtime precesses are occurring ___________

geographic ranges

________ are changing

CO2

elevated levels of ______ can stimulate plant growth

resources

those with the least ________ will be hardest hit

regional

impacts have _________ variability

invasive species

________ shift the way our forests work