BI303 - Section 1 Lecture 9

What period is known as the Pleistocene?

Last 2 million years

How has the global climate changed during the Pleistocene?

It has been much colder than now

When did the last ice age end?

20,000 years bp

What period began after the last ice age?

The Holocene

What does the plot of inferred climate history of North Atlantic show?

Relatice O2 isotope concentrations.
Dramatic fluctuations in atmospheric pressure.
Data from Greenland Ice Core Project.

What covered large areas of the Northern Hemisphere at the height of the last ice age?

Ice sheets

How does the rate of greenhouse gas increase after the last ice age compared to current rates?

10 times slower than current anthropogenic increases

What has been increasing since the industrial revolution?

Concentrations of greenhouse gases

What drives changes in the biogeosphere?

Build up of additional energy

What are the observed changes in extreme storm events attributed to?

Increase in greenhouse gases.
Model predictions under climate change.
Rising solar energy retention.

What does IPCC stand for?

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

What is likely to happen to global temperatures due to anthropogenic release of GHGs?

They are likely to increase

What correlated changes were observed by IPCC 2014?

Air temperature.
Sea temperature.
Marine air temperature.
Sea level.
Extent of polar sea ice.
Snow cover.
Humidity.
Troposphere temperature.

What significant changes does IPCC 2014 predict by 2100?

Changes in precipitation, evaporation, humidity.
Changes in evapotranspiration, surface runoff, soil moisture.
Global climate will change in many ways.

What will happen to Mediterranean and semi-desert regions by 2100.

They will become more arid.
Monsoon and polar regions will become wetter.

How will changes in soil moisture and runoff impact agriculture?

They will impact agricultural irrigation.

What is predicted for dry tropical forests in Africa and India by 2100?

They will get wetter in the North and Northeast.
They will get drier in the South.

What is predicted for tropical and temperate rainforests in South America by 2100?

They will become drier

What will happen to Mediterranean and temperate grasslands by 2100?

They will become dryer

What does the ultimate intensity of global warming depend on?

Future patterns of GHG emission.

What will happen if the Paris Accord fails?

Global temperatures will rise by 5-10 degrees celcius

What will moderate increases in emissions likely disrupt?

The Arctic climate