changing climate

evidence of climate change (good/bad)

ICE CORES (good)

• trap air which contains C02 providing info about past temperatures

• give info back 2.6 million years

evidence of climate change (good/bad)

PAINTINGS (bad)

• drawing’s of frost fairs on river Thames in 19th century

• only date back 200 years and can just be made up by the artist

evidence of climate change (good/bad)

FOSSILS (good)

• location of fossils tells us about the temperature because specific species have to live in different weather conditions

• go back millions of years

a cause of natural climate change

sunspots —→ dark spots appearing on the sun’s surface

• higher number of sunspots = higher average temperature

a cause of natural climate change

volcanic eruptions

• large eruptions release dust into the atmosphere

• ash blocks solar radiation (lowering temp’s)

2 human sources of greenhouse gases

C02—→ burning of fossil fuels (power stations)

Methane—→ manure + landfill waste

How agriculture contributes to climate change

• production of fertilisers and pesticides uses fossil fuels

what is the quaternary period

• the last 2.6 million years

2 natural greenhouse gases

• water vapour from evaporating oceans

• methane from soils decomposition