JC Science - Climate change

Weather

Atmospheric conditions in a particular area at a particular time

Climate

The patterns of weather conditions in a large area over a long period of time

Climate change

A change in weather conditions over a long period of time

Atmosphere

A layer of gases that surrounds Earth. It protects Earth from the suns harmful radiation + keeps the planet warm enough for life to exist

Greenhouse gases

-Gases including carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour + nitrous oxide
-They trap heat as an insulating blanket around the earth. They help even out temperatures in the earth

Natural greenhouse effect

-Greenhouse gases act like a greenhouse because they trap some of the heat that has been reflected by earth
-This maintains temperatures to support life on Earth

Wind + ocean currents

-Heat is transferred from the equator to the poles by wind + ocean currents
-Warm air + waters rises from the equator to the poles
-Cool air + waters sinks from the poles to the equator

Ozone layer

-A part of the atmosphere that protects Earth by absorbing most of the suns harmful radiation
-Holes have formed in the ozone layer because of CFCs

Climate change due to natural Earth processes

-Natural causes such as ice ages have caused slight changes in the earths orbit around the sun
-Volcanic activity can affect climate as large amounts of dust + sulfer dioxide are released. This can cause a cooling of the earth

Ice age

A period of cold temperature in which ice sheets cover large parts of the earth

Climate change due to human activities

-The earth has been warming up since the industrial revolution. New machines were created + powered by fossil fuels
-Burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests + intensive farming also cause faster climate change

Industrial revolution

A period in the 18th + 19th centuries when manufacturing changed from hand production to machine production

Fossil fuels

Substances such as coal, oil + natural gas formed over millions of years from the remains of plants + animals

Greenhouse gas examples

-Carbon dioxide
-Methane
-Nitrous oxide

Sources of greenhouse gases

-Burning fossil fuels
-Respiration
-Decay + burning of wood
-Cement production
-Coal mining
-Landfill sites
-Natural gas leaks
-Rice paddies
-Waste gas from livestock
-Burning fossil fuels
-Fertilisers

Global warming

The accelerated increase in the temperature of the earth due to rising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Global warming leads to

-Rise in atmospheric temperatures
-Rise in ocean temperatures
-Climate change

Climate change impacts life on land by causing

-Droughts + heat waves
-More violent storms
-More flooding
-Melting of land ice
-Changing habitats

Climate change impacts life in the oceans by causing

-Warming of the oceans
-Ocean acidification
-Melting of polar ice caps
-Rising sea levels
-Changing habitats

Effects of climate change

-Droughts + heatwaves
-More violent storms
-Rising sea levels
-Warming oceans
-Ocean acidification
-Melting of polar ice caps
-Changing habitats

Droughts + heatwaves can lead to

-Failure of crops to grow
-Water shortages
-Heat waves can kill humans
-New deserts are formed

More violent storms

Warm water transfers heat to the air above + then causes more evaporation. This causes hurricane
This leads to
-Destruction of property
-Homelessness
-Flooding

Rising sea levels

Rising sea levels leads to flooding
This leads to
-Destruction of communities
-Homelessness
-Spread of disease in flood water

Warming oceans can lead to

-Higher sea levels
-Melting ice caps
-More storms
-Bleaching of coral reefs
-Some marine organisms cannot tolerate higher temperatures
-Others like bacteria may thrive in warm temperatures + cause disease in marine organisms

Ocean acidification

-Increase of carbon in the atmosphere has increased the amount of carbon in oceans
-Carbon dioxide + water \= carbonic acid
This leads to
-Reduced ability of fish to reproduce
-Marine animals cannot build shells in acidic water

Melting of polar ice caps

Rising temperatures leads to melting ice caps
This leads to
-Less ice to reflect sun, so more heat absorbed by ocean
-Changing weather patterns
-Rising sea levels + flooding
-Smaller hunting grounds for artic animals

Changing habitats

Climate change results in a change in the habitats of many organisms. This affects the biodiversity in these habitats. If animals can't adapt then they become extinct

What are ice cores

Ice core are cylinder of ice drilled out of an ice sheet or glacier

Ice cores
Where?
Longest?
Oldest?

-Antarctica + Greenland
-The longest one is 3km long
-The oldest ice core records give us data from 800,000 years in Antarctica + 123,000 years ago in Greenland

Ice core data

-Scientists use ice cores to find out information about past temperatures
-The ice contains small bubbles of air which are samples of the atmosphere from the time. Scientists use carbon dating on the carbon dioxide in these air bubbles
-Another method of dating is counting layers in the ice

Carbon dating

Matter that contains carbon can be dated by measuring the amount of carbon 14 it contains.

Research on ice cores shows that

-Atmospheric carbon dioxide are now 40% higher than before the Industrial revolution
-Huge increase in the amount of methane in the atmosphere

Carbon dioxide + global temperatures

As the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the temperature increases

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

-An organisation made up of over 3000 scientists
-They gather + assess information about climate change then publish it in reports

Climate models

Climate mode have been developed by scientists to predict what the climate on earth will be like in the future

Impact of Climate change on Ireland

-More rain in winter
-More storms
-Summers become warmer
-Less rain in summer
-Green countryside may be replaced by dried grass
-High temperatures + low rainfall may affect our fresh water fisheries
-Farmers may no longer be able to grow potatoes
-Bog bursts may be more frequent as mountains are dry

Initiatives to address climate change

-UNFCCC
-Kyoto Protocol
-Paris agreement

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

-International treaty
-Countries joined to consider what they could do to limit global warming + climate change

Kyoto Protocol

-International agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
-Each country has mandatory targets to reduce their carbon emissions

Renewable energy

A source of energy which is constantly being replaced by nature

Paris Agreement

Paris 2015, 195 countries agreed to:
-Limit global warming by less than 2C
-Stop burning fossil fuels
-Aim to have zero net carbon emissions
-Meet every 5 years to report + discuss progress
-Rich nations help poorer ones

Zero net carbon emissions

Means that the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere is the same as the amount being removed

Carbon credits

One carbon credit is equal to one tonne of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by either planting trees or by reducing future carbon emissions by using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels

Carbon footprint

The amount of greenhouse gases that we produce as an individual or society

Ways to reduce our carbon footprint

-Walk or cycle instead of drive
-Public transport instead of cars
-Turn heating down
-Service boiling regularly to maximise efficiency
-Insulate your house
-Insulate windows + doors
-Choose energy efficient appliances
-Unplug electrical equipment when not in use
-Use solar panels
-Use energy efficient light bulbs
-Reuse + recycle
-Buy locally produced food
-Use electric cars
-Plant trees in your garden