Climate and Change

Climate and Change

1. How do we know the climate has changed in the past?

   • Evidence
     • Scientists
       • Ice study
       • Migrating birds study
       • Data collection
       • Tree study
     • Books, news, photos
   • When the temp increases so does the CO2 levels which shows a correlation.
     • There are periods of warmer climate for 400 years followed by 400 years of cooler climate.

2. How can natural causes cause climate change?

   • Sun Spot Theory
     • Sun spot= more solar radiation
       • Black areas on sun
     • Sun is more active than usual
     • Warm periods= sun spots
       • Ice ages= less sun spots
   • The Earth's Orbit
     • Circular
     • Sometimes elliptical meaning the earth is closer and further away from the sun at different points
     • Earths tilt on its axis makes some areas warmer than others
       • "earth wobble"
   • Asteroid Theory
     • Asteroids in the asteroid belt can crash and change orbit
     • Create ash+dust when crash which blocks the suns light/heat getting through
   • Eruption Theory
     • Big volcanic eruptions can change the climate
     • Produce sulphur dioxide gas+ash clouds which can block the suns heat/light getting through the stratoshpere
       • Cools the earth

3. How did short term changes in history impact people and the environment?

   • Ice Age
   • Vikings
     • When the vikings arrived in Greenland they cut down trees
     • They over-grazed the land with cattle+sheep causing soil erosion
       • Climate became cooler and mini ice age began AD 1350
         • Cattle+sheep had less food
         • Last food was caught in the shorter summer
           • People ran short of food and animals died out, when resources ran short conflicts began
         • More sea ice stopped trade with Iceland and Norway
   • Asteroid crash
   • Dinosaur extinction
   • Food shortage
   • Lack of sunlight

4. How might climate in the UK change in the future?

   • What is the climate like in the UK now?
     • Air Masses
     • Temperature
     • Ocean Currents
     • Seasons
     • Rainfall
   • The UK is likely to experience an increase in temperature between 1-2.5oC
   • We are likely to see 20% more rain in winter and -20% rain in winter
   • Costs
     • drought and water shortage
     • heat stroke+skin cancer
     • melt road surfaces+buckle railways
     • plants and animals may die out
   • Benefits
     • heating bills= lower
     • more UK holidays= cheaper holidays+tourism
     • fewer cold related deaths
     • new crops

5. What is the Greenhouse Effect?

   • What is the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?

6. Affects of global warming and climate change

   • Why are we uncertain?
     • We could increase the rate of CO2 production or decrease it in the future
     • Predictions are predictions, they are not set in stone
   • Case study: Britain
     • Environment
       • Warmer
       • Droughts+water shortages
       • Extreme weather will become more common
         • heatwaves
         • flooding
         • storms
       • Plants+animals may die out
     • Economy
       • Tourism
       • NHS money= skin cancer
       • Money to repair roads+railways that get damaged through heat
       • More farmable land+ new crops
   • Case study: Bangladesh
     • Environment
       • Land flooded= infertile+unuseable
       • Loss of wildlife+fish
       • Erratic weather
         • Tropical storms/cyclones
       • Himilayas melting= floods
     • Economy
       • People struggle to find work so move away
       • Only a few children can afford to complete their education
       • The market is expensive and in the mainland which is an expensive journey too
       • Floods= no farming/crops
     • Key facts
       • Average pay= £1 per day
       • Land is at sea level
       • High rainfall- Ganges river flood
       • Land is flat so people live on the flood plains for fertile farming land
   • Erratic weather
     • Storms
   • Poles melting
     • Flooding
   • Temperature increase
     • heat related illness

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