Earth's Spheres
What is the biosphere?
Everything that is alive on earth
Greenhouse gases belong to which of earth's spheres?
Atmosphere
If an object reflects 100% of radiation, it's albedo equals....
1
Name two potential impacts of climate change.
- Food shortages
- Heat waves
- Higher average temp
- Extreme weather
- Sea level rise
ect.
What is the difference between the geosphere and the atmopshere?
Geosphere is all rocks and minerals on earth, it is the crust and below, whereas the atmopshere is the gases above earth's crust and below space
Name two greenhouse gases
- Methane
- Carbon Dioxide
- Water Vapour
- Nitrous Oxide
What % of light is reflected from earth on average if it has an albedo of 0.3?
30%
How will climate change impact the environment?
- Loss of biodiversity
- Loss of natural resources through extreme weather or prolonged changes to climate
- Loss of animals
Provide an example of where the hydrosphere and biosphere interact.
Fish swimming in water
Bear drinking water
Name two activities might increase greenhouse gas concentrations?
- Farming
- Industrial work
- Transportation
- Organic matter decomposition
Rank the following objects from highest to lowest albedo:
- Ocean
- Sand
- City
- Forest
Highest
- Sand
- Forest
- Ocean
- City
Lowest
How will climate change impact communities?
- Extreme weather events
- Food insecurity
- Economic challenges
Describe a change in the hydrosphere that would cause warming in the atmosphere
Loss of ice caps
What would happen to earth if there were no greenhouse gases?
Extreme temperature swings
Average temperature would be -18 degrees Celsius
How has industrialisation and urbanisation changed earth's albedo, and therefore, earth's climate?
They clear high albedo areas and replace them with low albedo surfaces e.g. concrete. This means earth is reflecting less radiation into the atmosphere and is in turn, heating the climate.
How will climate change impact economies?
- Change industry operations (students to provide examples)
- Coat of recovery from extreme weather events
Provide three examples of the geosphere interacting with the hydrosphere.
Teacher to determine
Describe the role of greenhouse gases on earth, you may draw a diagram to illustrate your answer
Greenhouse gases are responsible for stabilising earth's temperature. As radiation comes into earth, GHG reflect 25% of it back to space. As radiation is reflected off earth's surface, GHG trap some of this radiation to keep the atmosphere warm.
Provide two examples of how climate change will change earth's albedo, and therefore re-enforce global heating.
- Melting of ice caps
- Sea level rise
- Drought
Evaluate three impacts climate change will have on Latrobe.
Teacher to assess.