Ice Age
How many major ice age periods occurred in the last 450,000 years?
4
Milankovitch cycles are changes in Earth’s __________.
Orbit (or movement/orbital patterns)
Where are ice cores collected?
Greenland and Antarctica
What pattern exists between CO₂ and temperature?
They rise and fall together
Which greenhouse gas is most abundant?
Water vapor
What evidence do scientists use to identify past ice ages?
Ice cores, sediment layers, fossils
What do Milankovitch cycles help explain?
Ice ages / long-term climate changes
Why are Greenland and Antarctica ideal for collecting ice cores?
Ice builds up over time and stays preserved
What happens when CO₂ increases?
Temperature increases
Name two other greenhouse gases.
CO₂, methane, nitrous oxide
What do ice ages tell us about Earth’s climate?
Climate changes naturally over long periods
Which cycle involves the shape of Earth’s orbit?
Eccentricity
What is trapped inside ice cores? (name 2)
Air bubbles, CO₂, dust, gases
What happens when CO₂ decreases?
Temperature decreases
What natural process removes CO₂?
Photosynthesis
What is a “glacial period”?
A time when large ice sheets cover much of Earth
Name the three Milankovitch cycles
Eccentricity, Obliquity, Precession
Why are ice cores called a “time machine”?
They preserve past climate information
What type of graph shows CO₂ vs temperature?
Climate graph (line graph)
What organisms perform the purification of CO2 from the atmosphere?
plants, algae
Why are ice ages important to study today?
They help us understand natural climate patterns and compare to current changes
How do Milankovitch cycles affect climate?
They change how sunlight is distributed on Earth
Why are northern winters important?
They influence ice sheet growth (less melting = more ice buildup)
Why is this relationship important?
It shows CO₂ influences climate
What is a carbon sink?
A place that absorbs more carbon than it releases