Greenhouse
Define greenhouse gases
Gases in the atmosphere that trap heat by absorbing infrared radiation.
Define the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Extra warming caused by increased greenhouse gases from human activity.
Define reliable.
Data that is consistent, accurate, and trustworthy.
Give one example of misuse of data.
Selecting only short-term cooling periods to deny warming.
Name one way scientists collect historical climate data.
Ice cores.
Name three greenhouse gases.
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour.
Outline the first step of the greenhouse effect.
Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms Earth’s surface.
Define bias.
A systematic error that unfairly influences results.
Give one example of unreliable data.
Faulty thermometer readings.
Name another method for past climate data.
Tree rings.
Define combustion of fossil fuels.
Burning coal, oil, or gas to release energy, producing carbon dioxide.
Explain what happens after Earth absorbs solar energy.
The surface re-radiates energy as infrared radiation.
Outline one difficulty in predicting climate change.
Future human emissions are unknown.
Explain how bias can affect climate research.
Researchers may interpret results to support their opinion.
Explain how ice cores provide climate evidence.
Trapped air bubbles show past gas levels.
Explain why methane is a powerful greenhouse gas.
It absorbs more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide.
Explain how greenhouse gases warm the planet.
They absorb infrared radiation and re-emit it, trapping heat.
Explain two more difficulties in climate prediction.
Explain two more difficulties in climate prediction.
A website funded by an oil company says climate change is false. What issue may exist?
Funding bias.
Outline how historical data methods have improved.
More precise instruments and longer data records.
Outline three sources of methane.
Rice fields, livestock digestion, landfill.
Outline the full process of the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Sunlight enters → surface warms → infrared emitted → greenhouse gases absorb → heat re-radiated → extra warming due to higher gas levels.
List five difficulties in predicting climate change.
Future emissions, natural disasters, ocean currents, cloud feedback, limits of models.
Explain why peer review improves reliability.
Other scientists check methods and data for errors.
A study only measures temperature in cities. What problem may occur?
Urban heat island bias.