Key Terms
Define albedo
The amount of incoming solar energy reflected back into the atmosphere by Earth's surface
Name 4 greenhouse gases (chemical symbols not accepted)
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapour (accept HCFCs, CFCs, and ozone)
In ascending order of altitude, what are the 4 layers of the Earth's atmosphere
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
Name 3 human impacts of climate change
- Air pollution, detriments to cardiovascular health
- Vector-borne diseases, water-borne diseases, allergies
- Severe weather, heat
- Disaster-induced migration
- Vulnerable water and food security
Name 1 international treaty or organisation dedicated to mitigating and/or adapting to climate change
1987 Montreal Protocol
1992 UNFCCC
1997 Kyoto Protocol
2015 Paris Agreement
Define anthropogenic
Human related processes and/or impacts
Name 3 major anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases
Burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
Deforestation
Transportation
Industry
Agriculture
Name the 3 cycles of the Milankovitch cycles
Eccentricity (accept elliptical orbits)
Axial tilt (accept obliquity)
Precession (accept rotational axis)
Outline how 1 sphere/biome is affected by climate change
Cryosphere: Melting glaciers/ice sheets, permafrost thaw
Lithosphere: Coastal erosion, landslides, desertification, soil degradation
Hydrosphere: Sea level rise, ocean warming, coral bleaching, water availability
Biosphere: Habitat loss, species displacement, biodiversity loss, changes to plant lifecycles
Atmosphere: Extreme weather events, heat waves
Name 2 mitigation strategies for climate change
Reducing energy consumption
Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases
Renewable alternatives for energy
Geo-engineering
Protecting and enhancing carbon sinks
Carbon capture and storage
Name 3 cities in Canada, 5 in the USA, 8 in the EU, and 8 in China, 3 in India, and at least 2 in Brazil
arinjoy will judge
In terms of volume and contribution to the greenhouse effect, which gas accounts for the majority of Earth's greenhouse gases?
Water vapour accounts for ~95% of greenhouse gases by volume, and ~50% of the greenhouse effect
Name 3 physical factors that affect the global energy balance
Latitude/insolation
Distance from the sea
Prevailing wind/atmospheric circulation
Altitude
Ocean currents
Outline 1 socioeconomic disparity between 2 groups affected by climate change
HIC/LIC, wealthy/impoverished
Male/female
Young/old
Resilient/vulnerable location of residence
Independent/dependent livelihood
Urbanised/rural/indigenous
Followed by development/explanation/exemplification
Describe 1 adaptation strategy for climate change
Defences against natural disaster
Vaccination programmes
Desalination
Planting resilient/genetically modified crops
Followed by development/explanation/exemplification
Define the greenhouse effect
The process by which certain gases and CFCs allow short wave radiation from the Sun to pass through the atmosphere and heat the Earth, but trap an increasing proportion from the Earth. Leading to a warming of the atmosphere
Outline 1 major anthropogenic source of methane (CH₄) and explain why it is considered a potent but short-lived greenhouse gas
Agriculture, enteric fermentation in livestock (cattle) and rice paddies
Fossil fuel extraction and transport, oil and gas leaks
Organic waste decomposition
Landfill and wastewater management
Followed by development/explanation/exemplification
Methane is significantly more effective at trapping heat than any other greenhouse gas, but decomposes within 12 years
Explain why polar regions do not cool down despite a negative energy budget, and tropical regions do not heat up despite a positive energy budget
A balance is achieved by the latitudinal transfer of energy from the equator to the poles through wind and ocean currents to compensate for differences in global insolation
Case study: Outline an impact of climate change addressed by France
Dependence on fossil fuel for energy and transportation
People protest against inaction by the government
Waste produced by single-use plastics
Many homes were poorly insulated
Describe 1 human and 1 physical factor that leads to increased vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change
Physical: Coasts, islands, loss of natural buffers (e.g. wetlands), steep topography
Human: Dependence on climate-sensitive livelihoods, poverty, poor infrastructure, social inequities, deforestation, limited access to resources
Define semi-arid (range of millimetres of annual precipitation)
Having 200-500 millimetres of precipitation per year
Describe what aerosols are, including the source of its components, the formation of photochemical smog, and the physical mechanism behind its impact on the atmosphere
Hygroscopic solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere, such as sulphate dioxide particles from fossil fuel emissions, that can interact with water vapour in the air to produce photochemical smog
Smog exerts a cooling effect by scattering incoming solar radiation and increasing cloud albedo
Describe 1 positive feedback loop involving the release of a greenhouse gas and explain how it contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect
Permafrost thaw/methane release feedback: Rising temperatures cause permafrost to melt, releasing trapped methane (CH₄) into the atmosphere. This additional methane amplifies the greenhouse effect, causing further warming that melts more permafrost, a self-reinforcing positive feedback loop
Outline 2 benefits of climate change
- Opening of polar sea routes creates economic opportunities
- Summer lasts longer in tropical regions, thus the tourist season is extended
- Inhabitable land due to extreme cold becomes available for resource extraction, agriculture, residential-commercial, etc
- Short term increased agricultural output in certain regions (such as the UK)
Followed by development/explanation/exemplification
Describe what civil societies are, provide a named example of one, and its strategies to address climate change
Voluntary, non-governmental, organisations that operate independently in interest of the public, social justice, and common values
WWF, Greenpeace, UNFCCC, Climate Action Network
Lobbying and advocacy, independent investigation and research, promoting corporate accountability and divestment, mobilisation of people
Followed by development, explanation, exemplification