Climate Proxies and Factors

Proxies

100

Name one climate proxy scientists use to tell them about ancient climates.

Fossils, Pollen, Rocks/Sediment, Coral, Tree Rings, Ice Cores.

200

What Proxy tells scientists what years in the past there was a lot of rain or when there was very little rain?

Tree Rings, pollen, or ice cores

300

Which proxy tells scientists about the chemicals that are found in the water in the past?

Coral Reefs

400

The amounts of CO₂ have been changing since the formation of Earth. How do Ice Cores tell us about the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere over the lost 100,000 years?

Small bubbles of air are trapped inside the ice from the past. Scientists can use those air bubbles to measure the amount of CO₂.

500

In Antarctica fossilized palm trees have been found. What does this tell us about the climate of Antarctica in the past?

It used to be a lot warmer, more tropical climate.

Ancient Climate

100

Has the climate changed in the past? Yes or No?

Yes

200

When the Earth is covered in large glaciers, what is that called?

An Ice Age

300

Has the Earth been hotter than it is now? Yes, or no?

Yes

400

From fossils about 10,000 to 50,000 years ago, there are large animals that have lots of fur. What can we tell from the climate from these fossils?

It must have been cold while these animals were alive, because they have fur.

500

Double Points

Why do we use proxies?

Proxies give us evidence for what the climate was like without having written history or computers from that time.

Factors

100

Name one of the factors that has changed the climate in the past?

Volcanoes, Plate Tectonics, Glaciation, or Milankovitch Cycles

200

Which factor cools an areas climate for a short amount of time?

Volcanoes

300

Double Points

Explain what factor creates a rain shadow, and what a rain shadow is.

Plate Tectonics/ A mountain range can create a barrier for moister, creating one side of a mountain with a lot of rain, and one said that is dryer.

400

Which factor changes how much sunlight the planet gets in very long cycles?

Milankovitch Cycles

500

The Arctic is currently one of the fastest warming parts of the world. How does the factor of glaciation fit into this?

Glaciers are white. They reflect sunlight, which keeps the area cold. If the glaciers melt, the produce water that is darker, which absorbs more light. This warms the area up, which melts more of the glacier. This is albedo.

Factors 2

100

What factor changes the ocean currents?

Plate Tectonics

200

The eccentricity of the Earth's orbit change what about its climate?

The orbit can get closer to the sun. When closer to the sun, the seasons can be more extreme. 

300

Volcanoes put some CO₂ into the atmosphere. Why does this not change the climate that much?

The amount of CO₂ is not a big amount, and there are not a lot of volcanoes.

Humans release the same amount in about 2.5 hours.

400

What factor changes the way the Earth is pointing on its axis?

The Milankovitch Cycle

500

Milankovitch Cycles change the climate by changing the what?

The amount of sunlight the Earth gets.

Potpourri

100

Define Climate

The average weather information for a particular area over a long period of time.

200

How old is the Earth?

4.6 Billion Years Old?

300

What year did Mr. Nelson graduate from high school?

2005

400

True or False: The Earth is tilted on its axis

True

500

If humans weren't here on Earth, would the climate still change?

Yes, the climate would still change.