Extreme Weather
What weather patterns are affected by climate change?
Hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, droughts, heatwaves
True or False: Climate change has no financial cost to society
False! It costs billions every year!
What popular fragile ecosystem is located in shallow waters of oceans?
Coral Reefs
Which country has the largest cumulative CO2 emissions historically?
The United States
How does climate change affect extreme weather?
It causes changes in temperature and precipitation, key factors that can make extreme weather more severe.
How often do billion-dollar disasters occur today?
About once every 3 weeks
Why is the surface of water warmer than deeper sections of water?
Because the sun’s radiation transfers heat to surface layers and cannot fully penetrate deeper sections.
True or False: Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for only a few decades.
False, CO2 can persist for thousands of years
Name two extreme events that are projected to get worse as the planet warms.
Heatwaves, heavy rainfall, hurricanes, droughts, wildfires
In 2022, how many billion-dollar disasters occurred in the U.S.?
18
The global rise of sea levels has increased how many inches since 1880?
8 to 9 inches
Which three greenhouse gases are primarily responsible for long-term global warming? (hint: table 2.1 in the chapter)
Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide
For how long have hurricanes intensified in the U.S?
Since the 1980’s
True or False: Since 1980, the number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. has steadily declined.
False! they have increased dramatically
At 2°C of warming, how much sea level rise is projected in the U.S. by 2100?
2-3 feet
What is the only explanation scientists accept for the long-term warming observed since the 1800s? (hint: the industrial revolution)
Human caused greenhouse gas emissions
Why was the Appalachian region of North Carolina heavily affected by Hurricane Helene?
With coastal regions being more commonly affected by hurricanes, the inland region did not have adaptations to prepare for the storm.
In the 1980s, how often did a billion-dollar disaster occur in the U.S.
About once every 4 months
What threat do hotter temperatures pose to biotic organisms’ proteins? (Hint: what does heat do to proteins?)
Unstable temperatures in biotic life can result in protein denaturation, causing cellular disruption.
What are some of the main things humans are doing/have done to cause rising greenhouse gas? (lots of answers)
Burning fossil fuels, Deforestation, land clearing, Landfills & waste, Agricultural fertilizers etc. all answers are great!