Changing Climate

Question 1

What is a glacial period?

Answer 1

This is when the earth is cooler for a longer period and more of the earth is covered in ice.

Question 2

What is an interglacial period?

Answer 2

This is a period of warmer climate between glacial periods.

Question 3

What are sun spots? What do they tell us?

Answer 3

These are black areas on the surface of the sun, sometimes the sun has lots of these spots and at other times they disappear.
The sun spots tell us that the sun is more active than usual, lot of spots means more solar output.

Question 4

What are the Milankovitch cycles? In general terms

Answer 4

Changes in the Earth’s orbit that alter the amount of sunlight the earth receives and where sunlight falls on the earth.

Question 5

What are the three changes in the earth’s orbit that occur over very long periods of time? (The Milankovitch cycles)

Answer 5

1) The earth’s orbit is sometimes circular, and sometimes more of and ellipse (oval), it takes 100,000 years for the orbit to change.
2) The Earth’s orbit axis tilts, sometimes it is more upright, and sometimes it is more on its side, it takes 41,000 years for a change to happen.
3) The Earth’s axis wobbles, it takes 26,000 years for the axis to wobble, straighten up, and wobble again.

Question 6

What was The Little Ice Age?

Give four impacts of this period.

Answer 6

A cooler period across Norther Europe that began in the 15th century and lasted to the mid 19th century.

1) Crops did not grow well which meant less productivity and less food for people.
2) Crops changed from wheat and oats to potatoes.
3) The winters were very cold and the summers short.
4) Increased spread of disease such as malaria.

Question 7

What were the likely causes of The Little Ice Age?

Answer 7

Fewer sunspots

Volcanic ash in the atmosphere

Question 8

What species of megafauna evolved during the ice age?

What two thing may have caused the extintion of megafauna after the ice age?

Answer 8

Megafauna, such as mammoths, sabre-toothed tigers and giant beavers had evolved during the ice age

1) The ice age ended and temperature rose by 5 degrees celsius in 10,000 years, the megafauna could not adapt to the warmer climate and became extinct
2) Hunting by early humans may also have been a factor in their extinction

Question 9

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 9

An ecosystem is a community of plants and animals (living) which interact with the atmosphere, water and minerals (non-living) as a system.

Question 10

What is meant by the term extinction?

Answer 10

Extinction means a species of plant or animal dying out completely, so none survive.

Question 11

What does megafauna mean? Examples.

Answer 11

Megafauna means ‘big animals’, most weighed over 40kg and included the wooly mammoth, giant elk and sabre-toothed tiger.

Question 12

Which two greenhouse gases are linked to human activity?

Answer 12

Carbon dioxide and methane.

Question 13

The rise in greenhouse gases matches the start of what period?

Answer 13

The industrial revolution.

Question 14

During a countries development what happens to the amount of greenhouse gases it releases into the atmosphere?

Answer 14

They amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere increases.

Question 15

During a country’s development, why is more carbon dioxide produced? Give four reasons.

Answer 15

More carbon dioxide is produced because:

1) There is more industry, e.g. steel and cement making
2) More energy is needed so more fossil fuels are burned
3) Transport increases so more oil is burned as petrol and diesel
4) Land is needed so there is deforestation and the trees are often burned.

Question 16

Why is more methane produced during a country’s development?

Answer 16

More methane is produced because there is more demand for meat so there are more farm animals.

Question 17

What term is used to describe the UK climate?

Answer 17

Temperate maritime (mild and wet)

Question 18

What factors affect the UK climate? Give four factors.

Answer 18

1) Latitude
2) The North Atlantic Drift
3) Air masses
4) The prevailing winds

Question 19

Give three possible changes to the UK climate.

Answer 19

1) Average temperature rise
2) Less predictable rainfall pattern with drier summers
3) Changing seasons - longer summers and more extreme cold in winter

Question 20

Why will changes to the UK climate occur in the future? Give three reasons.

Answer 20

1) The North atlantic current is likely to move which will probably reduce sea temperatures and bring less rainfall.
2) More air masses will come from the North, bringing more storms and more extreme cold in winter.
3) The paths of depressions (which bring rain) may be altered by these changes in air masses and ocean currents.

Question 21

What will be the environmental impacts of climate change in the UK? Give five impacts.

Answer 21

1) Sea level rise will lead to increased erosion and the loss of coastal land and risk of flooding in low lying cities e.g. London
2) More severe storms and longer droughts
3) Changes to fishing industry if fish move to different waters.
4) Ecosystem change could mean some plant and animal species move to new areas and new (invasive) species emerge.
5) Warmer temperatures could encourage diseases such as malaria.

Question 22

What will be the economic impacts of climate change in the UK? Give six impacts

Answer 22

1) Increase in environmental refugees from other countries.
2) Warmer temperatures will mean farmers can grow different crops and may enjoy a longer growing season.
3) Hotter summers may mean more people will have holidays in the UK, so less air travel abroad.
4) Damage to cities such as London by flooding would be extremely expensive and disruptive.
5) Cost of flood defenses will be expensive and in some cases impractical.
6) House design may need to be altered so that water is not wasted and higher temperatures are dealt with.

Question 23

Named case study for climate change.

Answer 23

Bangladesh

Question 24

What will be the environmental impacts of climate change in Bangladesh? Give three impacts.

Answer 24

1) River flooding which is already severe would become worse due to heavier rains and sea level rise.
2) Tropical storms could become more severe and move further inland, causing more damage.
3) The dry season is already getting longer which could lead to more droughts.

Question 25

What will be the economic impacts of climate change in Bangladesh? Give seven impacts.

Answer 25

1) Seal level rise could reduce farmland and agricultural output.
2) More river flooding will lead to increased disruption to people’s lives and the economy.
3) More intense tropical storms spreading inland will cause damage to cities and infrastructure.
4) Cost of flood defenses is more than people or the government can afford.
5) Coastal flooding damages farmland by making the soil to salty to grow crops.
6) Rising sea temperatures may damage the shrimp farming industry.
7) Increased flooding will increase the spread of water-borne diseases.

Question 26

How does latitude affect the UK climate?

Answer 26

Latitude affects how much sun the UK gets and how strong it is during the different seasons.

Question 27

How does the North Atlantic drift affect UK climate?

Answer 27

The North Atlantic Drift (or current) keeps the UK warmer than other places of the same latitude.

Question 28

How do air masses affect the UK climate?

Answer 28

Air masses bring weather conditions with them form where they originated, the UK is affected by five different air masses.

Question 29

How do prevailing winds affect the UK climate?

Answer 29

Prevailing winds are from the atlantic ocean in the south west, they pick up moisture from the sea and often bring rain to the UK.