Variable Weather and Changing Climate – A continuing challenge?
Sec 4 NA/Exp
Key Question 2: What is happening to the Earth’s
Climate?
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to…
•Discuss climate change in the last 150 years
•Explain the greenhouse effect
•Discuss the natural causes of recent climate change
What is Happening?
Global records since 1881 show a significant, but irregular temperature rise of 0.3°C to 0.6°C
Global cooling was recorded after WWII for several decades because of industrial pollution
and volcanic activity (global dimming)
Global warming over the last century: world is warming on average by 0.74°C, with most of
that since 1970s
Global temperatures in the last decade reached the highest levels on record
Why does it happen? Enhanced Greenhouse Effect!
Greenhouse effect, Enhanced greenhouse effect and Greenhouse gases?
The gases responsible with keeping the planet warm are called ‘greenhouse gases’.
Consist of mainly carbon dioxide and water vapour, methane and nitrous oxide.
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect: Increase in greenhouse gases, leading to rise in global
temperature.
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Variable Weather and Changing Climate – A continuing challenge? Sec 4 NA/Exp
Natural Causes of Climate change
Variations in Solar Output Volcanic Eruptions
Sun emits different amount of solar Dust particles from eruption form
radiation due to changes in magnetic condensation nuclei, creating more cloud
field. cover.
Magnetic activity every 11 years Dust and ash also reflect away incoming
An increase in solar radiation is due to an solar radiation.
increase in sun spots. Global dimming: Gradual reduction in
Areas surrounding the sunspots radiate the amount of sunlight reaching the
more energy to make up for the cooler earth’s surface. Temporarily cools the
sunspot areas. earth for months or years.
With higher solar radiation, earth’s
temperatures will increase.
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to…
•Explain how human activities such as deforestation, burning of fossil fuels,
rice cultivation and cattle farming increase greenhouse gases and lead to
enhanced greenhouse effect
Human Activity Description of Activity Impact on Greenhouse
Effect
Burning Fossil Fossil fuels burnt to Fossil fuels have high
Fuels produce a large amount carbon content, cause large
of energy. amount of carbon dioxide to
Energy needed for human be released when burnt.
activities
Deforestation Loss of forests to make 1) Less trees to absorb carbon
products, for mining and dioxide
make way for new land 2) Without trees to shade the
soil, soil exposed to sunlight
-> higher temp -> carbon in
soil to react with Oxygen ->
produces Carbon Dioxide
This is called Carbon
Oxidation
Change in Land Use of tractors, organic Tractors: Burning of fossil fuels
Use: Agriculture matter, inorganic Organic matter: Nitrous Oxide
fertilisers, cattle farming. Inorganic fertilisers: Methane
Cattle farmin: Methane
*Methane is 23 times more effective
at trapping heat in the atmosphere
than carbon dioxide!!
Change in Land Production of goods and Burning of fossil fuels to
Use: Industries services within a country create energy needed to run
factory processes.
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Variable Weather and Changing Climate – A continuing challenge? Sec 4 NA/Exp
Change in Land Everyday activities done Burning of fossil fuels to
Use: Urbanization by those living in urban create energy needed
areas. Eg heating, toprovde energy for these
cooking, lighting and urban activities.
mass transportation such
as buses.
Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to…
•Explain the impact of climate change such as sea level rise, extreme weather
events and human health
•Describe the responses to climate change
Impact How does it affect people?
Sea Level Rise What?
Increase in the mean height of the sea’s surface between high and low
tide relative to land.
Why?
1) Higher temperatures causes water to expand
2)Higher temperatures causes glaciers/ice caps to melt, adding
meltwater to the sea
More Frequent *Eg. Heat waves, floods, droughts and tropical cyclones
Extreme Weather Increasing weather events due to higher land and sea temperatures
Events
Spread of Infectious Increased rainfall and temperatures = favourable for mosquitoes to
insect-Borne breed
diseases Spread of dengue and malaria
As temperate countries get warmer, mosquitoes are able to breed
further up north of the Equator
Legthening the Higher temperatures have lead to longer growing seasons for
growing season in some regions.
Advantage
certain regions Increase in types of crops that can be grown in UK.
Increase in fruit, soybeans, potatoes and wheat in Canada.
Disadvantage?
(Cool regions are now getting hotter, less conducive for temperate
crops)
Apples and cherries production in Yunnan is reduced as they need cool
conditions.
