changing climate

Climate change is a significant, long-lasting distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. Which does not contribute to climate change?

ozone hole

Carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere by all methods except

photosynthesis

Ocean heat content influences the ocean surface temperature. Heat from ocean surface waters provides the energy for storms and thereby influences weather patterns on Earth. Another answer is correct, warmer oceans DO expand and raise sea level, but that answer choice does not pertain to climate change.

volcanic activity

A period of prolonged continental glaciation often indicates which phenomenon?

An ice age.

Burning of fossil fuels has changed the atmosphere by

increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide.

The hypothetical scenario on Earth could be the result of

massive volcanic eruptions.

Carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere primarily by the

respiration of consumers

The ocean's biological carbon pump is driven by organisms that live in there. Just like the terrestrial carbon cycle, the oceanic biological carbon pump is all about photosynthesizing, respiring, eating, producing waste products, dying and decomposing. The biological pump plays a major role in all BUT ONE of the processes involved in oceanic carbon cycling.

upwelling currents bringing deep, cold ocean water to the surface to warm and release carbon back to the atmosphere.

The oceans of the world are considered to be carbon sinks. A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases as carbon dioxide. Besides being dissolved in the ocean waters, we can find carbon in many places throughout the oceans. Choice from the list above and select all of the places in the ocean that you would find carbon.

A thru D

Carbon dioxide diffuses into the ocean carbon cycle via the air-sea surface exchange. Molecules of CO2 enter the ocean by diffusing into the surface waters and dissolving. The amount of CO2 that diffuses and dissolves in the surface water depends on several variables. Scientists have noted that sea more CO2 diffuses and dissolves in colder sea surface water and less CO2 diffuses and dissolves in warmer water. Let's assume the predictions of scientists predicting a warming climate are true. Can you predict the outcome if average ocean temperatures increase as well? Include the effects on appropriate components of the biosphere as well as the hydrosphere.

Warmer oceans would mean less dissolved CO2 as well as other gases such as oxygen in the global ocean. Lower CO2 would result in a decrease in photosynthesis of autotrophs living in the oceans.

The La Brea tar pits, located in California, contain a wealth of fossilized organisms that lived between 25,000 and 40,000 years ago. Columbian mammoths, sabertoothed cats, bison, wild horses, and land sloths are just some of the herbivores that have been trapped in the asphalt seeping from the interior of Earth. These herbivores were primarily grass eaters. Fossilized plant remains of live oaks, cedar trees, sagebrush, and grasses have also been discovered.Fossils found in the La Brea tar pits indicate a California climate that was

similar to today's climate

It is projected that an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere will MOST LIKELY lead to

higher-than-average sea levels.

There have been many different periods of glaciation, the process of covering the Earth with glaciers or masses of ice, throughout the history of the Earth. The most recent of these events is known as the last glacial period. How many years ago is it approximated the last glacial period reached it maximum ice coverage?

18,000 years ago

According to the theory of global warming, which statement is the MOST LIKELY reason for the current climate change?

The atmosphere is reradiating more heat to Earth.

Reducing the emissions of which gas will lead to reducing the greenhouse effect?

carbon dioxide

Oceans play an important role in determining climate change. Ocean circulation affects the climate through the atmospheric concentration and movement of _________ into or out of the atmosphere.

carbon dioxide.

What two processes fuel the carbon cycle?

cellular respiration and photosynthesis

Volcanic eruptions, changes in Earth's orbit, meteorite impact, and even the combustion of fossil fuels ALL contribute directly or indirectly to climate change by

changing the amount of solar radiation that reaches Earth.

Which of these events has led to the largest changes in worldwide sea levels?

glaciation

There is much interdependence among the biogeochemical cycles on Earth. How is warmer ocean water involved in these cycles?

Atmospheric carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, would cause rising ocean temperatures, which will cause an increase in evaporation. The added water vapor would further increase global warming.

Shell-builders use calcium carbonate molecules (CaCO3) to build their shells. Which of the choices above could be a source for the carbon atoms in the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) molecules?

B thru E

The oceans absorb carbon through three processes that draw atmospheric carbon dioxide into the oceans: the physical carbon pump, the biological carbon pump and the carbonate pump. In which scenario would a carbon sink be the result of the physical carbon pump mechanism?

More CO2 is diffusing into sea surface water than is diffusing from sea surface water out to the atmosphere.

As shown on the map, Norway and Southern Greenland on the same latitude (60° N). Why is Norway warmer than Southern Greenland in winter?

Ocean currents carry heat toward Norway, but not toward Greenland.

A balance between incoming and outgoing radiation produces a stable climate. Lack of a balance between incoming and outgoing radiation results in a net loss or gain of radiant energy to the system. This energy imbalance is expressed as climate change. What are the basic steps in this system of energy input and output?

Solar radiation reaching the Earth system and being absorbed, thermal radiation emitted by the Earth system.

1815 is know as the Year Without a Summer. This catastrophic event is the largest of its kind in the last 10,000 years. It produced snowfalls throughout the summer months of June, July, and August in the New England states and Europe. Grain and corn crops failed; people starved. Alpine glaciers advanced far down mountain slopes; sea ice moved far from the polar regions and disrupted shipping. The events of 1815 were caused by

a massive volcanic eruption.

If Earth's atmosphere did NOT contain any water vapor, the temperature of the earth's surface would

be significantly lower.

Scientists have used computer models to create a series of maps that show how susceptible coastal cities and island countries are to the sea rising at different levels. The maps show that a 1-meter rise would swamp cities all along the U.S. eastern seaboard. A 6-meter sea level rise would submerge a large part of Florida. Thermal expansion has already raised the oceans 10 to 20 centimeters.The MOST likely cause, directly and indirectly, for such a rise in sea level is

global warming.

The causes of climate change can be divided into two categories: natural and human causes. The natural variation of the climate has always been part of Earth's history. It is now a great concern that the climatic changes occurring today may be the direct result of man's activities.All BUT ONE is a natural cause of climate change.

increased greenhouse gases

Carbon dioxide is constantly exchanged among the atmosphere, ocean, and land. Carbon dioxide is produced and absorbed by microorganisms, plants, and animal by natural processes which help maintain a natural balance. However, since the beginning of Industrial Revolution, human activities have contributed substantially to Carbon dioxide gases in the atmosphere. Identify the type of relationship found in the graphs of Global Carbon Emissions and Global Temperatures over the past 150 years

positive nonlinear correlation

The rain forests of the world trap a large amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Every year, however, more rain forest is cut down and burned, releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide. Which graph BEST shows the likely effect on climate?

C

A study published in Science notes that water flowing from the Atlantic Ocean into the Arctic is warmer than it's been in 2,000 years. Scientists believe that this increased heat input has far-reaching consequences to life on Earth. U.S. and European scientists studied the Fram Strait branch of the North Atlantic Current, the ocean current that carries heat north from the tropics. By studying tiny-shelled organisms called foraminifera, found deep in the ocean floor, they could chart temperatures going back 2,000 years. From their findings, scientists reported that the water has warmed about 2° C since the late 1800s. The medieval ice age, or Little Ice Age (LIA) is defined by NASA as a cold period between 1550 AD and 1850. During this time cooling in the northern hemisphere by as much as 1° C has been postulated.How does the LIA research impact the study published in Science?

It gives context for some of the data.

Natural global warming and cooling is initiated by Milankovitch cycles. Earth's orbital and axial variations influence the initiation of climate change in natural cycles of ice ages and warm periods (glacial and interglacial periods). The Milankovich cycles are caused by changes in the shape of the Earth's orbit around the sun, the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis, and the wobble of our axis. As Earth's orbit changes, so does the amount of sunlight that falls on different latitudes, during the seasons. When the northern summer sun is strong, the Earth experiences a warm period. When it is weak, an ice age. As we come out of an ice age, the sea level rises about 400 feet and we experience a warm period like the one we are in now. The natural cycle is brief warm periods followed by an ice age about every 100 thousand years. Environmental agencies throughout the world believe that humans have forced Earth out of its natural cycle. Consider the choices below as possible sources of empirical evidence for anthropogenic climate change. Which choice does not support this view?

Option 4

Among all Michigan tree species, the jack pine is uniquely adapted to exist and reproduce on the hottest and driest sites in Michigan. It thrives on dune sand and on the sandy glacial plains. It is called a fire species because wildfires sweep through jack pine stands, killing the trees and preparing the ground for a new stand, as well as releasing seeds from its cones. Once in a while, lightning would start a fire that would be fanned into a raging fire leaving everything behind it blackened and burned. The destruction was only temporary. Soon the jack pine seeds would fall to the ground, and, in a few weeks, the area would be green with new growth. This process was repeated every 30 to 100 years, and the jack pine continued to dominate these fire prone areas. How did the periodic jack pine wild fires impact the inputs and outputs of the carbon cycle according to this model?

The jack pine fires cause a temporary drop in both photosynthesis and respiration

Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere as part of the Earth's carbon cycle. Human activities are altering the carbon cycle, by adding more CO2 to the atmosphere and by influencing the ability of natural sinks, like forests, to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. While CO2 emissions come from a variety of natural sources, human-related emissions are responsible for the increase that has occurred in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. Consider the graph above. Notice the trend in atmospheric carbon dioxide as recorded at recording stations over Antarctica. Hypothesize how the schematic of the carbon cycle might change if urbanization and deforestation continues unchecked.

The photosynthesis carbon sink will decrease in gigatons; the carbon dioxide output due to combustion will increase.

When sunlight reaches the Earth's surface, the world's oceans absorb some of this energy and store it as heat. This heat is initially absorbed at the surface, but some of it eventually spreads to deeper waters. Currents also move this heat around the world. Water has a much higher heat capacity than air, meaning the oceans can absorb larger amounts of heat energy with only a slight increase in temperature compared to the solid parts of the Earth system. The total amount of heat stored by the oceans is called ocean heat content, and measurements of water temperature reflect the amount of heat in the water at a particular time and location. Ocean temperature plays an important role in the Earth's climate system. Explain how this slow but consistent rise in the ocean heat content seen above will influence Earth's climate.

Ocean heat content influences the ocean surface temperature. Heat from ocean surface waters provides the energy for storms and thereby influences weather patterns on Earth.

According to data collected by the EPA, for a period of approximately 2,000 years there was little change in the global average sea level. The global average sea level rose throughout the 20th century, and the rate of change has accelerated in recent years. When averaged over all of the world's oceans, absolute sea level has risen at an average rate of 0.06 inches per year from 1880 to 2013. Since 1993, however, average sea level has risen at a rate of 0.11 to 0.14 inches per year, about twice as fast as the long-term trend. Why is a change in sea level important? As the temperature of the Earth changes, so does sea level. Explain how changes in Earth's temperature have a direct result on sea level. All BUT ONE answer is correct.

Earth's continents rise and fall relative to the oceans. Land can rise through geological uplift and sedimentation. It can sink due to erosion, sediment compaction, or natural subsidence.

Prior to the Industrial Era, pre-1780, ____________ affected Earth's climate because they emitted both aerosols and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

It gives context for some of the data.

The oceans absorb carbon through three processes that draw atmospheric carbon dioxide into the oceans: the physical carbon pump, the biological carbon pump and the carbonate pump. Molecules of CO2 enter the ocean by diffusing into the sea surface waters and dissolving as part of the physical carbon pump. All BUT ONE variable influences how much CO2 will diffuse in any given location. That is

salinity

Changes in climate influence ecosystems by altering animal behavior and ranges. Birds are a particularly good indicator of environmental change for several reasons: they are easy to count, each species has adapted to a certain habitat type, food source, and temperature range, and scientists believe that If a change in behavior or range occurs across a range of bird types, it suggests that a common external factor might be the cause. The graphic model illustrates the annual change in latitude of bird center of abundance for 305 bird species in North America from 1966 to 2013. The center of abundance is a point on the map that represents the middle of each species' distribution. If a whole population of birds were to shift generally northward, one would see the center of abundance shift northward as well. Consider the data recorded and displayed above. Construct a correlation between the data you see here and climate in North America.

The trend in the center of abundance moving northward can be related to rising average winter temperatures in North America.

The climate of a place also depends upon the amount of water in the air. How do the rising temperatures around Earth affect the amount of water in the air?

There is more water in the air because the rate of evaporation increases.

Global warming is caused by an increase in the level of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. How has this affected the world's oceans?

The oceans are absorbing the excess carbon, causing the oceans to become acidic.

There are several models of the carbon cycle. Which model shows the causes and amounts of carbon flux into and out of the cycle?

The one with navy blue arrows and 2 light blue circles.

These periodic changes on Earth are a result of the five major _________________ that have occurred throughout Earth's history.

ice ages

The Great Lakes ecosystem contains various types of habitats: forests, marshes, wetlands, and dune communities. These communities allow for more than 3,500 species of plants and animals to inhabit the basin. The many varieties of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and fish make the Great Lakes basin a unique and complicated ecosystem. The northern parts of the Great Lakes region are home to dense coniferous and northern hardwood forests, while largely grasslands and prairies cover the southern areas of the region. The marshes, wetlands, and dune communities are located near and along the many lake shores. Yet the Great Lakes ecosystem is in a state of flux. Humans are endangering the Great Lakes ecosystem. Urban sprawl continues to convert forests, agricultural land, and open space into residential and urban areas, depleting wildlife habitat. Wetlands, which are natural filters of groundwater and home to many different plants and animals, have been lost to agriculture, industrial, and residential uses also.How are human activities impacting this model of the carbon cycle as it applies to the Great Lakes ecosystem?

Overall, more carbon would reach the atmosphere as the anthropogenic outputs increase and there is a decrease in vegetation.

According to the USGS, volcanoes release less than 1% of the carbon dioxide released currently by human activities. While it has been proposed that intense volcanic release of carbon dioxide in the geologic past did cause global warming and possibly some mass extinctions, this is a topic of scientific debate. Yet volcanoes DO influence our climate and following a huge eruption, the effects can be felt almost immediately. Although carbon dioxide is released during a volcanic eruption, another gas plays a much bigger role in climate change, and rather than warming the climate it helps to cool the climate. Use the model to explain how this cooling effect takes place.

Sulfur dioxide emitted into the stratosphere combines with water to form sulfuric acid aerosols. This makes a haze of tiny droplets in the stratosphere that reflects incoming solar radiation, causing cooling of the Earth's surface

Large volcanic eruptions can have an almost immediate effect on Earth's climate. Rather than warming the climate volcanic eruptions helps to cool the climate. During the 1900's there were three large eruptions that caused the entire planet to cool down by as much as 1oC. Volcanic coolings persist for only 2 to 3 years because the released aerosols fall out of the stratosphere and enter the lower atmosphere where rain and wind quickly wash them away. Using the model, can you elaborate on the reason a volcanic eruption might cool the climate?

Sulfur dioxide emitted into the stratosphere combines with water to form sulfuric acid aerosols. This makes a haze of tiny droplets in the stratosphere that reflects incoming solar radiation, causing cooling of the Earth's surface.

Since 1980 global surface temperatures have increased sharply. This is believed to be the Earth's response to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. In 1981 James Hansen, and his colleague at NASA, Andy Lacis, built a simple climate model to simulate how changes in the atmosphere cause Earth's average temperature to change over time that can be seen above. Hansen and Lacis adjusted the inputs to simulate the influence of all known human-made greenhouse gases except carbon dioxide, including CFCs, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone, to see if their net effect could be felt on a global scale in Earth's climate system. Hansen and Lacis found that the warming effect of all those gases added together is comparable to the warming effect of carbon dioxide alone. On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse effect. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels in the forms of coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Remember the combustion of carbon-based products produce carbon dioxide as a by-product. To a smaller extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases.The EPA has published a report that indicates what economic sector these emissions come from:Because of the connection between greenhouse gases and climate change, there seems to be a concerted effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What does this second graph, published by the EPA, tell us about how the Hansen and Lacis model will change?

The Hansen and Lacis model will continue as it is now, with an increase in the Earth's average temperature because the EPA model shows no real change in gaseous emissions.

A study published in Science notes that water flowing from the Atlantic Ocean into the Arctic is warmer than it's been in 2,000 years. Some scientists believe that this increased heat input has far-reaching consequences to life on Earth. U.S. and European scientists studied the Fram Strait branch of the North Atlantic Current, the ocean current that carries heat north from the tropics. By studying tiny-shelled organisms called foraminifera, found deep in the ocean floor, they could chart temperatures going back 2,000 years. From their findings, scientists reported that the water has warmed about 2° C since the late 1800's. An additional on-going study has been monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide at the Mauna Loa Observatory. Atmospheric carbon dioxide contributes to the retention of radiation in Earth's atmosphere. The planet is warmer than it was in 1880. The disagreement comes over what is causing the rise. Global warming scientists believe the warming is caused by human activity. Skeptics believe the increase is due to in part to natural fluctuations. The Earth's land-sea surface temperature has not statistically increased since 1996. Global warming skeptics call it the great pause. In spite of a continuing, rapid rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations since 1996, there has been no warming in the global instrumental temperature record. Community Digital News reports that every year that passes without the earth's surface temperature rising creates problems for scientists who argue that human activity is causing global warming. Regardless of which camp you belong to, consider the following situations. Throughout the world, scientists have noted that glaciers are (1) melting, (2) calving, and (3) not reforming to any extent. Additionally, the polar ice caps are shrinking. What effect would these occurances have on the human population?

The melting ice would cause a rise in sea level. That in turn, would cause coastal areas, some heavily populated to be flooded with sea water.

The Great Lakes ecosystem contains various types of habitats: forests, marshes, wetlands, and dune communities. These communities allow for more than 3,500 species of plants and animals to inhabit the basin. The many varieties of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and fish make the Great Lakes basin a unique and complicated ecosystem. The northern parts of the Great Lakes region are home to dense coniferous and northern hardwood forests, while largely grasslands and prairies cover the southern areas of the region. The marshes, wetlands, and dune communities are located near and along the many lake shores. Yet the Great Lakes ecosystem is in a state of change. Climatologists have determined that the climate of the Great Lakes basin will increase by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. Warmer air temperatures affect lake levels by reducing runoff and increasing evaporation from the lake surface. Studies have shown that the predicted increase in air temperature will drop lake levels by half a meter to two meters. Consider the predictions of climatologists. How will the model of the carbon cycle inputs and outputs change if they are correct?

Warmer temperatures may cause an initial increase in photosynthesis as well as cellular respiration until a point is reached where the temperatures are too hot. During this initial time, the arrows will remain reciprocal, but may enlarge.