Climate Change Module 1 Lesson 1

The increase in acidity --- the amount of carbonate in the oceans

decreases

Greenhouse gases

gases that trap heat near the Earth's surface; contribute to global warming and climate change

Greenhouse effect

greenhouse gases retain heat in the lower atmosphere

Ecosystem

interaction of a community and the physical environment (such as climate)

Since the 1970s scientists have noticed that there has been a global --- of ice mass in glaciers

loss

Ozone

natural processes and the interaction of solar energy with pollutants in the lower atmosphere

Water Vapor

natural processes associated with the water cycle

Population

organisms of the same species living in a particular area

Community

populations of different species interacting in a given area

A number of extreme weather events such as --- and --- are correlated with climate change

precipitation, heat waves

Ecologist

studies how organisms interacts with their environment

Heat sink

temporary storage location for heat energy; -account for the moderate temperatures of Florida in the winter -over longer time periods they can influence the climate of surrounding land masses

Climate

the average weather patterns in a given area over time

Biosphere

the sum of the locations where life exists on Earth

Seasonal changes are due to the --- of the Earth on its axis

tilt

All life on Earth is dependent on the climate of the planet

true

Global warming is primarily associated with the increases in the surface temperatures

true

Warmer oceans lead to coral bleaching

true

Methane

very rare gas in the atmosphere with concentrations measured as parts per billion -unstable -produced naturally via decomposition -very powerful greenhouse gas with ability to retain and release almost 30 times the amount of heat as CO2

Greenhouse gases listed

water vapor, nitrous oxides, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, methane, carbon dioxide

Chlorofluorocarbons

compounds used in refrigerants and to make spray propellants

Ways carbon dioxide is produced

-by natural events (fires and volcanic activity) -our bodies produce it as the result of the breakdown of our food

Species

a group of similar; interbreeding organisms

Nitrous Oxides

agricultural practices such as the use of fertilizers and the burning of fossil fuels

Shells are formed from ---

calcium carbonate

Plants use carbon dioxide to produce --

carbohydrates (sugar)

CO2

carbon dioxide

When ----- enters the oceans it produces carbonic acid, which leads to acidification and negative impacts on shellfish

carbon dioxide

The --- of a region is partially due to the amount of solar radiation striking the surface of the planet

climate