Science Quiz

Human Activities that add greenhouse gases and effect global warming

1. Burning of Fossil Fuels 2. Deforestation 3. Abundance of Livestock

3 Ways deforestation can contribute to global warming

1. If plant gets burned, the carbon that it is storing gets released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane. This increases the levels of carbon dioxide and methane and therefore creates global warming 2. Also, deforestation causes the no longer growing trees to become carbon sources. 3. Lastly, making a pasture for cattle causes global warming. Cows burp methane, which traps heat in the atmosphere, and causes global warming.

Carbon

A key ingredient for life on earth. Everything has carbon atoms. Does not stay in one place. Used and reused over time. Moves throuhg the carbon cycle as carbon dioxide.

Feedback loop

A small change leads to a bigger change "snowball effect" Eg Permafrost melts- realeases methane- warms atmosphere, Continueing cycle. Positive feedback loop. Ice melting an example of a positive feedback loop. Ice reflects more light than liquid.

Carbon Sink

Anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases (living animals, living or dead plants, coal and oil, limestone, the ocean, atmosphere)

Greenhouse Gases in Earth's atmosphere (Humans may have started Earths temperature rising by filling the atmosphere with Greenhouse Gases)

Could be related to the current global warming trend, but it is not clear. In the past, tree rings and ice core data suggests that increases in carbon dioxide came after Earth's temperature began to warm, not before. Recent data shows that warming events may have started with a change in Earth's orbit, which increased solar radiation. Once the temp started to rise, carbon dioxide levels increased and so did the temperatures. Extra greenhouse gases come from the ocean, permafrost, or both.

Melting Ice

Global warming causes the Earths ice to melt. This is one of fastest increases. Warming oceans also lead to melting of sea ice. Melting ice is a positive feedback loop that tends to increase temperatures( jason pg 99). Ice has a high albedo. Albedo is the measure of how much sunlight is reflected by a substance on or above the earth's surface. Most of the solar radiation that strikes ice comes back to space without warming the air or land. When ice melts, it uncovers darker colored land or water below it. When darker surfaces are struck by solar radiation, the visible light is not reflected as much. Instead, the light gets absorbed and turns into thermal energy that heats the land, water, and the air above. Therefore melting sea ice affects the Earth's climate by making the climate hotter(Jason Book pg 99).

In what ways do increase temperatures harm marine organisms like coral?

Global warming is a serious threat to corals all around the world. First of all, Global Warming causes the sea temperatures to increase which is horrible for corals because they are very vulnerable to to temperature change. When coral bleaching happens corals turn white and lose their symbiotic algae. Bleaching also effects and slows the growth of the corals and leads to destruction of the coral reefs.

Fossil Fuel

Is a natural material such as coal, petroleum, or natural gas which is formed from the remains of living organisms in the past and can be burned for energy ( Burning fossil fuels occurs when riding a bus, turning on lights, getting heat from a furnace) When fossil fuels are burned they release carbon dioxide gets released into the air.

Greenhouse Effect

Keeps life on earth suitable. Maintains a balace. If there isa greater concentration of greenhouse gases ,(Carbon Dioxide and Methane) the natural greenhouse effect is unbalanced and becomes greater. This leads to an increase in atmospheric temperatures and also in land and ocean temps.

How do we know earth is warming>

Scientists have been recording data since 1880. Data shows that over past 100 years temperatures have been rising. Earth is definitely warming. Scientists measure and record amounts of greenhouse gases and they show an increase. (Muana Loa) Carbon Dioxide has been steadily risiing from their measurements and data.

Global Warming

The gradual increase in air temperatures near Earth's surface.

Carbon Cycle

The process by which carbon is exchanched between living organisms and the enviernment.

Problems that may occur because of global warming

Two problems that may occur as a result of global warming are rising sea levels and thawing permafrost. As global temperatures increase, the thickness of the thawed active permafrost layer also increases. When this occurs, the thawed permafrost will release large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane into the Earth's atmosphere. Another problem that may occur is rising sea levels. Climate change causes global sea levels to rise. As ocean temperatures increase, the sea water expands causing a rise in sea levels. Also, melting Ice.

Ice Cores

contain annual layers of ice. Inside the ice are tiny bubbles of trapped air which scientists analyze to make direct measurements of past carbon dioxide concentrations. Records from the ice cores show that prior to 1950 the Carbon dioxide concentrations were never greater than 300 ppm. In 2013, carbon dioxide concentrations reached 400 ppm, a new level never seen before in millions of years.

Deforestation

large scale removal of trees for farming, timber, or other land use.When trees are no longer growing, they become carbon sources. Burning trees causes large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmostphere.

Carbon Source

releases more carbon than it absorbs