Climate Change

What does studying paleoclimate records from many regions of the world help scientists to do?

document earth's climate history

Arctic whales migrate along where?

edge of pack ice, moving north when it retreats in summer and south as it extends in winter

Earth's climate is driven by what factors?

energy from sun + physical, biological, and chemical interactions between atmosphere, global water supplies, and ecosystems

Anthropogenic climate change

extra impact from human activities boosting atmospheric GHG concentrations → atmosphere retaining an inc. fraction of energy from sun, raising earth's surface temp

Springtime productivity in _________ is so high that birds and whales migrate to feed here?

marginal ice zone

Diminishing sea ice is a big issue for who?

marine mammals dependent on it

Why is climate change expected to affect polar regions more severely?

melting snow and ice expose darker land and ocean surfaces to the sun, and retreating sea ice increases release of solar heat from oceans to the atmosphere in winter

What have some tree species done in response to warming and cooling phases?

migrated

A weaker and "wavier" jet stream promotes what kind of weather and where?

more persistent weather patterns in the Northern atmosphere → extreme weather

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

most broadly-supported international agreement on climate change that pledges to work toward stabilizing atmospheric GHG concentrations "at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system

Despite remoteness of Arctic, agricultural and industrial pollutants are transported _________ with _________

north with same winds that bring heat from the tropics

Over-harvesting

occurs when larger numbers of species are killed than the population can replace through natural reproduction

In the Arctic, seabirds nest where?

on land, along cliffs, or on ground

Where does ice algae grow?

on underside of sea ice and phytoplankton in surface waters

Greatest projected surface temperature increases will occur where?

over land and at high northern latitudes

Cooler projected surface temperature increases will occur where?

over the southern oceans and the North Atlantic

Ice ages

periods lasting for millions of years, during which ice sheets advanced and retreated many times over portions of the globe

Compared to the rest of the world, the Greenland ice sheet is how large?

second largest in the world --> could raise sea level by 7 meters

Because so much food is produced in ocean during spring bloom, not all of it can be eaten right away, so what happens to it?

settles to sea floor

Temperature fluctuations through glacial cycles over past 650000 years have been accompanied by what?

shifts of atmospheric CO2

General Circulation Models

simulations of how changes in specific parameters alter larger climate patterns (given complexity of interaction between oceans, ecosystems and atmosphere)

What hasn't United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change been a significant curb on GHG emissions?

since they have not established what that GHG concentration limit is

Arctic amplification

the faster warming of the Arctic compared to the rest of the Northern Hemisphere as sea ice disappears

Loss of sea ice is driving changes in where?

the jet stream → jet stream changing Greenland → impacting Arctic system + climate

What is RF?

the measurement of surface warming ability

During cold phases glaciers and snow cover have covered much of what?

the mid-latitudes

The Eocene Epoch

the most recent time when scientists think that CO2 was higher than 500 parts per million

Algae is eaten by whom?

zooplankton

Scientific evidence, including modeling results, indicates that what two things are driving the current warming trend?

1. rising atmospheric concentrations of CO2 2. other GHGs from human activity

Scientists forecast many significant effects from global climate change in the next several decades. Where does uncertainty about these effects lie?

1. where these impacts will be felt worldwide 2. how severe they'll be

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been ratified by how many countries?

189 including the U.S.

There is strong scientific consensus that current trends in GHG emissions will cause substantial warming by when?

2100 and that this warming will have widespread impacts on human life and natural ecosystems

Over last 30 years temps have increased almost ____ in Arctic as compared to rest of the world

2x (polar ecosystems changing rapidly)

Coupled atmospheric-ocean model

Largest, most complex General Circulation Model that links together 3D models of the atmosphere and ocean to study how these systems impact each other

Aerosols

Liquid or solid particles that are suspended in air or a gas. Also referred to as particulate matter.

What are two ways that microbeads harm birds?

1. After ingestion, the chemicals in microbeads can be released in the birds digestive tracts along with chemicals in the plastics that keep them soft 2. Sometimes plastic isn't pliable enough to go through bird's gut → build up in stomach → takes up so much room that bird can't consume enough food to stay healthy

What is the cause of current climate change?

1. Anthropogenic (human caused) emissions 2. Three GHGs that have increased in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times (1750)

How do rising sea levels and the loss of land and sea ice and permafrost impact Arctic people?

1. Arctic warming influences weather in the more temperate zones—the mid-latitudes between the poles and the equator— where the vast majority of humanity lives. 2. Rising sea levels and loss of land, sea ice and permafrost having severe impacts on Arctic communities

Three GHGs that have increased in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times (1750)

1. CO2 from fossil fuel burning, agriculture* 2. N2O from fertilizer pollution 3. CH4 from cattle, etc. 4. *deforestation, tilling soils, burning

What are the two principle feedbacks required to amplify the small changes in solar radiation?

1. Changes in Earth's albedo from snow and ice build-up 2. Amount of CO2 in the atmosphere

USCA principles

1. Climate change presents a serious threat to the environment and our residents, communities, and economy 2. State-level climate action is benefitting our economies and strengthening our communities 3. States are showing the nation and the world that ambitious climate action is achievable

Ancient climate records show what?

1. Climate shifts may not be slow and steady 2. Temperatures may change by many degrees within a few decades, with drastic impacts on plant and animal life and natural systems 3. If CO2 levels continue to rise at projected rates, history suggests that world will become drastically hotter than it is today, possibly hot enough to melt much of Earth's existing ice cover

How are rising sea levels and loss of land, sea ice and permafrost having severe impacts on Arctic communities?

1. Coastal erosion → houses fell in water 2. Food security concerns

Example of natural systems benefiting from climate change

1. Crop yields could increase in mid-latitude regions where temperatures rise moderately 2. Terrestrial ecosystems may take up less carbon in a warming world than they do today, not more.

Three main issues in the Arctic

1. Diminishing sea ice 2. Transport of pollutants 3. Over-harvesting

What problems could arise from new shipping routes?

1. Disturbances to subsistence hunting practices 2. Impacts on marine life from underwater noise, gray water 3. Sewage discharges 4. The introduction of invasive species 5. Oil spills

Changes from period 1961-1990 (know difference between axis) FIGURE A

1. Global Average Surface Temperatures 2. Sea Level 3. Northern Hemisphere snow cover

The Paris Climate Agreement (Conference of the Parties 21)

1. Hold the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees C in relation to pre-industrial levels 2. Reduce carbon emissions and restore carbon sinks (reforestation) with equity, sustainability and poverty eradication in mind

Aside from open water, what other requirements are there for algae to grow?

1. Ice has gotten so thin that sunlight reaches through it 2. Productivity may continue to rise with continuing increase of CO2 3. Will probably have impact on entire food web

What happens during an ice age?

1. Ice sheets grow larger 2. Sea levels get lower 3. Plants and animals redistribute themselves

How does a glacier grow?

1. If the summer isn't hot enough to melt winter snow → snow accumulates 2. Glaciers begin life as snowflakes 3. When the snowfall in an area far exceeds the melting that occurs during summer, glaciers start to form 4. The weight of the accumulated snow compresses the fallen snow into ice

Expected changes due to climate change

1. Increase Earth's average temperature 2. Influence the patterns and amounts of precipitation 3. Reduce ice and snow cover, as well as permafrost 4. Raise sea level 5. Increase the acidity of the oceans 6. Increase the frequency, intensity, and/or duration of extreme events 7. Shift ecosystem characteristics 8. Increase threats to human health 9. These changes will impact our food supply, water resources, infrastructure, ecosystems, and even our own health.

Why will Kyoto Protocol alone not reduce threat of major climate change?

1. It covers only 40% of global GHG emissions without U.S. participation 2. Doesn't require emission reductions from rapidly developing countries 3. Only covers emission through the year 2012.

What are some ways of protecting at-risk populations of species?

1. Legislation - manage hunting and fishing through use of community and ecosystem based management that closely monitors populations and sets sustainable harvesting quotas 2. Establishment of marine protected areas

Past climate changes agents

1. Many different types of naturally-occurring events, from variations in Earth's orbit to volcanic eruptions. 2. Since the start of the industrial age, human activities have become a larger influence on Earth's climate than other natural factors.

Rising temperatures lead to rising sea levels due to

1. Melting ice 2. Thermal expansion of warming ocean waters

FIGURE G

1. Migratory species such as birds depend on that annual flush of food for their breeding success. 2. If they arrive and the insects they expected are not hatched yet then there is a trophic mismatch.

Paleoclimate records

1. Mineral deposits in deep sea beds 2. Pollen grains trapped in terrestrial soils 3. Chemical variations in coral reefs 4. Core samples from polar ice fields and high-altitude glaciers

What do the ice cores tell us? (ITEM F)

1. No past CO2 concentration or temperature as high as today in the last 800,000 years. 2. Changes in carbon dioxide concentrations (in purple) track closely with changes in temperature (in blue)

How do we limit the scope of future climate change?

1. Reduce fossil fuel consumption 2. Reduce rate of global deforestation to preserve forest carbon sinks 3. Find ways to capture and sequester CO2 emissions instead of releasing them to the atmosphere

Why has carbon dioxide (CO2), more than any other GHG, contributed the most to climate change between 1750 and 2005?

1. Remains in the atmosphere longer than the other major heat-trapping gases emitted as a result of human activities (Figure C) 2. It takes about a decade for methane (CH4) emissions to leave the atmosphere (it converts into CO2). 3. It takes about a century for nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions to leave the atmosphere. 4. It takes about a century for most CO2 emissions to leave the atmosphere, but about 20 percent will still exist in the atmosphere approximately 800 years from now. 5. Other gases have more potent heat-trapping ability molecule per molecule than CO2 (e.g. methane), but are simply far less abundant in the atmosphere and are being added more slowly.

What info can we get from ice core samples?

1. Scientists can measure past concentrations of atmospheric CO2. 2. The ice's chemical composition can also be used to measure past surface temperatures

How will climate change likely alter hydrologic and weather patterns?

1. Shifting storm tracks 2. Increasing or reducing annual rainfall from region to region 3. Producing more extreme weather events (storms and droughts) 4. Total precipitation increased during 20th century over land in high-latitude regions of the 5. Northern Hemisphere and decreased in tropical and subtropical region

How do aerosol pollutants complicate climate analyses?

1. Some aerosols such as sulfates and organic carbon reflect solar energy back from the atmosphere into space, causing negative forcing 2. Others, like black carbon, absorb energy and warm the atmosphere 3. Aerosols also impact climate indirectly by changing the properties of clouds 4. Aerosols explain why global temperatures cooled for several decades in the mid-20th century - they offset some fraction of GHG emissions 5. Cooling from aerosols is temporary because they have short atmospheric residence times.

What are 3 different legislative acts which have been in force since 2009 in the U.S. that help move us toward our NDC goals.?

1. The Clean Air Act 2. The Energy Policy Act 3. The Energy Independence and Security Act

Global Climate Models (GCMs)

1. The best way to understand some of that complexity is to break it down into smaller components. 2. Scientists use computer models, made up of many "smaller parts," to help us understand such complexities as hurricane paths, fish populations, and the climate system. 3. When models do a good job replicating past and current events, we assume they are able to forecast, with reasonable certainty, what might happen in the future

Ten ways we can stop the rise in climate pollution

1. Unlock the profit of living rainforests 2. Stop methane leaks (CH4 is more potent than CO2) 3. Cut deadly soot (black carbon) 4. Phase out super polluting HFCs 5. Reduce fertilizer pollution 6. Prioritize China's pollution problem 7. Expand carbon markets worldwide 8. Unleash clean energy in the U.S. 9. Put limits on power plant pollution 10. End fossil fuel subsidies

Why are there cycles of ice ages and then warm periods?

1. Variations in Earth's orbit around the sun 2. Positive feedbacks are required to amplify the small changes in solar radiation.

Why did Pleistocene temperatures swing back and forth so dramatically?

1. Variations in Earth's orbit around the sun 2. Tilt of Earth's pole of rotation and ellipticity of the Earth's orbit cause small changes in the distribution of solar radiation received on the Earth 3. These subtle variations could drive changes in climate

In what ways are many natural systems being affected by regional climate changes?

1. Warming of lakes and rivers 2. Land biology: earlier timing of spring events, such as leaf-unfolding, bird migration and egg-laying = phenological changes 3. Poleward and upward shifts in ranges in plant and animal species, longer thermal growing seasons 4. Marine and freshwater biological systems (rising water temperatures, changes in ice cover, salinity, oxygen levels and circulation) 5. Shifts in ranges and changes in algal, plankton and fish abundance in high-latitude oceans; 6. Increases in algal and zooplankton abundance in high-latitude and high-altitude lakes; 7. Range changes and earlier migrations of fish in rivers 8. Ocean becoming more acidic: when CO2 dissolves in seawater most is used for PS and some reacts with H20 to form carbonic acid (H2CO3)

Next phase of global action against climate change

1. Will have to take a longer-approach 2. Will have to address costs of reducing GHG emissions 3. Will have to find ways to help developing countries reap the benefits of economic growth on a lower-carbon pathway than that which industrialized countries followed over the past 150 years

Anthropogenic (human caused) emissions

1. carbon dioxide (CO2) 2. methane (CH4) 3. nitrous oxide (N2O)

What could you personally do to reduce CO2 emissions?

1. conserve light and heat (turn off lights and lower the heat) 2. ride a bike, walk, or take public transportation 3. if you buy a car, choose one with high fuel efficiency 4. invest and shop wisely

Important human activities that are raising atmospheric GHG concentrations:

1. fossil fuel combustion (CO2 and small quantities of methane and N2O); 2. deforestation (CO2 releases from forest burning, plus lower forest carbon uptake) 3. landfills (methane) and wastewater treatment (methane, N2O) 4. livestock production (methane, N2O) 5. rice cultivation (methane) 6. fertilizer use (N2O); and 7. industrial processes (HFCs, PFCs, SF6).

What aspects of climate change are observable?

1. higher global average temperatures 2. rising sea levels (water expands as it warms), 3. changes in snow cover and growing seasons in many areas

What is different about the current temperature change compared to past climate change?

1. magnitude and rate 2. higher concentrations now of atmospheric CO2, CH4 and N2O than any level recorded in the 800,000 year ice core record. 3. the higher average rate of increase of these three gases observed over the past century exceeds any observed rate of change over the previous 20,000 years.

How do we deal with climate change?

1. mitigate global climate change by reducing CO2 emissions 2. shift to renewable energy sources 3. increase energy efficiency 4. adapt to the changes that have already been set in motion

Best matches between predicted and observed temperature trends occur when these studies simulate what two things?

1. natural forcings (variations in solar radiation levels and volcanic eruptions) 2. anthropogenic forcings (GHG and aerosol emissions)

Residence time

A broadly useful concept that expresses how fast something moves through a system in equilibrium; the average time a substance spends within a specified region of space, such as a reservoir. For example, the residence time of water stored in deep groundwater, as part of the water cycle, is about 10.000 years.

Global warming potential

A measure of how much a given mass of greenhouse gas is estimated to contribute to global warming. Compares the gas in question to that of the same mass of carbon dioxide.

Radiocarbon dating

A radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring isotope carbon-14 to determine the age of carbonaceous materials up to about 60,000 years.

What is the issue with microbeads?

Because they are too tiny for sewage treatment plants, many are not filtered out of the effluent that runs into our waterways

United States Climate Alliance

Bi-partisan coalition of states created in response to the U.S. federal government's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change by Governors Andrew Cuomo, Jay Inslee, and Jerry Brown

Ice core samples

Bubbles trapped in ice that document that CO2 levels have varied over glacial cycles

What is the best predictive tool of climate change?

Computer simulations of temperature change in response to greenhouse gas concentrations

Anthropogenic

Describing effects or processes that are derived from human activities, as opposed to effects or processes that occur in the natural environment without human influences.

How does Northwest Passage related to the "Blue Arctic" and why is this an issue?

Due to climate change → open access for ships and tourism and therefore also open for more exploration for oil, gas and minerals

What happens to sea level during an ice age?

During glaciation events, huge volumes of water were trapped in continental ice sheets, lowering sea levels as much as 130 meters and exposing land between islands and across continents.

The Pleistocene Epoch

Earth experienced 30+ swings between prolonged glacial periods and brief warmer interglacial phases (today)

What is the main leading cause of the greenhouse gas emissions?

Electricity at 30%

What aspects of climate change remain uncertain?

Exactly how quickly and steadily it will progress

T or F? The earth is warming uniformly.

FALSE

T or F? Scientists are able to simulate Eocene climate conditions using climate models designed for the modern climate.

FALSE, they aren't.

Linking of melting where is associated with effects of arctic amplification?

Greenland

Sinks

Habitats that serve to trap or otherwise remove chemicals such as plant nutrients, organic pollutants, or metal ions through natural processes.

Past and present climate change agents

High CO2 levels (whether caused by natural phenomena or human activities) are a common factor between many past climate shifts and the warming we see today.

What activities are increasing are increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere?

Human activities, mainly fossil fuel combustion

What did NYC look like 12000 years ago?

Ice Mastodons Sabertooth cats Tundra vegetation

Why is electricity the leading factor?

In order to have electricity they burn coal. Therefore, causing pollution of greenhouse gases.

Koyoto vs. Paris Agreement

Koyoto: established legally binding and enforced commitments. Paris: asks each nation to set its own goals for carbon emission reduction, but there is no legal enforcement of the pledges.

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Large, abrupt, rapid warming episode that was at the beginning of the Eocene

Where is CO2 in the atmosphere measured?

Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii.

What is NYC doing?

New York announced that thy will form a "coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding" the deal and "taking aggressive action against climate change."

H.R. 1321 Bill

Prohibits the sale or distribution of cosmetics containing synthetic plastic microbeads

Paleoclimate

Referring to past climates of the Earth.

Coral bleaching

Refers to the loss of color of corals due to stress-induced expulsion of symbiotic, unicellular algae called zooxanthellae that live within their tissues. Stress can be induced by: (1) increased water temperatures (often attributed to global warming), (2) starvation caused by a decline in zooplankton levels as a result of overfishing, (3) solar irradiance (photosynthetically active radiation and ultraviolet band light), (4) changes in water chemistry, (5) silt runoff, or (6) pathogen infections.

Deforestation

Removal of trees and other vegetation on a large scale, usually to expand agricultural or grazing lands.

Examples of an undesirable species that may benefit from climate change

Rising temperatures promote the spread of mosquitoes and other infectious disease carriers that flourish in warmer environments or are typically limited by cold winters

How may insects, plants, and animals may respond to climate change?

Shifts in range, alterations of their hibernation, migrating, or breeding cycles

T or F? Aerosol concentrations vary widely by region.

TRUE

T or F? Aerosol pollutants make both positive and negative contributions to climate forcing.

TRUE

T or F? Changing ecosystems in sea also affect ecosystems on land.

TRUE

T or F? Climate change is not always slow or steady.

TRUE

T or F? Melting of polar ice caps and glaciers is already widespread and is expected to continue throughout this century.

TRUE

T or F? One small change can have a significant effect on Arctic marine ecosystem.

TRUE

T or F? Some natural systems could benefit from climate change at the same time that others are harmed.

TRUE

Permafrost

The billions of tons of carbon that are locked in Arctic's frozen soil

Albedo

The fraction of electromagnetic radiation reflected after striking a surface.

In response to the natural greenhouse effect, what happens to the planet?

The planet's surface warms, increasing the heat emitted so that the energy released back from Earth into space balances what the Earth receives as visible light from the sun

Global temperature anomalies

Three widely recognized research programs have used the available instrumental data to reconstruct global surface air temperature trends from the late 1800s through 2000

How is a natural greenhouse effect created?

Water vapor, clouds, and other heat-trapping gases create a natural greenhouse effect by holding heat in the atmosphere and preventing its release back to space.

Earth's climate change illustrates what?

how changing GHG levels and temperatures in the past shaped climate systems and affected conditions for life

Little ice age

a cool phase from mid-fourteenth century-mid-nineteenth century during which Europe and North America experienced bitterly cold winters and widespread crop failures

Our planet is current passing through what kind of climate phase?

a relatively cold time from a geological standpoint (cooling for the past 35 million years)

Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)

a technology that can capture up to 90% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced from the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation and industrial processes

The "hockey stick" graph

average temperatures in the northern hemisphere hold roughly steady for 900 years or so, until the 20th century, when they rise sharply.

Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO)

abrupt warming and cooling swings that took place in North America

As sea ice retreats and land ice melts → sunlight that would have been reflected back to space by bright ice is instead what?

absorbed by the ocean, warming the water and melting even more ice

The more closely a model can replicate past climate conditions, the more _____

accurate its future predictions are likely to be

Because of climate change, storm tracks may shift, causing what?

accustomed weather patterns to change → may upset natural ecosystems, potentially leading to species losses

Border

an area of high productivity during the spring because nutrients that are built up in surface waters under ice during long winter are finally exposed to sunlight

Kyoto Protocol

an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

an international group of scientists that assesses research on climate change and summarizes it into 'assessment' reports

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

an international organization of climate experts created in 1988 to assess evidence of climate change and make recommendations to national governments

What are changing levels of algae likely to have a profound impact on?

animals further up the food chain (i.e. bears, seals, polar bears, whales)

How do polar bears use sea ice?

as trap to prey on seals, caves to birth their young

Trophic mismatch

availability of food shifts in response to warming temperatures (food webs, chains)

Arctic marine ecosystem

many species closely linked with sea ice

Algae

base of food chain in Arctic

Why is biological activity during spring bloom so intense?

bc much of food is kept floating in upper part of water due to density stratification caused by melting ice

Why do predictions of future climate change by existing models have a high degree of uncertainty?

because no scientists have ever observed atmospheric CO2 concentrations at today's levels

How can small changes in the average temperature of the planet translate to large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather?

because of increased evaporation of water that then becomes available for storms

Why was the Kyoto Protocol created by the gov?

because they recognized that FCCC commitments weren't sufficient enough to prevent serious climate change

How do seals use sea ice?

breed on sea ice in snow lairs, unstable sea ice forces young seals into water too soon

Sunlight + nutrients =

burst of algae blooms

At least 1500 billions tons of ____ have been locked away in frozen soils of Arctic (2x that's in atmosphere)

carbon

Why is United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change beneficial for nations?

creates a system for nations to report emissions and share other relevant information and for developed countries to provide financial and technical support for climate change initiatives to developing countriesKyoto Protocol

Some vectors are likely to threaten human health, while others can damage what?

forests and agricultural crops

What kind of evidence shows that Earth was far warmer during the Eocene than it is now?

fossil evidence

How can scientists measure past concentrations of atmospheric CO2?

from bubbles trapped in ice

How does arctic amplification happen?

fueled by a feedback loop -- rising global temperatures are melting Arctic sea ice, leaving dark open water that absorbs more solar radiation, and that warms the Arctic even more

Transport of pollutants from areas _____ is also a concern

further south

What shaped Earth's topography, soils, flora, and fauna?

glacial advances and retreats

Keeling Curve

graph that plots the ongoing change in concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since the 1950s red curve is zig-zagged within a given year because of seasonal variation general trend is still positive, going up

What activities play crucial role in life of many Arctic communities?

hunting and fishing

What can be used to measure past surface temperatures?

ice's chemical composition

Energy reaches Earth in what form?

in the form of solar radiation from the sun

"Blue Arctic"

increasing open water due to melted snow

GHG concentrations are high in ________ and low in ______

interglacial periods; glacial maxima

Science plays a central role in what?

international negotiations to address global climate change

Microbeads are finding their way into where?

lakes, rivers, streams and oceans

Crystal Serenity

largest cruise ship to ever traverse the Northern Passage (Alaska → NY)

Freshwater melt makes surface layer ______ than more salty water beneath

less dense

Over past thousand years average global temps have varied by _______

less than one degree

Extreme weather events can create conditions that are favorable for disease outbreaks, such as what?

loss of clean drinking water and sanitation systems

During glaciation events, because huge volumes of water were trapped in continental ice sheets what happened to sea levels?

lowered sea levels as much as 130 meters and exposing land between islands and across continents → changing ocean circulation patterns

Once in the Arctic, contaminants move through _____ and _____ system

physical and biological system

Climate change expected to affect _____ regions more severely

polar

Examples of marine mammals diminishing sea ice is affecting

polar bears and seals

What are required to amplify the small changes in solar radiation?

positive feedbacks

Why is modeling climate trends complicated?

possibility that the climate system may contain feedbacks that have not yet been observed and therefore are not represented in existing GCMs.

Rising temperatures believed to be altering _______ patterns

precipitation

What could happen if new temperature and precipitation patterns are less than optimal for major farmed crops?

reduction of agricultural productivity

Holocene Period

relatively warm interglacial phase that the earth is currently in

IPCC's "assessment reports"

reports at approximately five-year intervals that are adopted by consensus and represent a broad cross-section of opinion from many nations and disciplines regarding current understanding of global climate change science

IPCC meets regularly to do what?

review and assess current scientific literature and issues

Retreating glaciers indicate what?

rising temperatures

In the Arctic, seabirds fly to where?

sea to forage along edges of the sea ice and in other places where prey is concentrated by ocean currents

During the most extreme cold phases in the world, snow and ice covered how much of the earth?

the entire globe

Because many natural ecosystems are _____, ______ and ______ today than in the past, it may be increasingly difficult for them to adapt to climate change by migrating or evolving (esp. true if climate shifts happen abruptly)

smaller, more isolated, and less genetically diverse

What can ensure that the U.S. continues to contribute to the global effort to address climate change?

smart, coordinated state action

In the spring, what happens to algae?

sun returns to Arctic, melting sea ice → algae in open water quickly spring to life and start growing

What natural ecosystems are especially vulnerable to climate change impacts?

systems that grow and adapt slowly

Birds are adapted to a set of conditions (biotic, abiotic factors) in a habitat as defined by what?

temperature, moisture and the interspecific interactions that occur there

Ice core samples from glaciers indicate what?

that this level of melting has not occurred for thousands of years

What happens after permafrost thaws?

the carbon breaks down, releasing greenhouse gases into atmosphere + amplifying global warming

If humans release enough GHGs into the atmosphere to create Eocene-like conditions in the next several centuries, what will happen?

the transition will be much more abrupt, and many living organisms -- esp. those that thrive in cold conditions -- will have trouble surviving the shift

Elevated CO2 prevents plants from increasing what?

their growth rates, perhaps by limiting their ability to utilize other components that are essential for growth (nutrients)

How do GHGs warm the earth?

these gases are trapping infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface and warming the Earth

How are polar bears affected by pollution?

they have high level of contaminants in their bodies (impair reproductivity)

During the warmest periods, what did the polar regions of the world look like?

they were completely free of ice and forests extended all the way through the poles

Because fossil fuel accounts for so much of global energy use, what will happen to CO2 levels over time?

they will continue to rise for at least next 30-40 years

What do birds do since climate change has been causing these conditions to change?

they will move to smaller spaces with limited or different resources and increased competition and possibly new predators

How have ocean levels of algae changed?

they've rapidly increased and it's being produced sooner each year

Report shows that as GHG concentrations rise, climate system could reach ____ that trigger sudden drastic shifts (i.e. changes in ocean currents or a major increase in floods or hurricanes)

thresholds

Phenology

timing of natural events (egg laying, flowering time, leaf fall)

Microbeads

tiny plastic particles that are added to cosmetic products in order to add abrasion and exfoliation

USCA's goal

to reduce greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement

Marginal ice zone

transition between the open ocean and sea ice

Approach to estimating temperature increase and climate feedback dynamics

tuning climate models

Northwest Passage

typically only able to be traversed by ships with icebreaking capabilities

Coral reefs

under serious stress from rapid ocean warming

What other kinds of species may also benefit from climate change?

undesirable

What are the temperatures at high altitudes near equators like?

very stable and don't typically fluctuate much between summer and winter

Warmer temperatures from where are already increasing the intensity of hurricanes?

warmer tropical sea surface temperatures

As global warming progresses what will happen to the arctic marine ecosystem?

→ sea ice cover shrinks → range and quality of ice habitat will decrease