EnviroScience: Chapter 13.3: Climate Change: PART 1

a measurement of how reflective a surface is

Albedo

Melting of ice sheets into ocean water has lowered the overall albedo of the ___________.

Arctic

Some scientists are concerned that climate change will also cause a change in ocean current patterns, such as slowing of the _____________

Gulf Stream.

_______________ are playing some role in climate change.

Humans

Beaches could be eroded, the salinity of bays and estuaries, and coastal freshwater aquifers might increase, negatively affecting aquatic life and decreasing freshwater resources.

!

The winds that blow steadily over Mauna Loa have come thousands of miles across the ________________, far from most forests and human activities, swirling and mixing as they traveled.

Pacific Ocean

_________________ streams through the atmosphere and warms Earth

Sunlight

_____________________ are not necessarily rising at a constant rate, or rising in all parts of the world

Temperatures

Thousands of experiments and computer models support this hypothesis.

The global temperature is increasing

Melting of ice sheets into ocean water has lowered the overall ___________ of the Arctic.

albedo

Earth's ________________ acts like the glass in a greenhouse

atmosphere

In the winter, dying grasses and fallen leaves decay and release the ____________ that was stored in them, causing levels to rise.

carbon

During the summer, growing plants use more _________________ for photosynthesis than they release in respiration, causing the levels to drop.

carbon dioxide

Keeling wanted to precisely measure the amount of __________________ in the air, far from forests and cities where carbon dioxide levels vary every day.

carbon dioxide

Since 1958, the level of _______________ in the atmosphere has increased by over 20 percent

carbon dioxide

Today, we are releasing more __________________ than any other greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

carbon dioxide

Keeling reasoned that at Mauna Loa, the average _____________________ for the entire Earth could be measured

carbon dioxide levels

The amount of greenhouse gases including ____________, _____________, and ____________ in the atmosphere is increasing.

carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide

Millions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere each year from power plants that burn ________ or ______, and cars that burn ________________.

coal or oil, gasoline

The rise of sea levels could flood __________________ and other low-lying areas.

coastal wetlands

These relationships are expressed as equations within __________________

complex models.

Predictions about climate change are based on _____________________

computer models

Some scientists are concerned that climate change will also cause a change in ocean ____________ patterns, such as slowing of the Gulf Stream.

current

Much of the carbon dioxide that is released into the air.. (2)

dissolves in the ocean is used by plants for photosynthesis.

About a _____________ different models similarly predict widely increasing temperatures that are not simply driven by natural climate or solar variability.

dozen

solar input, wind patterns, cloud cover

drivers

Scientists use mathematical relationships among "____________," such as solar input, wind patterns, and cloud cover and "_________________," such as troposphere temperature, sea surface temperature, ice cover, and sea level

drivers, response variables

During the summer, growing plants use more carbon dioxide for photosynthesis than they release in respiration, causing the levels to _________.

drop

Severe flooding could occur in some regions at the same time _____________ and _______________ devastate other regions

droughts and fires

Sea levels rise because as water warms, it _____________.

expands

Millions of trees are burned in tropical rainforest to clear the land for _________________.

farming

A lower albedo in the Arctic causes warming to take place even ___________

faster

This increase in carbon dioxide is due largely to the burning of ________________

fossil fuels.

Earth's atmosphere acts like the __________ in a greenhouse

glass

So, most scientists use the term ________________________ rather than global warming.

global climate change

Most scientists think that because greenhouse gases absorb and rerelease infrared radiation to Earth's surface, more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will result in an increase in ______________________

global temperature.

a gradual increase in the average global temperature

global warming

In the winter, dying ____________ and fallen _______________ decay and release the carbon that was stored in them, causing levels to rise.

grasses, leaves

Earth is somewhat comparable to a _________________

greenhouse

This process of warming Earth's surface and lower atmosphere is called the _____________________

greenhouse effect.

a gas that absorbs and reradiates infrared radiation from the sun

greenhouse gas

Because the rise in temperature correlates to the increase in _____________________ in the atmosphere, most scientists conclude that the increase in greenhouse gases, and other factors, have caused the increase in temperature

greenhouse gases

Because the rise in temperature correlates to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, most scientists conclude that the increase in ___________________, and other factors, have caused the increase in temperature

greenhouse gases

Most scientists think that because __________________ absorb and rerelease infrared radiation to Earth's surface, more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperature.

greenhouse gases

Most scientists think that because greenhouse gases absorb and rerelease infrared radiation to Earth's surface, more _______________________ in the atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperature.

greenhouse gases

The amount of _________________ including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere is increasing.

greenhouse gases

As this energy in the form of __________ radiates up from Earth's surface, some of it escapes into space.

heat

If the Earth warms up significantly, the surface of the oceans will absorb more energy in the form of _________, which may make hurricanes and typhoons more intense.

heat

Each year, the high carbon dioxide levels of winter were ____________, and each year, the summer levels did not fall as __________.

higher, low

Scientists validate the models by starting with _____________________ and then comparing model projections to know changes in climate.

historical conditions

If the Earth warms up significantly, the surface of the oceans will absorb more energy in the form of heat, which may make _____________ and ____________ more intense.

hurricanes and typhoons

Also, ________ that is currently over land is melting and the water is flowing into the ocean.

ice

The amount of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere is _________________.

increasing

A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs and reradiates ___________________ from the sun.

infrared radiation

Most scientists think that because greenhouse gases absorb and rerelease _________________________ to Earth's surface, more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperature.

infrared radiation

Not every gas in our atmosphere reradiates __________________ in this way.

infrared radiation

The _____________ are constantly being updated with new information.

models

About a dozen different models similarly predict widely increasing temperatures that are not simply driven by _________________ or _________________

natural climate or solar variability.

Much of the carbon dioxide that is released into the air dissolves in the ______________ or is used by plants for _______________.

ocean, photosynthesis

Millions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere each year from ________________ that burn coal or oil, and _________ that burn gasoline.

power plants, cars

In 1985, a geochemist named Charles Keeling installed an instrument at the top of a tall tower on the ____________________ observatory in Hawaii.

Mauna Loa

As with changes in carbon dioxide levels, short-term variations in temperature are superimposed on larger trends such as changes in patterns of ________________, _______________, and ______________________

precipitation, frequency of fires, and extreme weather events.

During the summer, growing plants use more carbon dioxide for photosynthesis than they release in _______________, causing the levels to drop.

respiration

The possible effects of a warmer Earth will not be the same everywhere and countries will vary in their ability to ________________.

respond

troposphere temperature, sea surface temperature, ice cover, and sea level

response variable

In the winter, dying grasses and fallen leaves decay and release the carbon that was stored in them, causing levels to ________.

rise

Sea levels are ____________ and will continue to __________.

rising, rise

After a few years of measurement, it was obvious that the levels were undergoing changes other than __________________________

seasonal fluctuations

What are examples of "drivers"?

solar input, wind patterns, cloud cover

As this energy in the form of heat radiates up from Earth's surface, some of it escapes into ___________

space.

The resulting models can be used to predict how factors such as ______________ will be affected.

temperature

Millions of trees are burned in ______________________ to clear the land for farming.

tropical rainforest

The rest of the heat that does not escape into space is absorbed by gases in the _______________ and warms the air.

troposphere

What are examples of "response variable"?

troposphere temperature, sea surface temperature, ice cover, and sea level

In North America, some birds are nesting ________________ earlier than they did 50 years ago.

two weeks

Sea levels rise because as water __________, it expands.

warms

Sunlight streams through the atmosphere and does what?

warms Earth

The major greenhouse gases are...

water vapor carbon dioxide methane nitrous oxide

________________ and _____________ account for most of the absorption of that occurs in the atmosphere.

water vapor and carbon dioxide

The possible effects of climate change include a number of potentially serious environmental problems, such as changes in ____________________ and rising _________________

weather patterns, sea levels

Such a change could significantly affect the world's _____________

weather.

In the _____________, dying grasses and fallen leaves decay and release the carbon that was stored in them, causing levels to rise.

winter

Each year, the high carbon dioxide levels of ____________ were higher, and each year, the ______________ levels did not fall as low.

winter, summer

Sea level has been measured in many locations over the past _______________

100 years.

Since ___________, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by over 20 percent

1958

In ____________, a geochemist named Charles Keeling installed an instrument at the top of a tall tower on the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii.

1985

Since 1958, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by over _____________

20 percent

Earth's average global temperature increased during the __________________ and many scientists predict that this warming trend will continue

20th century

In Britain, many plants are flowering up to 55 days earlier in the year than they did ____ years ago.

40

A comparison of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and average global temperatures for the past ____________________ years supports this view.

400,000

In Britain, many plants are flowering up to _____ days earlier in the year than they did 40 years ago.

55

In 1985, a geochemist named ___________________ installed an instrument at the top of a tall tower on the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii.

Charles Keeling

____________________ could be eroded, the salinity of bays and estuaries, and coastal freshwater aquifers might increase, negatively affecting aquatic life and decreasing freshwater resources.

Beaches

Keeling reasoned that at Mauna Loa, the average carbon dioxide levels for the entire _____________ could be measured.

Earth

During the summer, growing plants use more carbon dioxide for ________________ than they release in respiration, causing the levels to drop.

photosynthesis