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Climate Change - Coggle Diagram
Climate Change
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
Caused by human activities
More greenhouse gases in atmosphere
More heat trapped
Less heat escapes into space
Global temperatures rise
Leads to modern climate change
Natural Causes of Climate Change
Orbital Changes (Milankovitch Cycles)
Affect amount and distribution of solar energy received
Eccentricity
Shape of Earth's orbit changes
Cycle around 100,000 years
Obliquity (Tilt)
Tilt varies between 21.5° and 24.5°
Affects seasonal contrasts
Cycle around 41,000 years
Precession
Wobble of Earth's axis
Affects seasonal timing
Cycle around 20,000 years
Solar Output
Sunspot cycle lasts around 11 years
More sunspots = greater solar output
Fewer sunspots = lower solar output
May influence Earth's climate
Volcanic Activity
Major eruptions can cause cooling
Volcanic ash blocks sunlight
Sulphur gases form aerosols
Aerosols reflect solar radiation
Can create a volcanic winter
Case Studies
Laki, Iceland (1783)
Temperature fell in Europe
Severe weather followed
Mount Tambora, Indonesia (1815)
Global cooling
1816 called "The Year Without a Summer"
Climate Change During Earth's History
Quaternary Period
Started 2.6 million years ago
Continues to present day
Alternating glacial and interglacial periods
Recent climate change
Global temperatures rising rapidly since 1880
Most warming since the 1970s
Future warming expected to continue
Climate evidence
Instrumental temperature records
Thermometers measure air and sea temperature
Reliable records since late 1800s
Ice cores
Extracted from Antarctica and Greenland
Contain trapped air bubbles
Show past temperatures and greenhouse gas levels
Evidence stretching back hundreds of thousands of years
Marine sediment cores
Taken from ocean floor
Used to reconstruct past climates
Show longer timescales than ice cores
Evidence of Climate Change Today
Sea Level Rise
Global sea level risen 21–24 cm since 1800s
Melting glaciers and ice sheets add water to oceans
Thermal expansion causes seawater to expand as it warms
Melting Ice and Glaciers
Glaciers shrinking and thinning worldwide
Some glaciers may disappear completely
Arctic sea ice has decreased significantly
Changes in Ecosystems
Bird migration patterns changing
Plants flowering earlier
Breeding seasons shifting
Evidence of changing climate and seasons
Human Causes of Climate Change
Burning Fossil Fuels
Coal
Oil
Gas
Release carbon dioxide
Main cause of rising greenhouse gas levels
Agriculture
Livestock release methane
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas
Deforestation
Fewer trees absorb carbon dioxide
Stored carbon released when trees are removed
Increases greenhouse gas concentrations
The Greenhouse Effect
Natural Process
Makes Earth warm enough for life
Greenhouse gases trap heat
Main Greenhouse Gases
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Water vapour
Nitrous oxides
Process
Short-wave solar radiation enters atmosphere
Earth absorbs energy and warms
Earth emits long-wave radiation
Some heat escapes into space
Some heat trapped by greenhouse gases
Management of Climate Change
Mitigation (Reducing Causes)
Renewable energy
Solar power
Wind power
Hydroelectric power
Carbon capture
Removing CO₂ from emissions
Storing carbon underground
Afforestation
Planting trees
Absorbs carbon dioxide
International agreements
Paris Agreement
Adaptation (Living with Effects)
Flood defences
Water conservation
Drought-resistant crops
Improved planning for extreme weather