Name: _________________________________________
Period: _____________
Global Climate Change Web Quest
Are human activities and behaviors impacting the climate of planet Earth? In this web quest, you will
investigate information from credible scientists. Based on the evidence, you decide if humans have an
impact on the planet’s temperature, changes in carbon dioxide levels, surface temperature, sea ice amounts,
ocean temperatures, and ocean currents.
Before you start this assignment, circle the level you feel humans have impacted global climate with one (1)
being no impact and ten (10) being maximum impact.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Using 3 complete sentences, please describe why you feel this level is the best or most correct prediction of
human impacts on global climate change.
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Go to http://climate.nasa.gov and click on the “Facts” link in the upper right and then click on the
“Causes” tab.
Answer each question using complete sentences.
1. What do most scientists agree is the main cause of the current global warming trend?
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2. What are the 5 main gases that contribute to increasing the greenhouse effect?
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3. What human activity has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2)?
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4. 1300 independent scientific experts have concluded there is a 90% probability that human caused gases
account for most of the increase in Earth’s temperature over the past 50 years. What are the 3 gases
produced by humans are responsible for this increase?
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Name: _________________________________________
Period: _____________
5. According to NASA, what are the three reasons that scientists discount increases in solar energy output as
the main cause of the current global warming trend?
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Click the “Evidence” tab at the top of the page to answer the next set of questions
6. Look at the chart comparing CO2 levels over the past 650 thousand years. Why do you think there is such
a large increase in CO2 levels over the past 7,000 years? Besides the beginning of the modern climate era,
what else began 7,000 years ago?
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7. How much have sea levels risen in the past 100 years due to the current global warming trend?
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8. Even though solar output declined during the last decade, what has increased?
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9. Where has most of this increased heat been absorbed?
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10. What are the four (4) places that have all seen a decrease in the amount of ice over the past decades?
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Click the “Nasa Science” tab on the upper right and then on the “Earth System Science” tab to answer
the next set of questions.
11. What are climate forcings?
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12. What are climate feedbacks?
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13. What is the ice-albedo feedback?
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Name: _________________________________________
Period: _____________
14. How much of human produced carbon dioxide is removed from the environment every year?
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15. According to the Ocean Circulation feedback, which part of the world could experience an ice age if the
oceans circulation in the Atlantic Ocean changes?
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Click the “Vital Signs” under the “Facts” tab on the upper right to answer the next set of questions
16. According to the chart of direct measurements carbon dioxide levels, have CO2 levels increased or
decreased?
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17. According to the global surface temperature graph, have global surface temperatures increased or
decreased?
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18. According to the Arctic Sea Ice graph, have arctic sea ice levels increased or decreased?
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19. According to the Land Ice Graph, have land ice masses increased or decreased?
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20. According to the Sea Level Graphs, have global sea levels increased or decreased?
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21. What 2 factors have led to the change in global sea levels?
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Now that you have reviewed the current evidence for global climate change, circle the level you feel humans
have impacted global climate with one (1) being no impact and ten (10) being maximum impact.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Turn over for the last part!
8
9
10
Name: _________________________________________
Period: _____________
Using 5 complete sentences, please describe why you feel this level is the best or most correct prediction of
human impacts on global climate change.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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