Unit 13: Climate Change
Part 1: Review Questions
1. Average global temperature has risen about ______ degrees Celsius over the last 50 years. What is this
temperature change in Fahrenheit?
2. What is the difference between average global temperature and daily regional temperature
fluctuation?
3. The polar regions are experiencing the effects of global warming more intensely than lower latitudes.
Why is this the case?
4. Visit the NASA Climate Change and Global Warming website and report at least one thing you learned
about climate change from the website.
5. In addition, tell what the current concentration of carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere in parts per
million?
6. What percent of the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide?
7. Why does carbon dioxide have a significant impact on the air temperature when there is a relatively
small amount of it in the atmosphere compared to other gases?
8. How long does carbon dioxide last in the atmosphere? How long does methane last in the
atmosphere?
9. How much more heat does methane trap in the troposphere than carbon dioxide?
10. The Keeling Curve shows the direct measurements of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere
from 1958 to present. Explain why the level of carbon dioxide goes up and down each year in a saw
tooth pattern?
11. Ice cores are proxy indicators; they help scientists learn about past climate conditions. What specific
information about past climate conditions can scientists extract from ice cores?
12. How far back in time can scientists examine climate conditions?
13. Describe the relationship between air temperature and the amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere?
14. Ice is a proxy indicator that can reveal information about past climate conditions. What is one other
proxy indicator that scientists use to understand past climate conditions? Tell how scientists use this
proxy indicator to understand past climate conditions.
15. When the three Milankovitch cycles align, they affect the distance between the northern hemisphere
and the Sun. The closer proximity leads to a warming cycle and vice versa when the distance is greater.
On slide 19 in the second PowerPoint presentation, you can find information about why these
Milankovitch Cycles are not responsible for the current warming trend. State two reasons why.
a.
b.
Part 2: Draw a Climate Feedback Loop
Ecological feedback processes, or feedback loops, amplify the warm and cool cycles. According to NASA, the
Earth currently should be entering a milder and cooler cycle that began about 6,000 years ago. However, we
are experiencing warming due to excessive carbon emissions from human activities. The amplified greenhouse
effect has kicked off a number of feedback loops that ultimately add more heat to the atmosphere and
accelerate the warming.
Sketch and label one of these complex climate-related feedback loops.
 Review the Climate Change 2 PowerPoint.
 Do an “image” search for “climate-related feedback loops” or “global warming feedback loops.”
 Use an image from the internet to help you draw a feedback loop.
 Include captions or labels that explain each step in the process.
 Take a photo of your image. Save it as a jpeg and upload it to the Assignment submission.