Biomes: Extreme Climate Answers
SUVs and other cars burn fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon
dioxide contributes to global warming because it is a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.
Global warming is causing the Arctic sea ice to melt. The melting sea ice releases freshwater
into the Gulf Stream. This would slow down the Gulf Stream, affecting the climate in
Western Europe.
• Global warming is decreasing the amount of sea ice. With less sea ice, when the wind blows,
ocean waves become much larger. Larger waves contribute to coastline erosion because they
travel farther ashore and have more energy.
• Increased temperatures brought by global warming cause glaciers to melt. Water from the
glaciers is added to ocean water, causing sea levels to rise. Ocean levels are also expanding
because as global warming heats the water, it expands. Rising sea levels contribute to
coastline erosion.
• Global warming is causing sea ice to form later in the fall and melt earlier in the spring. This
threatens the survival of polar bears that depend on the ice to hunt seals, their primary food
source, because they have fewer weeks of feeding
1. Climate Changes in the North
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why are natural greenhouse gases beneficial?
A: Without them, the mean temperature on the planet would be minus 18 degrees Celsius. Because of
these entirely natural compounds, the mean temperature is 15 degrees, which has facilitated the
development of our civilization.
Post-viewing question
Q: How has global warming affected Banks Island?
A: By the 1990s, its summers had grown much warmer, contributing to landslides in the area. One lake
has already disappeared, and another is on its way. The warmer temperatures have brought new
species of birds and salmon to the island.
2. Predicting the Weather
Pre-viewing question
Q: What is climate?
A: The average weather conditions of a particular place or region over a period of years, exhibited by
temperature, precipitation, and wind
Post-viewing question
Q: What does the global climate system do?
A: It takes excess heat from equatorial and subtropical regions and transports it southward to
Antarctica and northward to the Arctic. From the polar regions, the heat can go back into space.
3. The Polar Climate
Pre-viewing question
Q: If the polar ice cover disappears, what problems could result?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How much territory does ice cover at the poles?
A: It covers 14 million square kilometers in winter, and about half that in summer. However, there is
increasing evidence that the ice cover is permanently shrinking. Over the past 40 years, it appears to
have lost 40 percent of its volume.
4. Carbon Emissions
Pre-viewing question
Q: Is global warming a natural or human-induced event?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Where do most carbon dioxide emissions come from?
A: In industrialized countries, carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels comes equally from
three sources: industrial production, motor vehicles, and domestic consumption.
5. Studying Carbon Sinks
Pre-viewing question
Q: What is a carbon sink?
A: Oceans and forests that trap and store carbon dioxide emissions
Post-viewing question
Q: Why is the Arctic an ideal place to study climate change?
A: Its environment is particularly sensitive to climate change, so a small temperature change can trigger
a large change in conditions, especially close to the freezing point of seawater.
6. Ocean Currents
Pre-viewing question
Q: Has global warming changed your climate?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How do ocean movements control global temperatures?
A: Convection currents move heat around the planet.
7. A Fragile Balance
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why do polar bears eat more during the winter?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why is ice essential to polar bears’ survival?
A: Polar bears mainly feed when there is ice. Their principal food is the ring seal, which they hunt
through the platforms of pack ice, when the seal is at its breathing hole.
8. An Unknown Ecosystem
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why do we know so little about the Arctic’s marine ecosystem?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What life forms will inhabit the Arctic 100 years from now?
A: Answers will vary.
9. Predicting the Impact
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why is it important to research and study global warming?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What do climate models predict for our future?
A: The accepted scenario shows the planet’s mean temperature increasing by three-and-a-half degrees,
unevenly distributed. The largest warming would occur on the populated continents, and half the
alpine glaciers would disappear.
10. Rising Waters
Pre-viewing question
Q: How do rising ocean levels affect us?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why are ocean levels rising?
A: Because almost all the glaciers in the Arctic region are melting, and the freed up water is going into
the oceans.
11. A Variable Climate
Pre-viewing question
Q: What industries are affected by global warming?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What are the risks of global warming?
A: A warmer climate and more frequent and extreme precipitation are among the projected risks.
Scientists are afraid there will be more storms, tornadoes, and adverse weather patterns.
12. Preparing for the Future
Pre-viewing question
Q: Can we reverse global warming?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Do you agree that climate change and global security are linked?
A: Answers will vary.