Name:
Climate Change, Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
Fill in the Blank: Use the words to fill in the blanks.
risen
warm up
temperature
gases
sunlight
Earth
radiated
absorbed
surface
global warming
greenhouse effect
Why does a closed car get so hot on a sunny day? (1)_____________________ shining through the
car's windows is (2)______________________ by the objects and materials in the car. Then some
of this energy is (3)_______________________ back from the objects and materials in the form of
heat. But this heat cannot pass back out through the glass windows. The (4)___________________
inside the car rises. This process of warming takes place in glass greenhouses, and it also happens to
(5)______________________. Much of the heat radiated from Earth's (6)____________________
does not go out into space; it is reflected back down to Earth by (7)________________________ in
the atmosphere. This reflected heat causes the atmosphere to (8)______________________. The
process by which heat is trapped and reflected by gases in Earth's atmosphere is known as the
(9)______________________. As a result, average temperatures on Earth have
(10)_______________________ 0.5°C in the last hundred years. This temperature increase is
known as (11)_____________________ .
Write each term after its definition.
global warming
greenhouse effect
deforestation
12. The process by which heat is trapped by gases in Earth's atmosphere. ___________________
13. The removal of forests. ____________________________________
14. A rise in Earth's average temperatures caused by increased amounts of gases in Earth's
Atmosphere. ____________________________
Fill in the Blank: Using your reading, find the words or phrases to complete each sentence or
statement.
15. ___________________ describes the weather over a long period of time.
16. We now face the prospect of change. Many scientists believe this change is being brought on
primarily by _________________________.
17. __________________ is the force saving us from a frigid fate.
18-19. We say the atmosphere “______________________” the Earth’s radiation. We call this
planetary warming phenomenon the “________________________.”
20-23. If all greenhouse gases were removed from the atmosphere, the average surface temperature
of Earth would drop from its current value of _________°F (15°C) to about _______°F (-18°C).
Without the atmosphere’s greenhouse effect, Earth would be a ______________ and nearly
____________ planet.
24. Molecules with ____________________ or more atoms like water vapor, carbon dioxide,
ozone, and a host of other trace gases can efficiently absorb and emit infrared energy by storing and
releasing it in molecular vibration and rotation.
25-26. Large-scale burning of fossil fuels for _________________ and __________________,
intense agricultural activity, mining, and other human activities pump more and more greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere, creating a heightened greenhouse effect that leads to a higher average
global temperature – global warming.
27. While _________________ is the most important Greenhouse Gas, humans have very little
control over it.
28. ________________ is the one that humans are contributing to most directly.
29. ________________________ trap more heat than any of the other greenhouse gases.
30. Nitrous oxide absorbs ____________________ times more heat per molecule than carbon
dioxide.
31. Sources release elements to the atmosphere while ___________________ store them.
32. Historical records indicate the average global temperature increased in Wisconsin by
_________________ degrees Fahrenheit (F) between 1890 and 1990.
33. It’s fairly safe to say that global climate change won’t turn our state into a _______________,
scientists agree that it could significantly alter the way we live.
34. Scientists predict the temperature may rise another _________ degrees F in the next 100 years.
35. Over the last 100 years, the global sea level has risen by about _______________ cm.
36. The upper Midwest may become warmer and wetter, with the average temperature increasing by
about __________________ degrees F. The increase doesn’t mean we’d simply up the daily
temperature by 4 degrees.
37-38. Lake Superior water levels could drop over time by ________ feet, while Lake Michigan
levels could fall ________ feet. Such drops could result from longer and drier summers during
which more of the lakes’ waters would be claimed by evaporation.
39-41. Southern Wisconsin farms may begin to resemble those in present-day ____________.
Wheat would do well, but the ideal range for ________________ and _______________ would
shift northward, and these crops might not grow as well in the soils of northern Wisconsin.
42. High levels of ________________ may actually increase crop yields. However, these may be
offset by increases in droughts, weeds, pests and disease problems.
43. Dairy and other livestock farmers may see productivity decline as a result of _______________
in their animals.
44. If the U.S. had adopted the Kyoto Protocol, we would have been required to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions to __________% below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. However, at the current rates our
nation stands to increase its emissions to 30 percent above 1990 levels by 2010.
45-46. The U.S. is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, contributing approximately
________% of global emissions despite having only ______% of the world’s population.
47. The biggest contribution individuals can make is to _______________.
48. Considering all of these factors, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
estimates that sea level will rise __________________ cm by the year 2100.
Write the answers to the following questions in your notebook.
List the nine potential changes Wisconsin could face if global warming continues: (write out)
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
List five of the clues scientists use to study past climates:
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
Short Answer Questions:
63. What is the difference between climate and weather?
64. What is the greenhouse effect and why is it important to life on Earth?
65. What is the difference between global warming and climate change?
66. How does nature contribute to climate changes?
67. How have humans contributed to the global warming?