Unit 1, Toic 2 - Restless Earth – Key Words









Climate (average weather)
Weather (day to day changes)
Climatologist



Quaternary
Glacials (ice ages)
Interglacials (warm period)
Medieval Warm Period
Little Ice Age
Natural causes of climate
change



Orbital theory
Volcanic theory
Sunspot theory




Ecosystems
Food chains
Extinction eg.


Megafauna extinctions at end of
last ice age (mammoth etc).
Dinosaurs






Greenhouse effect
Solar short-wave radiation
Long-wave radiation
Greenhouse gases



Carbon dioxide
Methane






Solar short-wave radiation
Long-wave radiation
Enhanced greenhouse effect
Industrial revolution
Fossil fuels
Costs and benefits of climate
change
Sea level rise
Thermal expansion of oceans
Melting ice sheets
Flooding
Desertification in Africa etc.
CFCs (halocarbons)
More storms
Key ideas
1) Climate is always changing for natural reasons (sunspot 7) The greenhouse effect is a natural process
activity, orbital changes, volcanic activity)
which keeps the atmosphere warm 
The sun’s short wave energy enters the
2) Over the last 2.6 million years there have been glacials
atmosphere, hits the Earth, longwave radiation is
(ice ages) and interglacials (warm periods) – we are in an
reflected back up; some goes out into space but
interglacial.
some is trapped inside the atmosphere by
3) Evidence of climate change from tree rings, pollen, ice
greenhouse gases (CO2 methane H2O etc.)
cores etc.
keeping us warm!
4) Recent climate change – Medieval warm period 10001400 AD – Little Ice Age 1400 – 1800AD
8) Humans have started adding extra greenhouse
5) Medieval Warm Period – Greenland Vikings grew more
gases and this means more heat is trapped – this
crops and hunted and tradeed more - good times!
is the ‘enhanced’ greenhouse effect.
The Little Ice Age – the Greenland Vikings ran out of food,
CO2 burning fossil fuels, methane from cows /
they couldn’t trade as the sea froze – bad times!
rubbish tips / rice fields etc.
In London the Thames froze, crops failed, there was a
9)Rich countries produce a lot more greenhouse
‘Great Famine’, glaciers destroyed villages in the Alps.
gases than poor countries.
6) Plants and animals can be affected by climate change.
Global warming is predicted to cause sea level to
Eg. Dinosaurs became extinct because of a meteorite
rise, more storms, floods and desertification.
strike or volcanic activity – both affect climate (dust/ash
Possible increase in temperature - 1.1’C to 6.4’C
block out sun.
by 2100
Eg. At end of last ice age the climate warmed and these
Possible sea level rise - 30cm to 1m by 2100
large animals couldn’t adapt in time – food chains
Evidence - We have seen record temperatures,
disrupted, animals starved.
melting glaciers and polar ice, more storms etc.
Impact of climate change
UK
Egypt
Where
Climate
Warmer temperatures – more rain
Temperature rises by up to 8’C
change
More extreme weather (storms etc)
Less rain
Economic
Coastal towns and cities flood – cost of
Farmers lose income as crops fail
impact
relocating houses and businesses.
Farmers lose land as sea levels rise
Cost of flood defences.
Coastal defences may be too expensive for Egypt
Cost of repair after floods / storms.
to build.
More tourism brings in money
Desertification – the Sahara desert spreading out.
Different crops can be grown
Crops fail – starvation
Environmental Rapid coastal erosion.
Water shortages
impact
Flooding of low-lying coastal areas eg.
Heatwaves = deaths
East Anglia
Diseases spread
What can we
Cut use of fossil fuels
do?
Use renewable energies
Recycle more
Use cars less and public transport more