Study Guide for Test on Global Climate Change: 19.1-19.3
Causes of Global Climate Change:
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Milankovitch Cycles: Which hemisphere is most affected by changes in the orbital patterns and tilts (with
current landmass configuration)? Be able to explain why.
Be able to explain each of the following Milankovitch Cycles. Explain what Milankovitch cycles alone would
predict about temperature. Know what the current situation the Earth is in for each cycle.
1) Eccentricity (orbital elongation). How does increased/decreased eccentricity affect the seasonal change
at the poles? Are we currently in a period of high or low eccentricity?
2) Obliquity (Axial Tilt). What is the range of tilt? How would a decrease in the tilt affect seasonal
temperature variation? How would a decrease in tilt effect the amount of snow fall and glaciations at
the poles? Is the tilt increasing or decreasing?
3) Precession (Wobble- Direction of tilt relative to aphelion/perihelion). What is current angle tilt relative to
its orbit? How does this effect seasonal variation in the different hemispheres?
What else is needed to produce an ice age besides less extreme seasonal changes?
Greenhouse Effect and Causes of Anthropogenic Global Warming:
 How have temperature and CO2 been measured over the past half million years?
 What has probably caused the correlation between temperature and CO2 before the Industrial Revolution?
What was the approximate largest amount of CO2 in the atmosphere before the Industrial Revolution? What is
the current value for atmospheric CO2?
 Be able to define greenhouse effect. Why do greenhouse gases block out-going radiation from Earth, but not
incoming radiation from the sun? What makes a gas a “greenhouse gas”?
 Be able to identify the following key greenhouse gases: H2O vapor, CO2, Methane (CH4), CFC’s and HCFC’s, N2O
and O3. Know the common natural and anthropogenic (man-made) sources of these gases and relative
contributions to the greenhouse effect.
 CO2: Be able to describe the Keeling curve. What causes the seasonal fluctuations in CO2? CO2 levels are the
lowest when it is summer in which hemisphere? Be able to explain why.
 Know the approximate annual rate of CO2 increase and its current level in the atmosphere.
 Know the two main sources of anthropogenic inputs to atmospheric CO2
 Be able to define major carbon sources and sinks. Be able to explain the role of the ocean as a carbon sink. Be
able to explain why increasing water temperature due to global warming will likely decrease the ability of the
ocean to serve as a carbon sink. Be able to explain how the increasing level of dissolved CO2h affects the pH of
the ocean and how life might be affected by a more acidic ocean.
 Understand why commercial agriculture increases global warming gases (both CO2 and N2O) in the atmosphere.
 Know how methane is produced in natural and anthropogenic sources.
 Know that black carbon (soot) is a significant contributor to climate change, and know the key sources of soot.
 Be able to define positive and negative feedback loops. Be able to give several examples of possible positive and
negative feedback loops. What factors affect whether cloud formation and particulates in the atmosphere will
create a positive or negative feedback?
 Understand the difference between temperature and heat. Know where most of the excess heat due to
greenhouse gases is stored on Earth.
 Know what the IPCC is and what their findings are.
Consequences of Climate Change:
 Understand and be able to explain several possible consequences of global warming. Understand why global
warming might cause these things to happen and what the implications are for humans and other species on
Earth. For each of these consequences, how much data do we already have in support of the consequence?
 Melting of arctic/Antarctic ice, mountain glaciers, and permafrost; possible shifting of ocean currents; increased
ocean acidity; loss of coral reefs; sea level rise; more intense storms and forest fires; increase in droughts; food
and water shortages; more spread of infectious diseases; destabilization of some countries; shifting of habitat
and crop belts; loss of biodiversity; changes in the jet stream…
 Know what latent heat is and how it impacts climate change.
 Know examples of areas particularly vulnerable to water shortages due to decreased snow cover in mountains.
 Know that potential sea level rising is due to expansion of water due to increased temperature and melting of
ice on landmasses (not due to the melting of icebergs). Know examples of countries/states particularly
vulnerable to flooding due to sea levels rising. Know how sea level change might impact coastal town and
ecosystems, and what governments can do to protect their coastal cities.
 Know the primary reasons why species might be at risk of extinction from climate change.
 Know the projections for future CO2 levels, temperature increase, and sea level change.
 Know the basic history of the Kyoto Protocol. When did the initial summit occur? What are the basic provisions
of the treaty? What rationale did our government have for not ratifying the treaty?
 Know that in 2009 the EPA declared carbon dioxide and 5 other greenhouse gases to be air pollutants. Know the
agreements that came from the COP15 Summit in Copenhagen. Know the basics of the Obama Energy Plan.
 Name strategies for reducing the anthropogenic sources of the key greenhouse gases, including policy options
for governments. Be able to define the “cap and trade” approach for controlling carbon dioxide emissions (or
other pollutants). Define carbon sequestration. What limitations /risk are there to any carbon sequestration
technology that may be developed?
 Know several ways to reduce carbon emissions at global, national, state, city, company, and personal levels.
Climate Change Math: Be able to solve climate change math-based problems and analyze the answers.