Wake Acceleration Academy Earth & Environmental Science: Semester B Note Guide Unit 2: Earth s Changing Climate

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1 1 Wake Acceleration Academy Earth & Environmental Science: Semester B Note Guide Unit 2: Earth s Changing Extra Resources Website: Module 1: The Mechanics of Change 1. What is the difference between climate and weather? Vocabulary Word Definition Change 2. Because of Earth s tilt, the Sun s rays hit Earth at different angles. These angles affect the climate of each region of Earth, creating different climate zones. What are two other factors that influence climate? Tropical 3. There are two types of tropical climates: tropical wet and tropical wet and dry. Where do tropical climates mostly occur on the Earth? Dry Temperate Moderate Continental Polar

2 4. Using the information in the table below, answer the following two questions: a. Which type of climate experiences the most rain fall each year? b. Which type of climate experiences the least rain fall each year? Tropical Moderate Dry Yearly Rainfall (millimeters, mm) Over 200mm Between 50 and 200mm Less than 50mm Microclimates 5. Using the information from slides 18 19, complete the following summary table on microclimates Factor Temperature: Cool or Warm? Explanation as to why temperature is this way? High Altitude The air pressure at the top of a mountain is lower than the Low Altitude air pressure at its base. Cities (Urban Areas) Rural (Farm Areas) Forests Country Warm Cool Roads and buildings absorb the Sun s radiation. Heat Islands 6. Slide 22, Part C: Since carbon dioxide, CO 2, is a greenhouse gas, what does the lower CO 2 level in the past say about our current climate? Ice Ages Interglacial Periods 2

3 Short-Term Cycles Monsoon 7. Where do monsoons predominately occur? Drought Heat Wave Cold Wave El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) 8. Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) in the Atmosphere. Complete the table by using information found on slides Fill in the blank (from slide 34): Through the process of, plants absorb CO 2 for respiration and for preparation of food. When animals consume the, they absorb that carbon. When animals and plants they return the to the atmosphere. Natural processes that release carbon dioxide Diagram of the Carbon Cycle Human activities that release carbon dioxide CO 2 is an example of what type of gas? (Slide #36) 10. Humans are releasing more CO 2 into the atmosphere than can naturally be consumed. What is the result on Earth s global temperature? 11. Use the video clip on slide # 45 to answer the following questions: -Where are wind storms called hurricanes? -Where are wind storms called typhoons? -Where are wind storms called cyclones? 3

4 Module 2: Evidence of a Changing Vocabulary Word Change Definition 1. Scientists noted that the average global temperature rose with the increase in what type of activity? What type of gas is released from this activity? Greenhouse Gas 2. What are four human activities that cause an increase in carbon dioxide gas? Fossil Fuels 3. Why are scientists developing alternative, eco-friendly sources of electricity? 4. Lesson Activity (Slide 18): Graph reading is a valuable skill in science Use the space below to record any findings and comments you have about how to interpret graphs. 5. What is an example of one natural cause of increased carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere? 6. Greenhouse gases trap solar radiation and warm up the atmosphere. As a result, ocean water evaporates quickly. Does this increase or decrease the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere? 7. Methane (CH 4 ) is generated by human activities and natural processes in the environment. When do animals release methane? 8. What is the biggest source of methane in nature? wetlands 4

5 mineralization 9. What type of products have Fluorinated gases (F-gases) known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)? 10. Why are F-gases the most dangerous? 11. According to NSIDC, what is happening to the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean? 12. When glaciers melt what happens to the amount of water in the world s oceans? 13. How are coast lines affected by the rise in sea levels? Two consequences of climate change could be storms and droughts that are more intense and destructive and that happen more often. drought 14. Why would snowfall increase if the average global temperature is increasing? Part of the increased drought risk has to do with surface runoff. surface runoff Mastery Test Hints Several of your mastery questions let you pick more than one answer. If the answer choices have boxes instead of circles then you can choose more than one answer. 5

6 Module 3: Confronting Change 1. After a lot of research, scientists have concluded that the increasing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) level in Earth s atmosphere is the main cause of what? Vocabulary Word Change Definition 2. Why are greenhouse gases needed to support life on Earth? 3. To control climate change, what is the first step? 4. Does burning fossil fuel turning on a light, driving a car, powering a factory release or reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? CO 2 in the atmosphere dissolves in ocean water, making it acidic. We measure the acidic and basic nature of a substance using the ph scale. ph Scale Ocean acidification Controlling CO 2 in the Atmosphere 5. Conservation means protecting trees and forests. How does conservation affect the level of CO 2? 6. Reforestation means planting new trees in areas where they have been cut down or destroyed by fire. Why do you think people perform reforestation? 7. What are five examples of how we can reduce CO 2 emissions? Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) 8. Why do factories use CO 2 scrubbers? 9. CO 2 emitted from burning fossil fuels can be captured and stored in places where the gases will not leak into the atmosphere. Where are these storage locations usually found? 6

7 10. Extra Information! Not in Tutorial: To be carbon neutral means that for every kilogram of carbon dioxide produced a counter measure is taken to absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide. For example: A furniture factory emits 240 kilograms of CO 2 to produce 1,000 chairs. A fully grown tree removes six kilograms of CO 2 per day from the air. One acre of land can support 200 mature trees. A company builds a factory that will produce 100,000 chairs. To make the factory carbon neutral, the owners need to grow? trees over an area of land measuring? acres. *First determine the amount of CO 2 that the factory emits: cross multiply, x = 24,000 kg CO kg CO 2 1,000 chairs = x kg CO 2 100,000 chairs *Next, determine the number of trees needed to remove 20,000 kg of CO 2. The question said one tree can remove 6 kg. 24,000 6 = 4,000 trees *Finally, determine the number of acres this would require. The question said there are 200 trees on 1 acres. 4, = 20 acres A company builds a factory that will produce 100,000 chairs. To make the factory carbon neutral, the owners need to grow 4,000 trees over an area of land measuring 20 acres. One of the primary ways we can reduce CO 2 levels is by finding clean sources of energy. Clean sources of energy are natural resources that are renewable, such as solar energy and energy from wind and water. Solar Energy Hydroelectric Power Wind Energy 11. How do nuclear power plants generate energy? Geothermal Energy 12. How does geothermal energy generate energy? Biomass Landfill 13. How can recycling and creating less garbage help the planet? 14. How can composting help the planet? Carbon Footprint Ecologist 7