Investigate Climate Change on NASA s Website

Transcription

1 Name: Date: Class: Investigate Climate Change on NASA s Website Climate Change: How do we know? Go to climate.nasa.gov/evidence 1) Look at the big graph in this section. What is this graph showing? Name what is on the xaxis? What is on the yaxis? If you look at the line for carbon dioxide over the last 650,000 years, was the level of CO2 constant in the atmosphere, or did it fluctuate? In the last 10,000 years, what does the line for the level of CO2 do on the graph? Even though carbon dioxide may have changed naturally over the years, the middle of the graph reads, For 650, 000 years, atmospheric carbon dioxide had been above this Approximately in what year did the level of CO2 go above the line? 2) Read the paragraph under the graph. True or false? The Earth s climate has changed throughout history. The last ice age ended about years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in what? 3) Scientific Consensus Read the paragraph over to the side in the box. Ninety seven percent of climate scientists agree that climatewarming over the past century are very likely due to activities 1

2 Causes and Major Changes in the Way We Live 4) Transportation The Pilgrims had to come to America basically on a sail boat powered by the wind. Now we have cruise ships and air planes. Want to go visit a relative in Massachusetts? That would have taken many days with horse and buggy. Now we have cars that can get you there in a couple hours. Go to google and do an image search for 1765 transportation. What do you see a picture of in the first line of images? Do an image search for 1865 transportation. What do you mostly see pictures of? Do a google image search for 1965 transportation. What do you mostly see images of 100 years later? 5) Food Families used to have to grow all their own food, and now we can just go to the store and buy whatever we want from all around the world. Do a google image search for 1865 food. What do you see pictures of? Do a google image search for 1965 food. What do you see pictures of? In which year do you think food that people ate more likely came from a factory? 6) Clothing People used to harvest animal and plant fibers to spin their own thread to weave their own fabric. Or if they were lucky, they could buy fabric from a weaver, to make their own clothes with. Now you can go to a store and buy whatever clothing you want. Where was that clothing made? What are some steps it may have taken to make your clothes? People own two pairs of an item of clothing. One pair for all week, and one pair for their Sunday best. Could you get by with only 2 pairs of pants? 1 pair of shoes? How many pairs of pants do you own? How many shirts? 2

3 A Blanket Around the Earth We Live in a Greenhouse 7) Go back to the NASA site and click on Causes or go to Look at the picture. What happens to most of the heat/light that is reflected off Earth s surface? Read We live in a greenhouse section. What is the Earth s average temperature? 8) Scroll down. List the five greenhouse gases by name found in Earth s atmosphere.,,,,, 9) Read about each of the greenhouse gases. Choose what gas meets each description and write it on the line: H2O, N2O, CO2, CH4, CFCs Most forceful in driving climate change Acts as feedback to the climate Released into the atmosphere when humans burn fossil fuels Increases the amount of precipitation Contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer, so is highly regulated now More active greenhouse gas than CO2, but found in smaller amounts Humans have released more of this since the industrial revolution Released through respiration and by volcanoes Humans have increased the concentration of this by a third Released from livestock manure Found in fertilizers 10) Continue Reading. Fill in the blanks. On Earth, activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century, the burning of like coal and has increased the concentration of atmospheric. This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines with in the air to make. To a lesser extent, the of land for agriculture, industry, and other activities have concentrations of greenhouse gases. 3

4 11) The consequence of changing the natural atmospheric greenhouse are difficult to predict, but what seems likely? On average, Earth will become. Warmer conditions will probably lead to what? Warmer oceans will partially melt and other ice, increasing the level. 12) Look at the pictures to the right. Which planet does not have enough greenhouse effect? Which planet has had too much greenhouse effect? How much more carbon dioxide does Venus have compared to Earth? 13) The role of human activity: It has been concluded that there is more than a percent probability that human activity over the past 250 years have warmed our planet. Industrial activities that our modern depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from parts per million (ppm) to ppm in the last 150 years. What do you think some of these industrial actives are? 14) Solar irradiance: There are some natural changes in the sun s energy that can affect the climate. A decrease in solar activity likely triggered what between 1650 and 1850? But there is evidence that current global warming cannot be explained by changes in the. What has the sun s energy been like since 1750? If warming were caused by the sun, then scientists would expect to see what in all layers of the atmosphere? What has happened to the temp. in the upper layers? Why have the lower layers warmed? 4

5 Scientific Consensus: Earth s Climate is Warming Up at the top under facts, click Consensus. 15) The graph shows data from how many different places? 16) What does the graph show? Name the xaxis and yaxis as part of the answer. In general, what is the trend of the graph showing? 17) Read the caption beneath the graph. Which decade has been the warmest decade so far? 18) Many studies show that percent (or more) of climate scientists agree that climatewarming trends over the past century are very likely due to activities. 19) Name five of the scientific societies, academies, or government agencies that agree that humans are the main driving force of global warming: The Consequences of Climate Change Up at the top under Facts click Effects 20) Read the caption underneath the three photos. What do firefighters, cracked dirt, and a hurricane have to do with global warming? 21) Read the paragraph below the photo. What are some of the things we have already seen happen from the climate changing? Look at the section to the right called A degree of difference. 22) How much has the Earth s average temperature changed during the 20th century? How does that compare to the average temperatures at the end of the last ice age? 5

6 Scroll down to Future Effects. 23) In this section you see headings for: Change will continue through this century and beyond Temperatures will continue to Frostfree season will Changes in patterns More and will become and more intense Sea level will rise feet by 2100 Arctic will likely become free Under Change will continue through this century and beyond, click to +Expand. Then click on: Climate Time Machine 24) Click on Sea Ice. Move the cursor over to 2014 to see what the Arctic ice over time. What has happened? 25) At the top of the page click the Sea Level picture. Read the section and move your cursor to see what could happen to water levels if the Greenland ice sheet melts completely. Name two major U.S. cities could be under water if that happens? If this happens to the sea level in Florida, what do you think could happen to coastal towns in Maine? Name two Maine towns that could end up under water. 26) At the top of the page click on the Carbon Dioxide picture. Run through the simulation and summarize what you saw. In what year in the simulation where carbon dioxide concentrations the highest? 27) At the top of the page click on the Global Temperatures picture. Move the cursor to run through the simulation. Summarize what is happening to global temperatures as you move towards 2014? Click the back button or go back to Scroll down and +Expand the section: Changes in precipitation patterns 28) Average U.S. precipitation has since 1900, but some areas have had increases greater than the national average, and some areas have had. 6

7 Projections of future climate over the U.S. suggest that the recent trend towards increased heavy precipitation will. 29) Take the Precipitation Quiz located below. (It will open in a separate window/tab) How much of Earth s surface is covered in water? How long does it take a drop of water to travel through the water cycle? Roughly, how much of the sun s energy is absorbed by Earth s surface and water? What is the shape of a raindrop as it falls through the air? How will global warming affect the amount of moisture in the air? What is the only ocean current that can make its way around the entire Earth without hitting land? How many questions did you get right on the quiz? out of 10 30) Go back and scroll down. What does this website say about More droughts and heat waves? Summarize. 31) What does the website say about Hurricanes? Summarize. 32) Scroll down to Sea Level will rise 14 feet by Sea level has risen due to what two factors relating to global warming? In the next several decades, what two things will increase flooding in many regions? 33) Click the +Expand and then click on Earth s vital signs: Sea level. Look at the graph to the right. According to the graph of satellite data, about how much has the sea level risen since 1997? According to the Ground Data graph, how much has the sea level risen from 1870 to 1990? 34) Click the back button. Scroll down to U.S. regional effects. What does it say could happen to the Northeast? 7

8 Conclusion: Close the lap top now and answer these questions based on the information you have already seen and taken notes on in this packet. 35) According to this online investigation what is happening to the levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere? What is this primarily due to? What do you think are some ways as humans that we could help slow down this negative trend? 36) According to this investigation, what is happening to global temperatures? 37) List four ways that global warming can affect the planet: 38) You saw in your investigation that global warming is not just warming of the atmosphere, but it also affects the temperature of the oceans. What are some of the negative affects of the ocean warming? Give at least two examples with explanations of why it is a bad thing. Example 1: Example 2: 39) What information from this investigation did you find the most shocking or disturbing? Why? 40) Think about it: If there is so much data, evidence, and scientific consensus about climate change and global warming, then why is it such a controversial topic? 8