Climate Change Data

Climate Change Data

Multiple Choice

What is climate?

• What's happening in space at a time and place.

• What's happening in our atmosphere at a time and place

• The average weather over many years

• The average temperature over many years.

Multiple Choice

The two main factors that determine the climate of a region are _____________ and ______________.

• altitude and pressure

• pressure and temperature

• temperature and precipitation

• altitude and pressure

What is Climate?

When we talk about climate, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the temperature in an area. Africa typically has a high temperature and therefore, we think of it as having a hot climate. Antarctica is usually cold so it has a cold climate. Climate is an area’s average weather, including temperature, precipitation (rain, snow, etc.), humidity, wind and even seasons. The problem we face now is human-made climate change. What we are doing is changing our climate much faster than Nature intended and that's what’s causing the problems.

Climate Data

We are about to look Earth’s global average surface temperature from 1880 - 2020. But before we do that we should understand some key vocabulary and how to read the visual data.

Open Ended

What does "Earth's average surface temperature" mean?

Multiple Choice

According to this picture what color represents the highest increase in average surface temperatures?

• Red

• Yellow

• Blue

• White

Open Ended

After looking at NASA's data on Earth's average surface temperature from 1880 to 2020, comment on 2 - 3 things that you noticed.

Multiple Choice

According to that data from NASA, has the Earth's average surface temperature been increasing or decreasing?

• Yes

• No

More Evidence

Greenland Ice Sheet

A large part of Greenland is covered by an ice sheet.

Greenland has been losing large amounts of ice into the sea

Volume of ice lost could fill rafts the size of 14 states 3 feet thick!!

Greenland Ice Sheet

Earth's warming climate causes the ice sheet to melt at a rapidly accelerating rate.

This melting ice enters ocean, causes rising global sea levels.

Rising Sea levels causes flooding and other damage to coastal communities.

(photo: Oct. 2018)

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Greenland's Spalte Glacier Disintegrates

Aug. 16, 1986 - July 24, 2020

What changes do you notice happening in the glacier between 1986 and 2020. Enter your response after comparing the pictures on the next 3 slides.

Images of Change - Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet (nasa.gov)

Open Ended

After looking at the photos of Greenlands Spalte Glacier between 1986 and 2020, comment on 2 - 3 things that you noticed.

Be prepared to ask some questions after watching the video!!!

Open Ended

What were some things you noticed in the last video?

Open Ended

We have seen evidence that Earth's average temperature is increasing and in fact the globe as a whole is getting warmer. After watching the last video what are some questions you have or some questions you could ask to find out more about what is causing these rising temperatures?

Open Ended

Are global temperatures actually rising, if so why?