9B Global Climate Change

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

LESSON B: CLIMATE CHANGE

LEARNING TARGETS

• I CAN EXPLAIN WHY EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE IS LIKE THE GLASS IN A GREENHOUSE.

• I CAN EXPLAIN WHY CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE IS INCREASING.

• I CAN IDENTIFY POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE INCREASE IN AVERAGE GLOBAL

TEMPERATURE.

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE FACTORS

ATMOSPHERE

• EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE IS LIKE THE GLASS IN A GREENHOUSE BECAUSE LIKE THE GLASS

IT TRAPS THE HIGH-ENERGY WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT AS THEY ENTER THE
ATMOSPHERE. THE ENERGY THEN GETS ABSORBED BY EARTH’S SURFACE AND SOME
RADIATES BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, WHERE IT MAY ESCAPE INTO SPACE.

GREENHOUSE GASSES

•

• THE OCEANS CONTAIN MORE CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) THAN THE ATMOSPHERE AND

THEY CAN ALSO ABSORB CO2 FROM THE ATMOSPHERE.

• WHEN THE CO2 IS IN THE OCEANS IT DOES NOT TRAP HEAT AS IT DOES WHEN IT IS IN

THE ATMOSPHERE.

• IF CO2 LEAVES THE OCEANS AND MOVES BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE THIS CAN

CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS A WARMER CLIMATE.

• CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS ARE RISING PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF POWER PLANTS THAT

BURN COAL, CARS THAT BURN GASOLINE, AND DEFORESTATION.

• METHANE SOURCES ARE ANIMAL WASTE, BIOMASS BURNING, FOSSIL FUELS, LANDFILLS,

LIVESTOCK, RICE PADDIES, SEWAGE, AND WETLANDS.

• SOURCES OF NITROUS OXIDE ARE BIOMASS BURNING, DEFORESTATION, BURNING OF

FOSSIL FUELS, AND MICROBIAL ACTIVITY ON FERTILIZERS IN THE SOIL.

• SOURCES OF WATER VAPOR ARE EVAPORATION AND PLANT TRANSPIRATION.

ALTHOUGH WATER VAPOR IS THE MOST ABUNDANT GREENHOUSE GAS, IT DOES
NOT CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL WARMING BECAUSE IT IS SHORT-LIVED IN THE
ATMOSPHERE AS IT TRAVELS THROUGH THE WATER CYCLE.

Multiple Choice

Greenhouse gasses trap ____ _____ in the atmosphere. making the climate warmer.

• carbon dioxide
• oxygen
• nitrogen
• solar radiation

Multiple Choice

_____ are the main source of CO₂ realeased into the atmosphere.

• Deforestation
• Industrial emissions
• Ocean acidification
• Fossil fuels

Multiple Choice

_____ makes the greatest contribution to the greenhouse effect.

• Nitrous oxide (N2O)
• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Water Vapor

• Oxygen (O2)

Multiple Choice

Which contains more CO₂ , The ocean or the atmosphere ?

• The ocean
• The atmosphere

Multiple Select

Which of these are factors of climate change ?

• CO₂ Levels

• Methane Levels

• Nitrous Oxide Levels

• Water Vapor Levels

Multiple Choice

what is NOT a source of methane ?

• Landfills

• Burning fossil fuels
• Livestock

• Sewage

Multiple Choice

Does water Vapor contribute to global warming ?

• No
• Yes

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE

CHANGE

• SUN’S INTENSITY, VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS, AND CHANGES IN NATURALLY OCCURRING GREENHOUSE GAS

CONCENTRATIONS.

• BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS LIKE COAL, OIL, AND GAS FOR ELECTRICITY, HEAT, AND TRANSPORTATION IS THE PRIMARY

SOURCE OF HUMAN-GENERATED EMISSIONS.

• DEFORESTATION, WHICH RELEASES CARBON INTO THE AIR. LOGGING, CLEAR-CUTTING, FIRES, AND OTHER FORMS OF

FOREST DEGRADATION CONTRIBUTE UP TO 20 PERCENT OF GLOBAL CARBON EMISSIONS.

• FERTILIZER USE (A PRIMARY SOURCE OF NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS), LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION (CATTLE, BUFFALO, SHEEP,

AND GOATS ARE MAJOR METHANE EMITTERS), AND CERTAIN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES THAT RELEASE FLUORINATED
GASSES.

• AGRICULTURE AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION CAN CHANGE THE REFLECTIVITY OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE, LEADING TO

LOCAL WARMING OR COOLING.

• GLOBAL WARMINGIS THE GRADUAL INCREASE IN THE EARTH;S SURFACE TEMPERATURE DURING THE 20TH CENTURY.

BECAUSE THE RISE IN TEMPERATURE CORRELATES TO THE INCREASE IN GREENHOUSE GASSES, MOST SCIENTISTS
CONCLUDE THIS IS THE MAIN CAUSE. THOUSANDS OF EXPERIMENTS AND COMPUTER MODELS SUPPORT THIS
HYPOTHESIS.

Multiple Choice

______ IS THE GRADUAL INCREASE IN THE EARTH'S SURFACE TEMPERATURE DURING THE 20TH CENTURY.

• Climate change
• Global warming
• Temperature decrease
• Global cooling