Historic Climate Change

​Lesson Objectives

​To understand that the earth's temperature fluctuates naturally.

To identify how we measure past climate conditions.

To examine how human activity has started to impact the climate.

Open Ended

Study the 2 photographs.

What are the key differences between the pictures?

Use the links to try to suggest reasons for these differences/changes.

​The world is 4.6 billion years old. This huge amount of time is broken down into 4 eons. The eons are broken down further into eras. Each era has a number of periods, which are divided into epochs.

​The Distant Past

Categorize

Options (9)

• We are currently living in the Cenozoic Era.

• We are currently living in the Pleistocene epoch as part of the Quaternary period.

• The Earth’s temperature naturally fluctuates between hot and cold episodes, even before humans

• The Earth is 66 million years old

• The Cenozoic Era is divided into three periods: Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary.

• The Cenozoic Era follows the Mesozoic Era, which was the Age of Dinosaurs.

• The Pleistocene epoch is characterized by multiple ice ages and the presence of early humans.

• The Quaternary period is the second most recent period in the Cenozoic Era.

• The Quaternary period is characterized by the development of modern humans and their migration across the globe.

Decide if the statements below are true or false.

True

False

Open Ended

How do we know that the Earth's climate has fluctuated? How can we measure past climate?

​Ice Cores

​

A long cylinder of ice extracted from a glacier.

• Undisturbed ice is like a time capsule

• You can look back up to 850,000 years

• The amount and type of oxygen isotope in the ice show what the climate was like

• Carbon and methane also indicate climatic conditions of the past

​

Material that settles on ocean floors. 

• The deeper the sediment the older the material

• Once again, oxygen isotopes can be measured

• Organic remains give an indication of what climatic conditions must have been like

​Ocean Sediments

​Orbital Changes

​

• The Earth’s orbit is not circular, it is ellipse

• The orbit changes every 100,000 years (Milankovitch Cycles)

• The earth is titled in space at 23.5 degrees.

• The tilt changes over time (between 22.1° and 24.5°) due to the moon, which impacts upon the seasons

​Volcanic Activity

​

The release of ash and gas from a volcano

• Volcanic eruptions alter climate in the short term (a few years)

• Sulphate aerosols released by the eruption block sun’s rays

1883 Krakatoa eruption caused global temperatures to decrease by around 2 ℃

Hotspot

Which are correct?

Drag and Drop

Overall, between 1850 and 2000, the concentration of Co2 in the atmosphere

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.




Use evidence from the table to prove this.

In 1850 there were ​

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parts per million in the atmosphere. This steadily increased until 1953 to ​

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Co2 parts per million. Between 1953 and 2000 the concentration of Co2 increased ​

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up to ​

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Co2 parts per million.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

increased significantly

285

310

rapidly

381

decreased slightly

stayed constant

fluctuated greatly

peaked early

doubled

Open Ended

Write your own paragraph describing the changes to temperature between 1850 and 2000. Remember to include specific evidence.

Open Ended

1. Compare the change in Co2 and temperature. Is there a relationship? What evidence proves this? Can you suggest reasons?

Open Ended

Why will increasing levels of carbon dioxide cause problems?

Open Ended

Choose 1 of each colour question to recap your understanding of historic climate change.

​Lesson Objectives

​To understand that the earth's temperature fluctuates naturally.

To identify how we measure past climate conditions.

To examine how human activity has started to impact the climate.

​Homework