Natural Factors and Climate Change

What three things are considered in the Milankovitch cycle?

• Eccentricity, Orbital precession, and mass

• Precession, obliquity, and Tectonic Plate Theory

• Orbital eccentricity, and precession

• Orbital eccentricity, obliquity, and precession

Which term describes the changing shape of the Earth's orbit

• axial tilt

• eccentricity

• obliquity

• precession

What is the difference between weather and climate?

• They are the same

• Weather is day to day, climate is observed over a 30 year period

• Weather is observed over a 30 year period, climate is day to day

• Weather changes, climate does not

Can plate tectonics affect climate?

• Yes, the movement of tectonic plates can cause volcanoes to erupt and affect climate.

• no

• maybe

What is happening to global ice levels right now?

• Global sea ice levels are increasing.

• Global sea ice levels are decreasing.

• Global sea ice levels remain exactly the same.

• We don't have enough information about global sea ice levels at this time to know.

Changes to the angle of Earth's rotational axis can lead to ice ages by

• increasing the solar radiation that is reflected off the poles.

• causing an extreme El Niño effect, reducing temperatures enough to form glaciers.

• reducing the solar radiation that reaches the poles, leading to glacier formation.

• triggering volcanic eruptions that block out the sunlight.

When global temperatures are cooler and sea levels are lower

• there's more land area to reflect solar radiation into space.

• there is an increased amount of green house gases in the atmosphere.

• the ocean conveyor belt stops redistribution energy on earth.

• the El Nino Effect causes more precipitation to fall.

... is an astronomical factor that affects Earth's climate.

• Human activities

• The change of shape to Earth's orbital rotation.

• Volcano eruptions

• Tectonic plate movement

Albedo can best be described as...

• the temperature at the equator
• the amount of solar radiation absorbed
• the amount of solar radiation reflected
• the air pressure during El Nino

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-2

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

How do sunspots affect the Earth?

• Increased temperature, interrupt radio and satellite signals, create Northern Lights
• They don't affect Earth!
• Decreased temperature, better radio signal, and less sunlight.