All Flashcards
How does ice core analysis work?
Snow compacts into ice, trapping atmospheric gases. Bubbles reveal past CO2, methane, and pollutant levels. Deeper ice equals older samples.
Explain the positive feedback loop of melting ice.
Rising temperatures melt ice/snow, reducing reflective surfaces. More solar radiation is absorbed, leading to faster warming, which causes more melting.
What is the significance of ice core data?
Provides historical records of atmospheric gases (CO2, methane) and temperatures, helping us understand past climate conditions and predict future changes.
Explain natural heat distribution.
The process by which warm air and water move from the equator towards the poles, while cool air and water return to the equator, driven by atmospheric and oceanic circulation.
What is the role of the poles in climate change?
They act as sensitive indicators of climate change, with melting ice triggering positive feedback loops that accelerate warming globally.
Describe the greenhouse effect.
The trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface.
What are the effects of melting ice and snow?
Habitat loss for polar animals, thawing permafrost releases methane, rising sea levels cause coastal flooding, and disruption of marine ecosystems.
What is the effect of rising sea levels?
Flooding in coastal areas, loss of coastal habitats, increased erosion, saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources, and displacement of human populations.
What is the effect of thawing permafrost?
Release of methane (a potent greenhouse gas), further accelerating climate change, destabilization of infrastructure built on permafrost, and changes to local ecosystems.