Climates on Earth + Recent Climate Change

Average temperatures on Earth have been decreasing for the past 100 years.

Temperature change has been steady (stay constant) throughout the past 100 years.

The rise in Earth’s average temperature during the past 100 years is often known as what?

Global warming, is due to __________ activities.

Activities include burning fossil fuels and the large-scale cutting and burning of forests, releasing what type of gases in the atmosphere?

Gases in the atmosphere that absorb Earth’s outgoing infrared radiation are greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases help keep temperatures on Earth cool enough for living things to survive.

Recently, global temperatures and carbon dioxide, CO2, concentration in the atmosphere have both decreased.

Higher levels of greenhouse gases, like CO2, create less greenhouse effect.

Deforestation happened when cutting and/or burning down 1 tree in the forest.

Deforestation does not affect global climate.

The amount of solar energy per unit of Earth’s surface area depends on longitude.

Earth’s curved surface causes latitudes closer to the equator to receive more direct sunlight than latitudes farther north or south.

Latitudes near the poles receive more solar energy and have higher average temperatures.

Latitudes near the equator tend to have warmer climates than higher latitudes.

Mountains do not influence climate because they do not act as a barrier to prevailing winds.

An area of low rainfall on the downwind slope of a mountain is called a rain shadow.

Specific heat is the amount of thermal energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of material by 2°C.

Ocean currents modify (affect) climate.

The Gulf Stream brings cooler temperatures to portions of the United States and Europe.

A city’s roads and buildings do not absorb solar radiation.

Cities are often cooler than the surrounding area.

Aerosols do not reflect sunlight back into space.

Melting glaciers and polar ice sheets can cause sea levels to rise and coastal ecosystems to be disrupted.

Permanently higher temperatures and other ecosystem changes will not affect migration patterns of insects, birds, fish, and mammals.

Increasing populations can affect climate change.