6.2 Climate Change Causes & Impacts (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS): HL): Flashcards

The natural greenhouse effect is necessary for maintaining a habitable climate on Earth.

In climate science, anthropogenic means caused or influenced by human activities, especially in relation to greenhouse gas emissions.

Since the 1950s, the rate of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions has significantly accelerated.

The main source is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas for energy and industry.

True.

A growing population increases the demand for energy and resources, leading to further acceleration of carbon dioxide emissions.

Global warming is the increase in average global temperatures due to the enhanced greenhouse effect caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Thermometers show an overall upward trend in average global temperatures since the mid-1800s, coinciding with increased fossil fuel burning.

Ice cores trap air bubbles from ancient atmospheres, allowing scientists to measure past carbon dioxide levels and understand historical climate patterns.

Tree rings grow with varying widths based on climate; thicker rings indicate warmer, favourable conditions, while thinner rings indicate cooler conditions.

Modern atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is above 400 parts per million (ppm), which is the highest in Earth's history.

A feedback loop is a process where a change in a system causes further changes, which can either amplify (positive feedback) or reduce (negative feedback) the original effect.

False.

A positive feedback loop amplifies changes and can lead to more extreme conditions, not stabilisation.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides comprehensive scientific assessments on climate change based on the latest research.

Coral bleaching is when corals lose their colour and main food source due to expelling algae from their tissues, often caused by increased sea temperatures.

Coral bleaching can cause a loss of biodiversity as fish and other marine species lose their habitat.

Coral reefs depend on zooxanthellae to provide them with food through photosynthesis.

Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically due to drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

The Sahel region in Africa is affected by desertification, which leads to loss of arable land and reduced productivity.

Prolonged droughts and higher temperatures are major causes of desertification.

Melting ice increases freshwater input into oceans, disrupting currents and circulation patterns.

Sea-level rise is caused by melting ice caps and thermal expansion of seawater due to higher temperatures.

Sea-level rise can cause coastal flooding and erosion, leading to loss of habitats for species in mangroves and salt marshes.

A biome shift is when an ecosystem changes its location or type due to altered climatic conditions, such as temperature or precipitation changes.

In North America, temperate forests are moving northward, replacing boreal forests as the climate warms.

High biodiversity increases ecosystem resilience by providing a variety of species that can adapt to changes.

Habitat fragmentation isolates species and splits populations, reducing their ability to adapt to changes and recover from disturbances.

Melting polar ice caps can fragment the habitats of polar bear and penguin species, affecting their ability to hunt and reproduce.

True.

For example, warmer temperatures can extend growing seasons in northern regions but harm crops in tropical regions.

An individual perspective on climate change is shaped by a person's own experiences, awareness, and level of concern.

Personal experiences, such as noticing changes in weather patterns or health impacts, can make individuals more aware and concerned about climate change.

Individuals can help mitigate climate change by reducing their carbon footprint, for example by using public transport or reducing energy consumption.

Parents concerned about their children's health, such as asthma from urban pollution, may be more motivated to support climate action and policies.

A societal perspective on climate change includes the influence of government policies, community actions, and cultural values on how societies respond to climate challenges.

Government policies can set targets, regulations, and provide resources for mitigating and adapting to climate change, shaping how societies respond.

Indigenous communities may use traditional ecological knowledge to adapt to climate change, such as adjusting agricultural practices based on seasonal changes observed over generations.

Local community initiatives, such as urban gardens, can increase resilience, improve food security, and reduce heat island effects in cities.

Resilience is a society's ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from climate change impacts.

Climate change impacts health, water supply, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Heatwaves caused by climate change are especially dangerous for the young and elderly.

Warmer temperatures from climate change can expand habitats for disease-carrying insects, spreading vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue.

Adaptive capacity is the ability of a region or society to adjust to climate change impacts, reduce vulnerability, and recover quickly.

False.

Societies differ in resilience due to factors like economic stability, access to resources, and social equity.

Climate monitoring is the ongoing process of collecting climate data from various sources to understand and track changes in the Earth's climate over time.

Climate data is collected from weather stations, observatories, radar, and satellites.

Weather stations measure local temperature, humidity, and wind to collect climate data.

A direct measurement is data gathered using instruments that physically collect information on-site or in real-time, such as measuring temperature or greenhouse gas concentrations.

An indirect measurement (proxy) is information about past climate conditions obtained by examining natural recorders, such as ice cores, tree rings, or preserved pollen, instead of direct instrument readings.

Ice cores contain trapped gas bubbles that reveal past greenhouse gas concentrations and temperatures.

True.

Both direct and indirect measurements provide essential data for creating climate models and making accurate predictions about future climate changes.

The study of tree rings, or dendrochronology, helps scientists infer past climate conditions.

A climate model is a highly complex mathematical tool that simulates Earth’s climate systems to predict future climate conditions.

Hindcasting is a technique where climate models are run backwards in time from the present to compare modelled past data with actual recorded data, helping test the model’s reliability.

Climate models use complex equations to represent interactions within Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, land, and ice.

Two common inputs to climate models are greenhouse gas concentrations and solar radiation levels.

The water cycle processes, such as evaporation and precipitation, are included in climate models.

Thermal expansion is the increase in volume of water as it warms, contributing to sea-level rise.

One key limitation of climate models is that they rely on imperfect or limited input data, which introduces uncertainty into their predictions.

Climate models predict that some regions will become wetter and experience more intense rainfall, while other regions may become drier, leading to drought conditions.

Climate models often give a range of possible temperature rises by the end of the century.

False.

Different climate models produce a range of possible outcomes for sea-level rise, depending on their inputs and assumptions.

Some models predict that global temperatures could rise between 1.5°C and 4°C by 2100, depending on emissions.

Climate models provide a range of predictions because there are uncertainties in input data and the complexity of natural processes, leading to multiple possible future outcomes.

A climate threshold is a point at which small changes in climate conditions can lead to significant and potentially rapid shifts in the Earth's systems.

When a climate threshold is crossed, a new climate equilibrium may be established, often with rapid and difficult-to-reverse changes.

Critical thresholds in climate systems are often called tipping points.

False.

Once a critical climate threshold is crossed, the change can be rapid and difficult to reverse.

A positive feedback loop is a process where an initial change causes effects that amplify the original change, pushing the system further from its previous state.

Reaching a global tipping point can lead to unpredictable and potentially catastrophic impacts, including rapid and irreversible changes in the climate system.

Melting of the Antarctic ice sheet reduces Earth's albedo, leading to more heat absorption.

Slowing of the AMOC disrupts the global flow of heat and nutrients, affecting climate patterns especially in Europe and North America, and can lead to harsher winters.

Deforestation and warming are causing the Amazon rainforest to transition toward a Cerrado-like ecosystem, reducing its carbon storage.

A local tipping point refers to a climate-related threshold within a specific ecosystem or region, where crossing it causes significant and rapid local environmental changes.

Coral reef bleaching occurs when increased ocean temperatures cause corals to expel their symbiotic algae, making corals struggle to survive and leading to widespread reef death. This reduces local marine biodiversity.

Tipping cascades occur when one climate tipping point makes others more likely to be crossed, increasing uncertainty and potentially accelerating the pace and scale of climate change.

Tipping points can be biotic (involving living organisms) or abiotic (involving non-living components).

Climate justice is the recognition that ethical responsibility for climate change and its impacts should be distributed fairly, especially considering that some countries are more responsible for emissions while others are more vulnerable.

Emissions per capita refer to the average amount of greenhouse gases emitted per person in a country or region.

The biggest current emitters are China, India and the USA.

Historical greenhouse gas emissions are highest in the USA and the European Union.

Climate vulnerability refers to how much countries or regions are affected by the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, or food security threats.

Countries with the least responsibility for climate change are often the most vulnerable to its effects.

Vulnerability to climate change is mainly influenced by a country’s geographical location and economic capacity to adapt.

True.

Developed countries usually have higher per capita emissions than developing countries.

Small island nations like the Maldives and Kiribati are highly vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Responsibility for climate change is difficult to assign because it depends on both current greenhouse gas emission rates and historical cumulative emissions.

Climate reparations are financial contributions from wealthier nations to help developing countries adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change they did not cause.

Developed countries are generally considered more responsible for addressing climate change because of their historical emissions and greater economic resources.

Equity in climate change means a fair distribution of the costs and benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation.