Global Climate Change Chapter Problems

Understanding Climate Graphs

Classwork 1

Use the graph from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to answer the following questions. Graph data is over the time period 1961-1990.

  1. What location is this graph for?
  1. Define the x-axis.
  1. Define the y-axis.
  1. Explain what a daily maximum temperature is.
  1. What do the blue and red colors represent?
  1. What does the black line represent?
  1. Describe the trend in the wavy lines.
  1. Describe the trend in the black line.
  1. Which line(s) represents weather? How about climate?
  1. Are the line(s) that represent weather related to the line(s) that represent climate? If so, how?

Weather and Climate in Your City

Homework 1

Answer all questions. Use the graphs from NOAA that your teacher has provided you to answer questions #2-5.

  1. Use the internet, newspaper or television to obtain today’s date, maximum temperature, minimum temperature and amount of precipitation. Be sure to include units such as degrees Fahrenheit, inches, etc.). Also write down the source of your data.

Date:______

Maximum temperature: ______

Minimum temperature: ______

Precipitation: ______

Data obtained from:______

  1. Locate today’s date on the climate graphs provided. How do your observations compare with the climate data?

Today’s maximum temperature versus climate data:

Today’s minimum temperature versus climate data:

Today’s precipitation versus climate data:

  1. Do you feel that today’s weather is a reflection of the climate system in your area? Explain.
  1. Do any of today’s weather observations exceed the extreme values (wavy lines) on your climate graphs? If so, which observation?
  1. If a daily weather observation is significantly higher or lower than the climate average, does this indicate that the climate is changing in your area?

Weather or Climate?

Classwork 2

Warmup: Describe the difference between weather and climate:

______

Directions: Read each statement and decide whether or not it represents weather, climate or both. Write ‘W’ for weather, ‘C’ for climate and ‘B’ for both.

  1. Hawaii is a wet state.
  2. Today is really windy.
  3. Every February, it snows.
  4. It is supposed to be clear and sunny tomorrow
  5. The lowest recorded temperature of all time was -129 degrees Fahrenheit in Antarctica.
  6. Most of Arabia is dry and warm.
  7. The hottest year on record was 1979.
  8. Last year on this day, it rained.
  9. Hawaii is much warmer than Alaska.
  10. Today is much warmer than usual.

The Greenhouse Effect

Homework 2

Part I: Fill in the blanks in the story that explains how the greenhouse effect on Earth works.

The greenhouse effect on Earth starts with input from the ______in the form of solar radiation. Solar radiation consists of ______waves and ______waves and is often referred to as shortwave radiation. When the energy from these waves reach Earth’s atmosphere, it is either ______or ______. The amount of reflectivity from Earth’s surface or ______depends on the surface itself because some surfaces like ice reflect more solar radiation. Lighter colored surfaces will have a ______reflectivity than darker colored surfaces.

The solar radiation that is absorbed by the land and the atmosphere is converted into ______radiation, which is then emitted outwards. Some of this emitted radiation from Earth leaves the atmosphere and goes directly to ______while some is absorbed by clouds. Most of it, however is absorbed and re-emitted by greenhouse gases such as ______or ______This re-emission of longwave radiation by greenhouse gases is what helps to keep our planet ______.

Part II When you’re finished, draw a model on the back representing the greenhouse effect. Be sure to include what happens to both the shortwave radiation from the sun and the longwave radiation emitted from the Earth. Add details and labels and even color if you want!

Global Climate Change Concept Map

Activity Name ______

Directions: Create a concept map that shows how the following terms are connected. A concept map starts with one word or concept that links to other related words or concepts. The link includes a phrase that relates the two concepts or terms. You will use ovals around each concept/term and link them together with arrows.

Include the following terms on your concept map. An example of the first two terms in the first set of terms is given. As you concept map gets larger, feel free to tape or paste pages together.

Chunk 1
Climate
Weather
Atmosphere
Solar Radiation
Albedo
Greenhouse Effect
Longwave Radiation
Shortwave Radiation
Temperature / Chunk 2
Anthropogenic Climate Change
Fossil Fuels
Greenhouse Gases
Solar Radiation
Temperature
Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
Transportation
Agriculture
Chunk 3
Natural Climate Change
Solar Variations
Sunspots
Milankovitch Cycle
Tilt
Precession
Orbit
Volcanoes
Temperature / Chunk 4
Rising Temperatures
Sea Level
Oceans
Ice caps
Glaciers
Tropical storms
Precipitation
Drought
Heat waves
Wild fires
Habitats
Human health

Is the long term average of

Is Global Climate Change Occurring?

Classwork 3

Warmup: Explain why observing a single abnormally hot or cold day does NOT signifiy climate change. What else is needed in order to claim that the climate is changing?

______

Directions:Examine each of the graphs on the board and use them to answer the following questions.

  1. In your own words, describe what the first graph is showing about the global temperatures. What trend is the data showing?
  1. How does graph 2 compare to graph 1?
  1. Is the trend in graph 1 evident in graph 2?
  1. By looking at these two graphs, would you conclude that climate is changing? Why or why not?
  1. What is the general trend in graph 3 and what does this mean about carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
  1. How does graph 4 compare to graph 3? Is there any connection between the two graphs.
  1. Based on what you have seen in these graphs, do you think there is a connection between global climate change and greenhouse gases? Explain this connection.

Anthropogenic Sources of Greenhouse Gases

Classwork 4

An enhanced greenhouse effect on Earth can occur when greenhouse gases increase. In this activity you will learn more about each of the greenhouse gases that humans put into the atmosphere resulting in anthropogenic climate change.

Directions: Read the information on the following webpage in order to complete this sheet. Be sure to click on the pie chart to read about each type of greenhouse gas.

Greenhouse Gas / Examples of Sources / Atmospheric Life Span / % contribution to global climate change
Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Other gases
Nitrous Oxide
Fluorinated Gases
  1. Which greenhouse gas is responsible for most of the global warming the planet experiences? The least?
  1. Is water vapor a greenhouse gas?
  1. Explain the role of water vapor in a global warming positive feedback loop scenario.
  1. Rank the top four activities in the US that releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with the activity that releases the most listed first.
  1. Explain why climate change requires global action.
  1. By about how much (in million metric tons) has the concentration of carbon dioxide changed from 1990 to 2005?

Do you contribute to global climate change?

Homework 4

Review: Write down the four major greenhouse gases that contribute most to global climate change from largest contributor to smallest contributor (omit “other gases like CFCs” for this assignment). Beside each greenhouse gas, list a few examples of the man made sources of the gas.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Think about your day today--from the moment you got up to the moment you sat down to work on this assignment. In the left hand column write down things that you did during the day even if you think it is insignificant (for example: got dressed for school, watched an hour of tv after school). Come up with at least 10 different things.

Next, in the right hand column write down which greenhouse gas each of your entries most likely contributed to and why. Try to come up with more than one greenhouse gas for each entry and be sure to provide a justification for each gas listed. An example is given.

Today I… / Which most likely contributed to…
Ex. Ate breakfast / Carbon dioxide- It took electricity to warm up my toast. It took gas for the trucks to transport my food from the farm to the store.
Nitrous Oxide- Fertilizer was probably used to grow the strawberries I ate.
Flourinated gases- the refrigerator kept my orange juice cold.

Manmade or Natural Climate Change: Which is more important?

Classwork 5

Directions:

  1. Using the attached graphs, see if you and your group members can find meaningful relationships between global temperature and
  • Man made sources of climate change
  • Natural sources of climate change (solar variations, aerosols from volcanoes)

Keep in mind that each graph shows something different. The time period for each graph may also be different.

  1. After analyzing all the graphs, make a decision as to whether or not your group thinks the major cause of Earth’s global climate change (temperature change) is primarily man made, natural or both. If your group decides that both play a role, do you think both influence climate change by the same amount? Your group must have logical justifications for how you came to your decision that are based on the data presented here.
  2. Finally, discuss additional data that you might want to collect that may help strengthen your decision or perhaps change it.

grade PSIGlobal Climate Change

Image from earthobservatory.nasa.gov

This graph shows the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere due to volcanic eruptions in blue and the global temperature anomalies in red from about 1850 to 2000.

Image from epa.gov

This graphs shows the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 1900 to 2000.

grade PSIGlobal Climate Change

image from windows2universe.org

This graph shows the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from about 1750-2000. Measurements before 1950 were made using ice core techniques.

This graph shows three different variables between about 1855 to about 2010.

The red lines show the global temperature. The spiky line represents true observations while the darker smooth line is an average and shows the trend.

The blue line represents the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The yellow lines represent the number of sunspots. The spiky line represents true observations while the darker smooth line is an average and shows the trend.

image from windows2universe.org

This graph shows the emissions of different fossil fuels from about 18800 to 2000.

image from windows2universe.org

This graph shows the global temperature from about 1850 to 2005. The black line represents the yearly average and the smooth red line shows the trend.

This graph shows the global temperature in blue. The spiky line represents raw or true data while the darker line is an average and shows a trend.

The amount of solar radiation is shown in red. The spiky line represents true observations while the darker smooth line is an average and shows the trend.

Climate Change: Cause and Effect

Classwork 6

Part I: As the class goes over the accompanying slides, fill in your own notes in the left hand column for each indicator of climate change. Jot down the reason(s) for why it happens, what it is or any other facts that are new to you. You will work on the right hand column later in groups.

Part II: As a group, use the internet to research the effect that your climate change indicator may have on humans, animals, ecosystems, etc. Here are a few websites to get you started:

Show your teacher your final table.

Part III: Using the information you found in your groups, create a short skit that demonstrates how the global climate change might affect you, your friends and your family. You will present your skit to the class.

Cause / Effect
Higher temperatures:
Warmer Oceans:
Melting Sea Ice:
Melting Glaciers:
Rising Sea Level:
Increased tropical storms/hurricanes:
Changes in Precipitation Patterns:
Drought:
Heat Waves:
Wild Fires:

Adaptation Strategies

Classwork 7

Directions: On a large piece of butcher paper, draw the following table. The table should take up the entire sheet. Each box represents a “sector” in the government that climate change impacts. You will place adaptation strategies in each category. Write down any limitations to the strategies listed. For example, a possible limitation to having people evacuate coastal areas prone to flooding is that not everyone can afford to move.

Ecosystems / Agriculture
HumanHealth / Water Supply
Coastal Lands / Energy

Read the following list of adaptation strategies and decide which sector it best belongs in. Write the adaptation strategy in the sector you choose.

  • Monitor protected natural preserves
  • Assess vulnerability of coastal infrastructure
  • Fix water leaks in buildings
  • Plant different crops that can withstand impacts of climate change
  • Update insulation in older buildings
  • Increase water intake
  • Research heat and drought resistant crops
  • Plant trees in cities to moderate temperature and air quality
  • Modify zoning processes to prevent development in areas vulnerable to sea level rise
  • Strengthen efficiency in building codes
  • Change the time of year when crops are planted
  • Implement water conservation programs
  • Provide information about prevention and control of diseases
  • Breed new plant species
  • Develop natural reserves for a range of habitat types
  • Improve early warning systems of extreme weather
  • Migrate animal and tree species to more suitable climates
  • Adjust clothing to handle temperature
  • Build dikes and other structures to protect from flooding
  • Increase water use efficiency for irrigation
  • Invest in storm and waste water recovery
  • Promoting and improving methods of putting out fires
  • Protect water from contamination
  • Improve groundwater basin management
  • Improve disaster response to flooding
  • Implement a carbon tax or fee on companies that burn excessive fossil fuels

Answer Keys

Understanding Climate Graphs

Answer Key/Teacher Guide

Students may have some confusion about what the graph is showing due to the title of the graph. It is good to walk around and clear up misconceptions as they go or discuss as a class after everyone has had a chance to brainstorm and come up with their own answers.

Go over what daily maximum temperature is if needed by reminding them about diurnal temperature variations. You could even pull up the slide #7 to show the example of high and low temperature forecasts (in the ‘day to day’ image). Tell them that daily max temperatures usually occur around the late afternoon after the sun has reached its highest peak. While, daily min temperatures usually occur early in the morning before they even wake up.

Clarify the meaning of daily extremes. Emphasize that this graph looked at daily maximum temperatures over a 30-year period. So for example, to get the extreme lowest daily maximum temperature for June 30 (blue line), scientists compared the maximum temperature on June 30 for 1961, 1962, 1963 and so on until 1990 to find the lowest value. So extreme low values represented by the blue line could come from any year in the time period. Same goes for the red line, except in this case scientists looked for the highest value for each day in the 30 year time period.

Emphasize climate averages versus weather event. The wavy lines have more spikes and dips because it is looking at a single daily event in the 30-year time period. A single daily event represents weather. The thick lines are smoother because it is looking at averages over the 30 year time period and this means it represents climate. Students should note that though the wavy lines represent weather, it is clear that the weather is an expression of the climate since they follow the same overall trend. The climate system determines the weather. As an example zoom in on the current date and discuss the differences between the red, blue and black line for the day. This will help with the homework assigned.

Answer Key

  1. Chicago O’Hare, IL
  2. Days/Month
  3. The daily maximum temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
  4. A daily maximum temperature is the hottest temperature that a location reaches in a 24 hour period.
  5. Blue- this represents the lowest daily maximum temperature ever recorded for each day during the 30 year time period.

Red- this represents the highest daily maximum temperature ever recorded for each day during the 30 year time period.

  1. Black- this represents the average daily maximum temperature over the 30 year time period.
  2. Although there are day to day variations represented by varying spikes, the overall trend is low daily max temperatures starting in January that gradually increase through mid-July and August where they start to decrease again to the temperatures from January.
  3. The black line shows the same trend as the wave lines except it does not have day-to-day variations. The spikes are smoothed out.
  4. Wavy lines look at weather. Smooth black line looks at climate.
  5. They seem to be related because they show the same trend, only one is smoothed (or averaged out).

Weather and Climate in Your City