Questions and Answers
What are thermometers used for?
How far back do ice cores allow us to reconstruct temperatures?
400,000 years
Glaciers and ice sheets are expected to disappear by 2035.
True
Less sea ice was formed in 2014 than in 1975, with a 75% decrease. This indicates warmer ______.
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By how much have sea levels risen in the last 100 years?
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Seasonal changes indicate that plants are starting to grow earlier due to warmer temperatures.
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Study Notes
Thermometers
- Reliable global temperature measurements began in the 1880s.
- The 15 hottest years between 1880 and 2017 were recorded from 1995 to 2017.
Ice Cores
- Ice sheets consist of layers of snow accumulated over thousands of years.
- A 'tube' of ice can be drilled to analyze trapped air bubbles which represent historical temperatures.
- Ice cores can reconstruct temperature data dating back up to 400,000 years.
Melting Ice
- Ice sheets and glaciers are primarily made of compacted snow collected annually.
- Current projections suggest many glaciers and ice sheets could vanish by 2035.
- The retreat of these ice bodies is indicative of global warming trends.
Less Sea Ice
- Sea ice forms from the freezing of seawater during winter and melts in summer.
- There was a significant reduction in sea ice, with 75% less recorded in 2014 compared to 1975.
- This decrease points to warmer winter temperatures and climate change impacts.
Rising Sea Level
- Global sea levels have risen by 10-20 cm in the past century.
- Main causes of sea level rise include:
- Melting glaciers and ice sheets contributing additional water.
- Thermal expansion of water as it warms, increasing overall volume.
Seasonal Changes
- Natural seasonal events, such as flowering trees and migrating birds, now occur earlier each year.
- Milder winter temperatures lead to earlier transitions from winter to spring, facilitating earlier plant growth.
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Description
Explore the foundational concepts of climate change with this quiz on evidence such as thermometers and ice cores. Understand how modern measurements and natural records contribute to our knowledge of global warming. Perfect for GCSE Geography students studying climate issues.
