Unit 11

Question 1

The ideal climate classification system would achieve 5 objectives…

Answer 1

 Differentiate between the major types
 Show relationships between different types
 Apply to whole planet
 Framework for further subdivision
 Demonstrate controls for a particular climate

Question 2

First attempt at classifying climate was done by..

Answer 2

Greeks; Divided the Earth into three zones: torrid, temperate, & frigid

Question 3

Alphonse de Candolle

Answer 3

swiss botanist who helped with Kopek system

Question 4

Wladimir P. Koppen

Answer 4

German meteorologist/climatologist

-popular method for classifying; based on vegetation

Question 5

Climate Data

Answer 5

• Earth is 4.6 billion years ago
• Little evidence of early climate
• More information last 2 million years

Question 6

Direct Observations

Answer 6

climate information from instrumentation: dating back to 1850s

Question 7

Paleoclimatology

Answer 7

Reconstruction of past climates through proxy data

Question 8

Proxy data

Answer 8

using historical accounts, tree rings, ice cores, sediment cores, fossils

Question 9

Tree Ring Science

Answer 9

• Good for mid-latitude trees
• The darken part of ring= winter wood; dense and thin because there isn’t much growth
• The lighter part of ring=spring wood; less dense but thicker
• Each ring is one year

Question 10

Pleistocene

Answer 10

1.7 million years ago, to 10,000 years ago; glacial and interglacial periods

Question 11

Glacial

Answer 11

ice age; develop slowly and last a long time (50K-150K years)

Question 12

Interglacial

Answer 12

Not an ice age; develop suddenly and don’t last long (8k-12k years)

Question 13

Holocene

Answer 13

10,000 years ago, to present; interglacial period

Question 14

Global Warming

Answer 14

• Sunlight (shortwave radiation)

* Infrared (Longwave radiation)

Question 15

Agreements:

Answer 15

• surface temperatures have increased since 1880
• humans are adding carbo dioxide to the atmosphere
• carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have a warming effect on the planet

Question 16

anthropogenic climate change

Answer 16

humans are responsible for warming

Question 17

Disagreements

Answer 17

• Whether the warming since 1950 has been dominated by human causes
• How much the planet will warm over 21st century
• Whether global warming is dangerous
• Whether we can afford to dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions and whether a reduction will improve the climate

Question 18

Negatives of Global Warming

Answer 18

• More droughts
• More heat waves
• Stronger storms
• Increases in some disease (malaria)
• Sea level rise***

Question 19

Positive of Global Warming

Answer 19

• Longer growing seasons
• New agriculture regions
• New shipping routes
• Shorter and less severe flu season
• Longer beach seasons
• Could prevent next ice age?