Name___________________

Global Climate Change Internet Activity                 Class____________

 

Step 1: Go to the NOAA web site…  http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/index.html

 

Step 2: TimeLine

Run your mouse over the timeline to see the differences in temporal scale. 

Write the number of years/days represented for the following…

• Diurnal- 
• Annual-
• Decade-
• Centennial-
• Millennium-

Step 3: Climate of Temporal Scale

The Temporal Scale is along the left side of the page.  For each time scale, answer the following questions.  Just move the mouse over the topic. 

Note: each temporal scale has a Summary, Climate factors, and Climate History.  The climate history describes climate events and human development over the given period of time.

As you go through this, you may need to use the BACK button!

 

Overview:

Summary: no questions

 

Climate Science:  (click on the abrupt change link. Answer these questions and then, go BACK for the next question)

• Abrupt Changes are _________________ changes in weather.
• Give two examples:

o        

o        

 

(click on the Weather vs Climate link and then difference between weather & climate)

• Weather exists over relatively _________  ___________ like_________  or  ________.

 

• Climate is the __________  ____________ of weather over a long period of time such as ______ year “__________”.

 

Climate History:

·      For the past 100,000 years man has learned to ___________ to changes of the climate.

 

 

 

One Day: ~10.⁰²⁷

Summary: no questions

Climate Science: (scroll down as you look for answers)

 

• The Earth spins on its ____________ and gives us the diurnal cycle of _________ and _______.

 

• As part of the “diurnal cycle”, there is a delay between the time when the earth-atmosphere system receives energy from the sun and when the temperature begins to increase on the surface of the planet.  This is called the ___________  _____________.   A result of this “lag” usually has the warmest temperature during what part of the day?        ________-________________
• On the “dark side” of the cycle what is the major “force” mechanism for geologic weathering?

 

• As part of the earth’s daily pulse, the gravitational effects of the sun and moon effects the ____________.

 

Climate History:

• Man divided the 24 hour cycle of day into what three parts?                                    ________________

1/3 for… _______________    1/3 for…    _____________ or            1/3 for…  ________________

                                                    _________                    ____________

1 Year: 10⁰

Summary:

• The fundamental cause of the seasonal changes over a year is _________ full ____________  around the __________ and the _________ of the earth’s ___________.
• On what line of latitude do the sun’s direct rays hit during the vernal or autumnal equinox?

 

• The sun’s direct rays hit the Tropic of Cancer on the summer solstice (Northern Hemisphere- June 21)?   It is the longest day in the __________hemisphere (summer) and the shortest day in the _______________ hemisphere (winter)
• The sun’s direct rays hit the Tropic of Capricorn on the winter solstice (Northern Hemisphere- Dec 21)?   It is the shortest day in the __________hemisphere (winter) and the longest day in the _______________ hemisphere (summer)

Climate Science: no questions

Climate History:

• How do many marine mammals and birds adapt to seasonal changes?

 

10 Year: 10¹

Summary:

• The changes of climate are over the span of a _____________.

 

Climate Science:   (Note:  you’ll have to scroll down the page)

• What is ENSO?

 

 

• (1^st paragraph)  How often does this oscillation occur?   Every ______to______ year time scales.

 

• During El Nino what happens to the temperature of the eastern Pacific?

 

• During La Nina what happens to the temperature of the eastern Pacific?

 

• Where were anchovy fishing industries severely impacted during the 1982-83 El Ninos?

 

• When are droughts in the southern US and flooding in the Pacific Northwest more likely?

 

• Look at the end of Forcing Factors and click on the link “Do Sunspots Influence Climate?…            What occurs every 11 or so years to clause the ENSO events?  The activity of _____________ cycles between its “solar ____________”- cooling & fewer flares & sunspots and its “solar _______________”- more activity- heating and strong magnetic activity, which can affect ________________ and _____________ on Earth.

      NOTE: 2007 has been a La Nina event –a year of high temperatures and drought in the US southeast.

Climate History: no questions

 

100 Year: 10²

Summary:  (scroll down the centennial time line)

• What happened in the Midwest US in 1993?

 

• How much snow did Boston get in one storm in 1978?

 

• When did the Great Smog of London occur?

 

• What caused the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s?

 

• How many died in the Galveston, TX hurricane in 1900?

 

• What occurred between the mid 1940’s and early 1970’s to global climate?   Cooling  or  Warming

 

• In 1941-1942 China, what caused 3 million people to die?

 

Climate Science:

• What are SST’s?

 

• What is the PDO and how often does it occur?

 

• What is the NAO and how often does it occur?

 

 

Climate History:  (will need to scroll down)

• How many people were there at the beginning and end of the 20^th Century?
• Beginning:  (1900)                                                   End: (2000)

 

·        CO2 levels have risen from ________ppm to _______ppm – there is evidence this is due to…

 

 

·           The most abundant greenhouse gas is _______ __________.  Low clouds _________ and _________ the surface.  Scientists are still investigating its role on climate.

 

·        Where were 300,000-500,000 people killed in a tropical storm (cyclone or hurricane)?

 

·        In 1931 _________ of China’s population perished (died) due to what three things?

§          

§          

§          

 

1000 Year: 10³

Summary:

• What event chilled Europe starting in the 1700’s?

 

• Click on the “Little Ice Age” link and scroll down to the last paragraph.  Was the Medieval Warm period and the Little Ice Age a global event or just in the North Atlantic?    (circle one)

 

• What is believed to have caused the fluctuation?   _________ _____________ ________________ with changes in _____________ _________________.

Climate Science: (scroll down)

• How are climate changes over 1000 years or more studied?         Paleoclimatologists splice instrumented data with calibrated proxy data such from…

 

• ____________ ____________

 

• __________ from ______ _________, ___________, ____________&_______ ____________

 

• ____________ & evidence of _________________ change

 

• What forces account for 40-65% of decadal-scale temperature variations during the past 1000 years before 1850.  

_____________ _______________ and ___________________

 

• What is the Thermohaline Circulation System?  (click on the link)
• The strength or weakness of the Thermohaline Circulation System is based on variations of what two factors?  The ocean’s  T_________________ (thermo)  and S___________    C_______________  (haline).
• A ________ convection of ocean waters is caused by  surface cooling – Water is ___________ to depths at higher latitudes and ________________ or coming to the surface at lower latitudes.
• If the THC “____________ _______” changes, climate can change in _______-_______ years

 

 

Climate History:

• Who were the people living in the American Southwest 1000 years ago, who may have been impacted by climate change?

 

• What climate event between 1130-1180 impacted them?  ______________ _____________ & _________________ ___________________ led to food shortages

 

• Name other factors that may have forced them to move south…  (scroll down)
• _____________ _________ by other tribes

 

• threatened by bands from central Mexico intent on __________ _______________

 

• ______________ triggered by sudden shifts in climate.

 

10,000 Year: 10⁴

Summary: (look at the Holocene timeline to complete the chart)

• Domestication of Plants –where and what were crops grown around the world? (start at the bottom)

Place in the World	Crops domesticated
Peru and Meso-America	(6)
Near East- Eastern Mediterranean & Egypt Syria& Turkey	(9)
China	(5)
Sub-Sahara Africa	(1)
South Asia (Pakistan/Afghanistan)	(2)

 

Climate Science: (no questions)

 

 

Climate History:      (NOTE: current global climate – more or less is about 7,000 years old)

• What event may explain the Biblical flood of the Noah’s Ark story?  

 

• When did this event occur?

 

(scroll down)

• Why do you think the domestication of water through irrigation is considered by some to be the first technological revolution-- What began to develop around “irrigation cities”?

 

• Where did irrigation and agriculture begin about 10,000 years ago?

 

• According to Drucker, the domestication of water through irrigation led to…..

 

 

100,000 Year: 10⁵

Summary: Look at the timeline – start at the bottom

• What in the diet of homo sapiens (man) may have led to the growth of the brain?

 

• Where and when did man begin to use fire?

 

• What animal was domesticated in East Asia 15,000 years ago?

 

• 20,000 years ago what allowed man to migrate to North America?

 

• When and what abrupt event may have caused the end of the Younger Dryas cooling period? (named after an European flower that existed at the time)?
• When:                       What happened?  Sudden ____________ of 15 degrees.                    What may have caused this abrupt change?

 

• What animals became extinct 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age?

 

 

Climate Science:

• How can orbital cycles (Milankovitch's Cycles) influence Ice Ages?
• What is precession-(click on the link to find out)    Every ____________ years the earth’s _________ _______________ and changes the position of the _______________ and _______________.  This changes the date of perihelion and thus the seasons.

 

• What is eccentricity – (scroll down)  The earth’s orbit changes from nearly _____________  to more ______________. These variations occur at a frequency of  ____________ to __________years
• What is obliquity – (scroll down) Every __________________ years the earth’s axial _________ changes from ________ degrees to ________ degrees.  Thus, it changes the distribution of incoming _________  ______________ received at the earth’s surface or insolation.

 

Climate History:

• How may the eruption of Mount Toba 71,000 years ago have influenced the climate?  It created a ______year _______________winter and ___________ year instant ice age—reducing populations.