StudyXY
RegisterLog in
Back to AI Flashcard MakerBiology /Biology IB HL - 4.4 Climate Change Part 2

Biology IB HL - 4.4 Climate Change Part 2

Biology25 CardsCreated about 1 month ago

This deck covers key concepts about climate change, focusing on the impact of greenhouse gases, deforestation, and fossil fuel combustion on global temperatures and climate patterns.

PrintEmbedImportReport

How does deforestation affect greenhouse gas concentration?

The removal of trees means that less carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.
Tap or swipe ↕ to flip
Swipe ←→Navigate
1/25

Key Terms

Term
Definition
How does deforestation affect greenhouse gas concentration?
The removal of trees means that less carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.
How does increased farming affect greenhouse gas concentration?
Increased farming / agriculture – this involves land clearing for cattle grazing, also ruminant cattle produce methane.
What greenhouse gas is increasing most rapidly and why?
The greenhouse gas that is increasing most rapidly in the atmosphere is carbon dioxide and the main cause is combustion.
What happens when fossil fuels are combusted?
When fossil fuels (e.g. coal, oil, gas) are combusted to release energy, carbon dioxide gas is released as a by-product.
How have CO2 levels changed over time?
The increased reliance on fossil fuels following the industrial revolution has resulted in ~38% increase in CO2 levels.
What are we doing to reduce CO2?
There are now efforts to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels by exploiting alternative energy sources (e.g. solar power).
Log in to view all terms

Related Flashcard Decks

Biology

A-LEVEL PE (OCR): PAPER 3 - Ethics and Deviance in Sport

These flashcards describe key performance-enhancing methods, including blood doping—a technique used to increase red blood cell count and oxygen-carrying capacity, commonly by endurance athletes—and anabolic steroids, which boost strength, aggression, and training capacity. They highlight how these methods aim to enhance performance, often through artificial physiological manipulation.

21 cards
View Deck
Biology

A-LEVEL PE (OCR): PAPER 1 - Energy for Exercise

These flashcards cover fundamental concepts of cellular energy, including ATP as the primary energy source for muscular contraction, the role of the enzyme ATPase in ATP breakdown, and the definition of exothermic reactions that release energy. They provide a concise overview of how energy is produced and utilized in biological systems.

47 cards
View Deck
Biology

3MB Psychiatry: Neurobiology of Mood

This flashcard set explains the brain’s appetitive (approach) and aversive (defensive) mood systems, describing how they drive behaviour toward reward or avoidance of threat, and identifies the key neurotransmitters associated with each—dopamine for approach and serotonin for avoidance.

8 cards
View Deck
Biology

Psychology - Chapter 3 Biological Psychology Part 3

This deck covers key concepts from Chapter 3 of Biological Psychology, focusing on brain structures and their functions, including the occipital lobe, limbic system, brain stem, and nervous systems.

23 cards
View Deck
Biology

Psychology - Chapter 3 Biological Psychology Part 2

This flashcard deck covers key concepts from Chapter 3 of Biological Psychology, focusing on neurotransmitters, brain structures, and their functions.

25 cards
View Deck
Biology

Animal Behaviour - Applied Cat Ethology

In applied cat ethology, behavioural genetics are primarily inherited through the paternal line. This means certain behavioural traits, such as temperament or sociability, can be strongly influenced by the genetics of the sire (father).

56 cards
View Deck

Study Tips

  • Press F to enter focus mode for distraction-free studying
  • Review cards regularly to improve retention
  • Try to recall the answer before flipping the card
  • Share this deck with friends to study together
Biology IB HL - 4.4 Climate Change Part 2
TermDefinition
How does deforestation affect greenhouse gas concentration?
The removal of trees means that less carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.
How does increased farming affect greenhouse gas concentration?
Increased farming / agriculture – this involves land clearing for cattle grazing, also ruminant cattle produce methane.
What greenhouse gas is increasing most rapidly and why?
The greenhouse gas that is increasing most rapidly in the atmosphere is carbon dioxide and the main cause is combustion.
What happens when fossil fuels are combusted?
When fossil fuels (e.g. coal, oil, gas) are combusted to release energy, carbon dioxide gas is released as a by-product.
How have CO2 levels changed over time?
The increased reliance on fossil fuels following the industrial revolution has resulted in ~38% increase in CO2 levels.
What are we doing to reduce CO2?
There are now efforts to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels by exploiting alternative energy sources (e.g. solar power).
What do greenhouse gases play a role in?
Greenhouse gases play a pivotal role in determining global temperatures and climate patterns due to their capacity to retain heat.
How does the greenhouse gas affect climate change?
As these gases trap heat, increases in greenhouse gas concentrations should correlate with an increase in global temperature.
Apart from global temperature, what may be affect by the greenhouse effect?
Long term weather patterns (climate) may also be influenced by greenhouse gas concentrations.

What 3 things do scientists predict with increasing greenhouse gas concentrations?

More frequent extreme weather conditions (e.g. heat waves, cyclones, more powerful tropical storms, etc.)

Some areas to become more drought affected, while other areas become more prone to periods of heavy rainfall

Changes to circulating ocean currents – which may cause longer El Nino (warming) and La Nina (cooling) events

How was the link between global temperatures and CO2 determined?
The link between global temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations was established by analysing data over a long time period.
What method may give us insight into past environmental conditions?
Ice cores taken from the Vostok station in Antarctica provide evidence of the environmental conditions at the time of freezing.
What is the Vostok ice core?
The Vostok ice core is one of the longest drilled, reaching back 420,000 years and covering the past four glacial cycles.
How are ice cores analysed?
By analysing the gas bubbles trapped in ice, historical CO2 levels and air temperatures (via oxygen isotopes) can be deduced.
What point, in relation to CO2 and temperature, have the ice cores demonstrated?
There is a strong positive correlation between carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature (↑ CO2 levels ∝ ↑ temperature).
What point, in relation to cycles, have the ice cores demonstrated?
There have been fluctuating cycles of CO2 concentrations which appear to correlate with global warm ages and ice ages.
What point, in relation to CO2 historical concentrations, have the ice cores demonstrated?
Current concentrations of CO2 are higher than at any time recorded in the last 400,000 years.
What historical event triggered the use of fossil fuels?
The industrial revolution introduced new manufacturing processes which significantly increased mankind’s use of fossil fuels.
What does the burning of fossil fuels release?
The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide as a by-product, leading to a steady increase in its atmospheric concentration.
What 3 factors can be compared to provide insight about climate change?
When fuel emissions, atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global temperatures are compared, the following trends are revealed.
What is there a strong correlation between?
There is a strong positive correlation between increasing fossil fuel emissions and rising atmospheric concentrations of CO2.
How have CO2 concentrations changed? figures
Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased ~38% since pre-industrial times (1800: ~ 280 ppm ; 2010: ~ 380 ppm).
What concentration of CO2 emissions stayed in the air?
About 40% of CO2 emissions have remained in the atmosphere, the rest has been absorbed by carbon sinks (mainly oceans).
What does the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration correlate with?
This increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration correlates with an increase in average global temperature.
Overall, what conclusion can be formed between CO2 and climate change?
While correlation does not equal causation, there is mounting evidence to suggest that CO2 emissions are linked to global temperature changes (although other factors likely also contribute).