climate change

• Climate change


  The change in average global temperatures, precipitation levels and storm patterns
• Climate change due to Natural Earth Processes


  • Has changed many times due to variety of natural causes
  • Have been at least 5 major Ice Ages so far
  • Caused by slight changes in Earth's orbit around the sun
  • Volcanic activity
• Climate change due to Human Activities


  • Earth warming up since Industrial Revolution (19th Century)
  • Burning fossil fuels
  • Cutting down rainforests
  • Intensive farming
  • Releasing Carbon dioxide, methane & nitrous oxide into atmosphere
• Greenhouse gases


  • Carbon dioxide CO2
  • Methane CH4
  • Nitrous oxide N2O
• Carbon dioxide CO2


  Main gas responsible for global warming
• Methane CH4


  Can trap 21 times more heat than the same amount of carbon dioxide. However, there is much less methane in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
• Nitrous oxide N2O


  Present in the atmosphere in tiny amounts but can trap 270 times more heat than the same amount of carbon dioxide.
• Sources of greenhouse gases

  • Burning fossil fuels
  • Respiration
  • Decay and burning of wood
  • Cement production
  • Coal mining
  • Landfill sites
  • Natural gas leaks
  • Waste gas from livestock, particularly cattle
  • Burning fossil fuels
  • Fertilisers
• Humans have made the carbon cycle go out of balance


  Greenhouse gases build up, heat is trapped in the Atmosphere, causing Earth to warm up
• Global warming


  Leads to climate change
• Effects of increased temperature on Land

  • Droughts & heatwaves
  • More violent storms
  • More flooding
  • Melting of land ice
  • Changing of habitats
• Effects of increased temperature on Oceans


  • Warming of the oceans
  • Ocean acidification
  • Melting of polar ice caps
  • Rising sea levels
  • Changing habitats
• Effects of Climate Change

  • Droughts and heatwaves
  • More violent storms
  • Rising sea levels
  • Warming oceans
  • Ocean Acidification
  • Melting of polar ice caps
  • Changing habitats
• Droughts and heatwaves


  1. Can lead to failure of crops to grow-food shortages

  2. Water shortages

  3. Heat waves can kill humans

  4. New deserts are formed
• More violent storms


  1. Warm water transfers heat energy to air above, causes more evaporation. Leads to destruction of property

  2. Homelessness

  3. Flooding
• Rising sea levels


  1. Destruction of communities

  2. Homelessness

  3. Spread of disease in flood water
• Warming oceans


  • Higher sea levels as ice caps melt
  • Stronger more frequent storms
  • Bleaching of coral reefs
  • Bacteria may thrive, causing disease
  • Disrupts the food chain
• Ocean acidification


  1. Increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide increased amount absorbed by oceans

  2. When dissolves in water forms carbonic acid. Makes ocean acidic, can lead to reduced ability of fish & plankton to reproduce

  3. Marine animals cannot build their shells in acidic water
• Melting of polar ice caps

  1. Less ice to reflect sunlight, so more heat absorbed by ocean

  2. Changing weather patterns around the world

  3. Rising sea levels & flooding

  4. Smaller hunting grounds for arctic animals