20

• What is the relationship between climate and geology?

  Climate and geology are linked, influencing each other significantly.
• How does climate influence plant and animal life?

  Climate strongly influences plant and animal life, soil, and many of Earth's surface processes.
• What happens to geologic processes when climate changes?

  Geologic processes respond to changes in climate.
• What is an example of a climate connection in the rock cycle?


  Rock weathering has an obvious climate connection.
• How can atmospheric events trigger geological events?

  Events such as debris flows and river flooding are often triggered by periods of extraordinary rainfall.
• What role does the atmosphere play in the hydrologic cycle?

  The atmosphere is a basic link in the hydrologic cycle.
• How do internal geological processes affect the atmosphere?

  Particles and gases emitted by volcanoes can change the composition of the atmosphere.
• What is the significance of mountain building in relation to climate?

  Mountain building can significantly impact regional temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns.
• How does climate vary over time?

  Climate is naturally variable over time, with shifts from warm to cold and wet to dry.
• What does the geologic record confirm about climate history?

  The geologic record confirms that practically every place on Earth has experienced wide swings in climate.
• What time scales are involved in climate change?

  Time scales for climate change vary from decades to millions of years.
• What is the difference between weather and climate?

  • Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place.
  • Climate is a description of aggregate weather conditions based on observations over many decades.
  • Climate is often defined as "average weather," but this definition is inadequate as it also includes variations and extremes.
• What are some natural causes of climate variation during Earth history?

  Natural causes of climate variation include volcanic eruptions, solar radiation changes, and ocean currents.
• Why is modern climate change newsworthy?

  Modern climate change is newsworthy because research shows that human activities are inadvertently changing the climate.
• How do human influences differ from natural climate changes?

  Modern climate change is dominated by human influences that exceed the bounds of natural variability.
• What are the potential consequences of modern climate change?

  The potential consequences of modern climate change could be very disruptive to humans and many other life forms.
• What are the five parts of the climate system?

  1. Atmosphere
  2. Hydrosphere
  3. Geosphere
  4. Biosphere
  5. Cryosphere
• How do changes in one part of the climate system affect other parts?

  Changes in one part of the climate system can produce changes in any or all of the other parts.
• What is the role of the cryosphere in the climate system?

  The cryosphere refers to the ice and snow that exist at Earth's surface and is part of the climate system.
• What is paleoclimatology?


  Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates using indirect evidence.
• What types of proxy data are used to reconstruct past climates?

  Proxy data includes seafloor sediments, glacial ice, fossil pollen, and tree-growth rings.
• How do seafloor sediments provide climate data?

  Seafloor sediments contain remains of organisms that reflect changes in climate.
• What is the significance of the oxygen isotope ratio in climate studies?

  The oxygen isotope ratio helps determine glacial periods and past temperature changes.
• How do ice cores contribute to climate research?

  Ice cores provide a detailed record of changing air temperatures and snowfall over time.
• What can be determined from the analysis of ice cores?

  Ice cores can reveal information about past temperatures and atmospheric conditions.
• What is the maximum depth that the Chikyu drilling vessel can reach?

  The Chikyu can drill as deep as 7000 meters (nearly 23,000 feet) below the seabed.
• What is the importance of the National Ice Core Laboratory?

  The National Ice Core Laboratory stores and studies ice cores for understanding global climate change.
• How do scientists collect ice core samples?

  Scientists collect ice core samples using a drilling rig that extracts long cores from glaciers.
• What do ice cores represent in terms of climate history?

  Ice cores may represent more than 200,000 years of climate history.
• What do air bubbles trapped in ice cores indicate?

  Air bubbles trapped in ice cores provide information about past atmospheric conditions.
• What do ice cores represent in the study of climate change?

  They represent a long-term record of material deposited from the atmosphere.
• Why is the lab that examines ice cores important for climate studies?

  It preserves the integrity of ice samples for studying global climate change and past environmental conditions.
• What does the graph showing temperature variations over the past 40,000 years derive from?

  Oxygen-isotope analysis of ice cores from the Greenland ice sheet.
• How are ice cores collected by scientists?

  Using a drilling rig that extracts a hollow shaft of ice.
• How long can ice cores sometimes exceed?

  2000 meters (6500 feet).
• What information do ice cores provide about past climates?

  They provide a detailed record of changing air temperatures and snowfall.
• What do air bubbles trapped in ice cores record?

  Variations in atmospheric composition.
• What gases are linked to fluctuating temperatures in ice cores?

  Carbon dioxide and methane.
• What types of atmospheric fallout can be found in ice cores?

  Wind-blown dust, volcanic ash, pollen, and modern-day pollution.
• How are past temperatures determined from ice cores?

  By using oxygen isotope analysis.