Is Climate Change Occurring

Grade 10 Science Climate Change

Is Climate Change Occurring? Looking at the data

A. Climatographs What can examining climatographs tell us? Using the data on p. 271, construct the two climatographs below:

1. Study each climatograph. Write a few sentences on each, describing the data, such as monthly data changes and if you think the temperature and precipitation are related.

2. Compare the two climatographs and describe any differences you observe between them Explain any differences.

3. Did climate change occur between 1850 and now?

1 Grade 10 Science Climate Change

B. Atmospheric Changes p. 310 – 312 1. What are 5 atmospheric changes that may indicate climate change?

2. Give examples of what has been happening or could happen that illustrate the 5 atmospheric changes.

3. Look at Figure 8.23 on p. 311. a) From 1950 to 1960, what is the average number of windstorms, floods and temperature extremes per year?

b) From 1995 to 2005, what is the average number of windstorms, floods and temperature extremes per year?

4. What can you conclude from the previous data?

C. Hydrospheric Changes p. 312 – 315 1. What are 3 hydrospheric changes that may indicate climate change?

2. Look at Figure 8.24 on p. 312. Using the map’s scale, estimate the number of square kilometers covered by ice in the summer: a) from 1979 – 2000

b) in 2005

c) in 2007

3. What are some of the ways melting ice affects the Earth?

4. Look at Figure 8.25 on p. 313. What conclusions can be drawn from this data?

5. What are some of the ways ocean warming affects the Earth?

6. How does melting glaciers and sea ice affect the ocean’s currents? What would the consequences of this?

D. Wildlife Changes p. 315 – 317 1. What wildlife evidence exists that climate change is occurring?

2. How have the Gray jays been affected?

3. What other range shifts have been observed?

4. Why are coral reefs threatened?

5. Which organisms have benefitted from climate change? Why?