Subject Guide

Climate change and the hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere, including:
  • water stored in ice and oceans, and changing sea levels
  • carbon stored in ice, oceans and the biosphere
  • incidence and severity of extreme weather events, including drought
  • spatial changes in biomes, habitats and animal migration patterns
  • changes to agriculture, including crop yields, limits of cultivation, soil erosion

1. Water stored in ice, oceans and changing sea levels
Watch the video clips and use these and your own reading to answer these questions:
  1. What is a glacier?
  2. Provide evidence that glaciers in different parts of the world are retreating.
  3. Why is Greenland's ice-sheet sometimes describes as "one of earth's canaries"?
  4. What would happen if the Antarctic ice sheet melted?
  5. How can global warming cause a thickening of ice sheets?
  6. According to satellites, by how much is sea level rising?
  7. Explain what thermal expansion is and how it causes sea level rise.
  8. Which areas are most in danger from sea level rise?
  9. What is Permafrost?
  10. What problems does melting permafrost cause?
  11. What possible benefits could the melting of arctic sea ice bring? What possible environmental and political problems might follow?

2. Carbon stored in ice, oceans and the biosphere

Use the textbook and the resources below to create a 1 side of A4 factfile on the effects of climate change on carbon in each of ice, oceans and biosphere.

a) Ice


​b) Oceans

c) Biosphere

3. Climate change and the incidence and severity of extreme weather events, including drought

Use the resources below to outline how climate change may attributed to an increase in severity and number of droughts around the world.

4. Climate change and spatial changes in biomes, habitats and animal migration patterns

1) Use the links below to describe changes in the tundra as a result of climate change.
2) Use p173 of the textbook to describe how the Canada lynx responded to the impact of climatic change on its habitat?

3) 
​a) Outline then main importance of soil.
b. How is soil formed?
c. How long does it take to form 10cm of soil?
d. How does human activity affect soil erosion?
e. How many tonnes were lost in 2011 & what does that equate to in cost per person and annually to the global economy? 
f. How is fertile land being 'grabbed' from potentially vulnerable populations?
g. Why is the issue of soil degradation not "current news"?
​

5. Climate change and ​changes to agriculture, including crop yields, limits of cultivation, soil erosion

1. Explain what changes climate change may bring to crops in mid-latitudes and high-latitudes.
2. Why are rising levels of CO2 both good and bad for crop production?
3. Who are the IPCC and what countries/areas do they think will be most affected?
4. Define "soil erosion". Explain how the quality of organic matter in the soil could decline as a result of rising temperatures.... or increase.
5. What is Rice Leaf Blast and why could it be less of a problem in some areas and more of a problem in others?
6. Explain how climate change can hinder livestock production.
7. Produce a 2-3 line summary on the influence of climate change on agriculture.
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