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Paleoclimate Student Worksheet

This worksheet guides students in exploring the factors influencing Earth's climate and the human impact on climate change, emphasizing the importance of understanding past climate variations. Students are prompted to analyze greenhouse gases, the significance of historical climate data, and the implications of rapid climate change. The document also encourages discussions on mitigation strategies and the importance of climate education.

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rileyannsayne
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17 views3 pages

Paleoclimate Student Worksheet

This worksheet guides students in exploring the factors influencing Earth's climate and the human impact on climate change, emphasizing the importance of understanding past climate variations. Students are prompted to analyze greenhouse gases, the significance of historical climate data, and the implications of rapid climate change. The document also encourages discussions on mitigation strategies and the importance of climate education.

Uploaded by

rileyannsayne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Click and Learn Student

Paleoclimate: A History of Change Worksheet


ABOUT THIS WORKSHEET

Students will examine and analyze factors controlling Earth’s climate and describe human impact on
climate change. Students will describe methods to mitigate impacts of climate change.
PROCEDURE
Use the Paleoclimate: A History of Change Click &

Learn to answer the following questions:


1. List three greenhouse gases:

2. Which is the most important of these gases in terms of amplification of climate

effects?

3. Describe how these gases act like a “thermal blanket.”

“The story of Earth’s climate has been a story of massive changes. Earth has been much warmer
and much colder than it is today, including times when there were no ice caps and times when
the entire planet was nearly frozen over.”

4. Based on this statement, should changes in Earth’s climate cause anxiety? If you answer yes,
please support your opinion with factual information. If you answer no, please explain why we should
not worry.

5. What are the main factors that affect Earth’s climate?

16
6. We know from the relative amounts of O and 18O that global temperatures and global climate
have changed over time. Why is it important for scientists to be able to explain how they know
that climate has changed over time and that they are able to repeat experiments that support
this information?

7. Atmospheric changes in Earth’s history have caused large temperature changes through time.
Explain how knowledge of these past connections between atmosphere and climate can inform
us about modern-day climate change.

8. Explain how the ability to describe the pattern of ice ages over the past million years helps us to
assess what is a “normal” variation in Earth’s atmosphere.
9. Changes in atmosphere are not the only changes that impact climate. How can changes in
Earth’s orbit impact temperature?

www.BioInteractive.org Page 1 of 2
Published March 2016
Paleoclimate: A History of Change

10. Describe how small changes in Earth’s orbit around the sun explain the pattern of glacial and
interglacial periods over the past million years.

11. Based on the information you have just learned, please explain how Milankovitch cycles can
be used to predict future changes in Earth’s climate.

12. Using the chart titled CO2 and Temperature Fluctuations During the Past 800,000
Years: a. describe the fluctuations in CO2 and temperature over the past 800,000 years, and
explain why you see oscillations.

CO2 and
b. explain the cause for the significant changes seen at 0 years before present on the
Temperature Fluctuations During the Past 800,000 Years chart.

13. What is the big concern about the rate of CO2 change in Earth’s climate?

14. Using the information provided for the past 800,000 years:
a. estimate the length of time that it took for CO2 to go from 200 to 300 ppm.
_____________________
b. estimate the length of time that it took for CO2 to go from 300 to 400 ppm.
_______________________
c. Compare the rate of change from 300 ppm to 400 ppm to the rate of change from 200 to 300
ppm.

15. What has happened in the past 150 years that has caused this rise in the rate at which CO 2 is
added to the atmosphere?

16. List five potentially severe impacts of rapid climate change:


17. Explain the importance of educating others about climate change consequences. Describe how
you would present the information in a way that would cover the most important points, as well as
emphasizing that changes in human behavior can make a difference in the ultimate impacts of
climate change.

www.BioInteractive.org
Published March 2016
Page 2 of 2

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