Lab 9: Weather and Climate

1. Go to http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/quiz-global-warming/ and then take the Global Warming Quiz (scroll down on the page).

What was your score (be honest, it does not impact the points earned on this question)?

What did you learn from this quiz that you did not know prior to taking it?

2. Go to https://climate.nasa.gov/ to research and answer the following:

How do we know human-caused climate change is happening? What is the scientific evidence?

3. Imagine that almost every summer for the past decade has been hotter than usual. Is this a sign of climate change? Yes or no?

4. How can climate change impact your future or future generations?

5. Using the https://climate.nasa.gov website, answer the following:

How much has the global temperature changed since 1880?

What is the current rate of sea level rise in millimeters per year?

6. Go to https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/ to examine the causes of climate change and answer the following:

What is the greenhouse effect?

What are the categories of greenhouse gases?

What are the sources of these greenhouse gases?

7. Read through the lab background document and answer the following:

What is weather?

What is climate?

Climate change?

8. Imagine that last summer was much hotter than usual where you live. Is this a sign of climate change? Yes or no?

9. Using the https://climatekids.nasa.gov/ website again, click on the weather and climate tab, then click on How do we know the climate is changing and answer the following:

How do we know what Earth was like long ago?

10. Using the NASA website: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/

Click on the weather and climate tab and scroll down to the Gallery of Weather and Climate.

Detail several of the observed impacts around the world resulting from climate change.

11. Using the https://climate.nasa.gov website, what is the current amount of measured carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in parts per million?

12. Using the https://climatekids.nasa.gov/ website again, click on the weather and climate tab, then click on How do we know the climate is changing and answer the following:

Why is the Earth getting warmer?

13. Using the https://climatekids.nasa.gov/ website again, click on the weather and climate tab, then click on How do we know the climate is changing and answer the following:

How can so little warming cause so much melting?

14. Using the https://climatekids.nasa.gov/ website again, click on the weather and climate tab, then click on How do we know the climate is changing and answer the following:

How does climate change affect other species?

15. Using the website http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ website. Scroll down on the national overview page and click on the Year-to-date temperature evolution for select US cities tab. Locate Dallas, Texas on the data table and answer the following: UPDATED LINK: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/2017/07/supplemental/page-1

What was the average temperature between 1981 and 2010?

What was the 2017 average temperature for Dallas?

How much have the average temperature increased in Dallas between the 1981-2010 and 2017 averages?