Climate Change and Its Causes and Impacts

Radiation from the sun rays go into our Earth's atmosphere providing us with heat. Normally they reflect back out into space, but the enhanced green-house effect causes greenhouse gases such as methane, co2 sulpher and water vapour to "block" the sun rays causing them to stay in our atmosphere causing global warming making our climate change. 

Factors that cause greenhouse gases are burning fossil fuels, industrilisation, cars/planes, fertilers, farming e.c.t

Ice Cores- Measuring how much co2 is in the ice in a certain year by drilling then comparing it todays emmisons. Long Term Measurements.

Photo Evidence- Seeing historic pictures of glaciers then comparing them to today to see glacier retreat. Same works for snow melt on mountains.

Weather Records- Seeing ice ages and warm periods over history to see if it's normal such as April 2012 was UK's wettest year ever recored.

Ocean Tempretures- To see if the Thermohaline Circulation is dying.

Thermohaline Circulation is the movement of the ocean's current gloabally. The ocean's current is created through the wind, different tempertures and the ammount of salt water. These factors determine the density and the heat of the current. The wind directs the Gulf Stream which forms in Austraila to Southern Florida and then moves across Western Europe due to the prevaling wind.

How Does Climate Change Affect The Thermohaline Circulation? 

The current presently moves the hot water from the Indian Ocean to the North Atlantic and this provides heat to certain Northen regions. However, climate change could lead to changes in the current affecting the climate of countries in the 60 degrees Northen Hemasphere. The type of weather and temperture usally found there will change and get colder therefore people and animals will have to either migrate or adapt to the new weather conditions. 

Sun Spots- Increase or decrease heat in a certain year, may be more then one cause for global warming.

Variations In Solar Output

Volcanos can both cause and prevent global warming due to releasing sulpher which is a greenhouse gas but also producing ash which refelcts the suns rays out of the atmosphere.

Meterlogical Collisions

The Axis of The Earth- Causes changes in temperture.

Lower Crop Yields- Less food growing while population is still increasing. Also means that farmers go out of business so bad local econemy and wars over remaining resouces.

Affecting Wildlife Habitats- as global biomes have been destroyed and changes in climates have caused some animals to become exstint or are dying out such as polar bears who can't adapt fast enough.

The ice caps are melting so less habitat for polar bears. Also increases flooding in other areas of the world and more hydrometlogical storms.

African counties getting hotter, Northen and Sothern regions getting colder.