How Might Climate Change Impact The 4 Spheres

How Might Climate Change Impact The 4 Spheres? Aaron and Nico T

What is Climate Change? • Climate change refers to the long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns on earth. Climate change may alter weather patterns which can affect rainfall, the melting of glaciers and rising sea levels. Climate change can also cause more frequent and intense damaging weather events such as hurricanes, floods, downpours, and winter storms.

What is causing climate change? • What is causing climate change is the production of greenhouse gasses such as water vapour, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane. which causes the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect traps the heat from the sun in the atmosphere which makes the earth slowly heat up.

The 4 Spheres Involved • The hydrosphere is the clouds, the oceans, seas, and other bodies of water. • The biosphere is the factories and all of the manmade structures, the trees, all the living things and plants • The geosphere is the rocks and mountains, and the ocean floor. • Atmosphere is the clouds and the ozone layer, and all of the greenhouse gasses being made.

Before/During Climate Change • Vehicles (Biosphere) are emitting greenhouse gases into the air (Atmosphere) • Volcanic activity (Geosphere) emit CO 2 contributing to the greenhouse effect (Atmosphere) • Greenhouse gases warm up the atmosphere (Atmosphere) causing ice sheets, sea ice, and glaciers to melt (Hydrosphere) • Melting ice (Hydrosphere) is flooding the coast (Geosphere) • Increase in temperature (Atmosphere) is causing some of the animals (Biosphere) in the poles to lose their habitats • Humans use natural resources like trees (Biosphere) which can decrease the amount of oxygen in the air (Atmosphere) an increase the process of climate change

During/Effects of Climate Change • Increased climate temperature (Atmosphere) causes more frequent volcanic activity (Geosphere) • The hotter atmosphere (Atmosphere) exchanges heat with the ocean (Hydrosphere) and warms it up • Increased temperature in the ocean (Hydrosphere) affects marine life (Biosphere) • Melting ice sheets (Hydrosphere) can affect animal homes (Biosphere) by flooding them and altering the environment • Extreme weather (Atmosphere) caused by climate change can increase earthquake activity (Geosphere) • Earthquake activity (Geosphere) can cause damage to the homes of animals and humans (Biosphere)

Conclusion • Climate change greatly affects all four spheres directly or indirectly. • Usually climate change starts from the Biosphere (greenhouse gasses from human activities like vehicles, factories, and less trees) which then effects the Atmosphere (changes in weather and temperature), which leads to effects on the Biosphere (altering habitats and environment), Geosphere (by causing more frequent volcanic activity) and Hydrosphere (melting in ice and glaciers).

• The causes of climate change. (n. d. ). Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https: //climate. nasa. gov/causes • Mc. Guire, B. (2016, October 16). How climate change triggers earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. The Observer. https: //www. theguardian. com/world/2016/oct/16/clim ate-change-triggers-earthquakes-tsunamis-volcanoes Works Cited • Sneed, A. (n. d. ). Get ready for more volcanic eruptions as the planet warms. Scientific American. Retrieved January 13, 2020, from https: //www. scientificamerican. com/article/get-readyfor-more-volcanic-eruptions-as-the-planet-warms/ • Society, N. G. (2019, March 28). Climate change. National Geographic Society. http: //www. nationalgeographic. org/encyclopedia/clima te-change/