Climate Change

Climate change is a change in global or regional climate

patterns. These changes are due to increased levels of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere produced from burning fossil fuels. Climate
is the average weather conditions in a region over a long period of
time. The changes in weather include variables such as: temperature,
air pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, fog, mist, cloud
cover, and the amount of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, or hail).
Having data on climate is what allows us to know when to expect
rain, snow, and other weather conditions. Day to day weather can
change quickly, but climate conditions are more predictable.

How do scientists determine what climate was like thousands of

years ago? They use something called a proxy record. This is any
natural material, such as rocks and ice that preserve clues of climate
conditions from the distant past this also includes ice cores, tree
rings, coral reefs, and fossils. They look into all of these proxy
records and use this information to predict and better understand how
the climate has changed over time.

1. What is climate change?

2. What are these changes from?

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 Based on evidence that is available, scientists have concluded
that Earths climate is presently changing. Many changes are due to
human activities. Evidence of climate change includes: global
warming, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, thermal expansion, and
changes in weather patters, seasons, and ecosystems. Global
warming is a term used to describe the recent increases in Earths
average temperature. The sea levels all over the Earths have been
on the rise over the last 120 years. One cause of this rise in sea
levels is because of the temperature rising causes the glaciers and
ice sheets to melt. When the glaciers and ice sheets melt the
meltwater runs into the oceans and surrounding waters. Thermal
expansion is another cause of the rising sea levels; as the
temperature rises it cause the water temperature to rise and the mass
to change (leading to rising sea levels).

3. What evidence is there of climate change?

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 4. What is global warming?

5. What has caused the sea levels to rise?

Global warming also caused changes in weather patterns,

seasons, and ecosystems. Changes in weather include: more heat
waves, violent storms, more hurricanes and tornados, more rain
causing floods, and not enough rain in other regions causing
droughts. The length of seasons has changed as well; for example,
this year its already December and we dont have hardly any snow.
Global warming affects the plants, animals, and their habitats.

6. What changes in weather have occurred because of global

warming?

7. Have you seen any of these changes here in Thunder Bay? List
as many as you can think of.