Climate change
G2 Full Geography - syllabus K226, 2027
Read evidence of past climate, explain today's warming and follow its effects on ecosystems and people.
- Evidence of past climates
Proxies are indirect clues to past climate, such as shells in seafloor mud, which scientists date and compare.
- Natural causes of climate change
Changes in Earth's orbit, the Sun's output and big volcanic eruptions change climate, each over a different timescale.
- The greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases absorb heat given off by Earth and send some back down, and adding more of them warms the planet.
- Human causes of climate change
People add greenhouse gases by burning fuel, farming and clearing forests, and this has made recent decades steadily warmer.
- Climate change and the oceans
Warmer seas bleach coral and raise sea level, while extra carbon dioxide makes seawater more acidic and harms shell-builders.
- Climate change and land ecosystems
Warming changes heat, rain and the timing of seasons, and some plants and animals cannot move or adapt fast enough.
- Climate impacts on people
Climate hazards harm people directly, then the losses spread through food, water, health, culture and money, hitting poorer people hardest.
- Named examples: Climate change
A named place with a date or figure, linked to your point, turns a general answer into a developed one.
What you will be able to do
I can use evidence of past climates to explain the natural ways climate varies.
Syllabus K226, Topic 3.2, Key Question 1. What is the natural variability of climate?
Taught in Evidence of past climates, Natural causes of climate change, Named examples: Climate change
I can explain the natural greenhouse effect and how human activity has enhanced it.
Syllabus K226, Topic 3.2, Key Question 2. How do anthropogenic factors contribute to climate change?
Taught in The greenhouse effect, Human causes of climate change
I can trace how climate change affects oceans, the atmosphere and living things.
Syllabus K226, Topic 3.2, Key Question 3. How might climate change affect natural systems?
Taught in Climate change and the oceans, Climate change and land ecosystems
I can explain the direct, indirect and uneven effects of climate change on people.
Syllabus K226, Topic 3.2, Key Question 4. How might climate change affect human systems?
Taught in Climate impacts on people