Climate Change/Climate Scientist Research
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Last updated over 3 years ago
9 questions
Note from the author:
Global warming has been a topic of concern and much controversy for many years. Whatever the disagreements have been in the past, most scientists and policy makers now recognize that if the Earth’s surface temperatures continue to rise as much as they have in the past decade or so, then many parts of the world could face dire consequences, including food and water shortages, coastal flooding, and health consequences.
Using this Internet-based webquest activity, you will learn about climate change, energy use, and global warming. You will learn firsthand how society and environment might be impacted by global warming and how to help people make better decisions regarding all the complicated issues surrounding climate change, energy use, and available policy options.
Use the links provided for each question to help you write your answers in complete sentences.
Global warming has been a topic of concern and much controversy for many years. Whatever the disagreements have been in the past, most scientists and policy makers now recognize that if the Earth’s surface temperatures continue to rise as much as they have in the past decade or so, then many parts of the world could face dire consequences, including food and water shortages, coastal flooding, and health consequences.
Using this Internet-based webquest activity, you will learn about climate change, energy use, and global warming. You will learn firsthand how society and environment might be impacted by global warming and how to help people make better decisions regarding all the complicated issues surrounding climate change, energy use, and available policy options.
Use the links provided for each question to help you write your answers in complete sentences.
Part 1 - Climate Change Research
Required
2
Before you begin your investigation of the changing climate, you should understand the difference between “climate” and “weather.”
How is climate different from weather? How are climate and weather related?
https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/weather-climatehttp://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html
Before you begin your investigation of the changing climate, you should understand the difference between “climate” and “weather.”
How is climate different from weather? How are climate and weather related?
https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/weather-climate
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html
Required
2
The UN is concerned that the gas carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) may have something to do with recent changes in the climate.
What is the greenhouse effect? How is amplified warming different from natural warming?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/04/climate_change/html/greenhouse.stmhttps://www.koshland-science-museum.org/explore-the-science/interactives/what-is-the-greenhouse-effecthttp://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/warming4.htm
The UN is concerned that the gas carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) may have something to do with recent changes in the climate.
What is the greenhouse effect? How is amplified warming different from natural warming?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/04/climate_change/html/greenhouse.stm
https://www.koshland-science-museum.org/explore-the-science/interactives/what-is-the-greenhouse-effect
http://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/warming4.htm
Required
3
There are many different factors that contribute to climate change.
What factors are most responsible for significant changes in the climate? Which of these are natural causes and which are driven by human activity?
http://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/warming5.htmhttps://www.epa.gov/climate-change
There are many different factors that contribute to climate change.
What factors are most responsible for significant changes in the climate? Which of these are natural causes and which are driven by human activity?
http://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/warming5.htm
https://www.epa.gov/climate-change
Required
2
Humans, like all species on this planet, will see many alterations in their environment as the global climate changes.
How will humans be affected by changes in the climate? How will global warming change ecosystems and the environment?
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/key-findings#physical-sciencehttps://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts
Humans, like all species on this planet, will see many alterations in their environment as the global climate changes.
How will humans be affected by changes in the climate? How will global warming change ecosystems and the environment?
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/key-findings#physical-science
https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts
Part 2 - Climate Scientist Research
Required
3
What kind of training and education do you need to become a climatologist, or climate scientist? What kind of activities do climate scientists do on a day-to-day basis?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/07/01/ask-a-state-climatologist-q-a-with-new-jerseys-david-robinson/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/AtmSciCareer.htmlhttps://www.americangeosciences.org/sites/default/files/compass/CareerCompass_AtmosphericSciences.pdf
What kind of training and education do you need to become a climatologist, or climate scientist? What kind of activities do climate scientists do on a day-to-day basis?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/07/01/ask-a-state-climatologist-q-a-with-new-jerseys-david-robinson/
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/AtmSciCareer.html
https://www.americangeosciences.org/sites/default/files/compass/CareerCompass_AtmosphericSciences.pdf
Required
2
Science is a collaborative effort. What are some of the ways in which scientists are working together to study and report on global warming?
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/climate-changehttps://www.ipcc.ch/about/https://www.nationalacademies.org/topics/climate
Science is a collaborative effort. What are some of the ways in which scientists are working together to study and report on global warming?
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/climate-change
https://www.ipcc.ch/about/
https://www.nationalacademies.org/topics/climate
Required
2
What is "proxy data"? What are some of the sources of proxy data that scientists use to study climate change?
https://www.koshland-science-museum.org/explore-the-science/earth-lab/modelinghttps://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/proxies/paleoclimate.htmlhttp://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/long1.htm
What is "proxy data"? What are some of the sources of proxy data that scientists use to study climate change?
https://www.koshland-science-museum.org/explore-the-science/earth-lab/modeling
https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/proxies/paleoclimate.html
http://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/long1.htm
Required
2
How far can scientists go back in time and still have confidence in the climate record?
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/how-do-scientists-study-ancient-climateshttps://news.climate.columbia.edu/2017/04/04/how-we-know-climate-change-is-not-natural/https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-climate-works/investigating-past-climates
How far can scientists go back in time and still have confidence in the climate record?
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/how-do-scientists-study-ancient-climates
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2017/04/04/how-we-know-climate-change-is-not-natural/
https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-climate-works/investigating-past-climates
Required
2
Climate scientists use complicated computer models to better understand the climate and predict climate change in the future.
What have these models told us about future climate change? What are some of the factors that cause different models to produce different projections?
https://www.climate.gov/maps-data/climate-data-primer/predicting-climate/climate-modelshttps://climate.mit.edu/explainers/climate-modelshttp://nas-sites.org/climate-change/climatemodeling/
Climate scientists use complicated computer models to better understand the climate and predict climate change in the future.
What have these models told us about future climate change? What are some of the factors that cause different models to produce different projections?
https://www.climate.gov/maps-data/climate-data-primer/predicting-climate/climate-models
https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/climate-models
http://nas-sites.org/climate-change/climatemodeling/