Name:

PART 1
Use the notes (found directly above this assignment on Module 5 of Canvas, or simply click
this link) to complete this note guide.
Warm-up
● On a climatograph, what data are represented with bars?
◦ What data are represented with a line graph?
● How can you determine the climate classification using a climatograph? (aka give an example)

Climate Changes due to Natural Processes

2.6.2a Summarize natural processes that can and have affected global climate (particularly El Niño/La
Niña, volcanic eruptions, sunspots, shifts in Earth's orbit, and carbon dioxide fluctuations).

Climatic Changes
▶ During the average human _______________, climates do not appear to change significantly.
▶ Climatic change is __________________ ongoing and usually takes place over extremely long time
periods.
Effect of Climate Change: Ice Ages
▶ __________________ were periods where the average global temperatures decreased by an
estimated 5°C and there was extensive glacial coverage.
▶ Ice ages _________________ with warm periods called interglacial intervals.
▶ The most recent ice age ended only about ___________________ years ago.
Measuring Past Climate Change
▶ Climatic changes occurred long before __________________ came on the scene.
▶ Studies of tree rings, ice-core samples, ______________, and radiocarbon samples provide
evidence of past climatic changes.
▶ These changes in Earth’s climate were caused by _______________ events such as variations in
solar activity, changes in Earth’s tilt and orbit, and volcanic eruptions.
Short-Term Climatic Changes
1. Seasons
▶ _______________ are short-term periods of climatic change caused by regular variations in
daylight, temperature, and weather patterns.
▶ These variations are the result of changes in the amount of ________________ radiation an area
receives.
▶ During _____________ in the northern hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun, and
this hemisphere experiences long hours of daylight and warm temperatures.
▶ Throughout the year, the seasons are _________________ in the north and south hemispheres.
2. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
___________________________ temperatures play a major role in global weather and nowhere is that
more evident than in El Nino and La Nina patterns. These type of patterns often lead to weather extremes,
some of which can be seen in our own backyards.
– El Niño is a ____________ ocean current that occasionally develops off the western coast of South
America that causes many short-term climatic changes.
– During an El Niño, warm water from the western Pacific surges ____________ toward the South
American coast.
– Increased ______________________ over the northwestern coast of South America pumps large
amounts of heat and moisture into the upper atmosphere.
– This ________, moist air in the upper atmosphere causes sharp temperature differences in the upper
air that allows the jet stream to shift farther south.
– El Niño brings ____________ weather to areas that are normally dry and drought conditions to
areas that are normally wet.
– The strong upper winds produced by an El Niño help keep tropical _____________________ from
increasing to hurricane-strength storms in the Atlantic Ocean.
– Eventually, the South Pacific high-pressure system becomes ____________________ and El Niño
weakens.
La Nina
▶ __________________ is described as cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central
and eastern Pacific Ocean, near the equator off the west coast of South America.
Longer cycles of the Sun
3. Solar Activity (Sunspots)
– The existence of sunspot cycles lasting approximately ________ years had been recognized since the
days of Galileo.
– Studies indicate that __________________ solar activity coincides with warmer-than-normal
climates, while periods of low solar activity coincide with cold climatic conditions.
Even Longer Cycles of Earth’s Orientation in Space
– Climatic changes may also be triggered by changes in Earth’s axis and _______________.
4. Earth’s Orbit (Eccentricity)
– The shape of Earth’s __________________ orbit appears to change, becoming more elliptical, then
more circular, over the course of a 100,000-year cycle.
– When the orbit ________________, Earth passes closer to the Sun, and temperatures become
warmer than normal.
– When the orbit is more _______________, Earth is farther from the Sun and temperatures dip
below average.
5. Earth’s Tilt (Procession)
– The angle of Earth’s tilt varies from a minimum of 22.1° to a maximum of _____________every
41,000 years.
– Scientists theorize that these changes in angle cause ____________ to become more severe and may
cause ice ages.
Other Changes
6. Volcanic Activity
– Climatic changes can also be triggered by the immense quantities of ____________ released into the
atmosphere during major volcanic eruptions.
– Volcanic dust can remain suspended in the atmosphere for _________________ years, blocking
incoming solar radiation and thus lowering global temperatures.
– Some scientists theorize that periods of high volcanic activity cause _____________ climatic
periods.
PART 2
-Read the article Year Without a Summer
1) Summarize (at least 5 sentences) what you read (do not copy/paste from the article):

-Visit this link, read the material to answer the following questions:
2) How do Milankovitch cycles affect global temperatures?
3) How do plate tectonics processes affect global climate?
4) How are atmospheric greenhouse gas levels correlated with global temperatures?
5) What are carbon dioxide levels now? How often in the past 650,000 years have they been that high?