12 MARKER CLIMATE CHANGE ESSAY PLANS
GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
To what extent has climate change altered the geomorphic processes in glaciated landscapes?
- Warmer temps = more fluvio-glacial processes - greater attrition due to presence of melt
water
- Alaska - climate change - thawing of permafrost, positive feedback = creation of thermokarst
landscapes, mass movement and solifluction - frost heave etc
- Interglacial period = retreating glaciers - increased deposition - less erosional processes
- Climate change = warmer temps, less precipitation falling as snow - more rain - increase in
weathering eg. chemical weathering due to increased carbonation - CO₂ in rainfall forming
weak carbonic acid - weakens new exposed rocks
To what extent have climate change responses been influenced by a landscape system you’ve
studied
- IPCC uses glacial retreat and GL to highlight the urgency of climate change - however,
international directives do little to specifically target the local impacts of climate change on
GL
- Grande dixence dam - response to CC = increased renewable energy - linked to dam as
meltwater provides HEP - less use of fossil fuels - less than 5%
Examine the impacts of climate change in any one landscape system you have studied
- Melting glaciers and loss of sea ice = thawing permafrost - positive feedback - albedo effect,
also increased thermokarst landscapes - urban heat islands, solifluction etc
- Increased fluvio-glacial activity
ELSS
Evaluate how climate change has affected the interrelationship between the water and carbon
cycles.
- Arctic tundra - permafrost store (cryosphere - water and ice), positive feedback - increased
growing season etc… ET, decomposition etc
- Amazon rainforest - deforestation - degradation - loss of storage of carbon and water,
reduced precipitation, less humidity and less biodiversity = less decomposition etc - 30-60%
of Amazon could become dry savanna grassland by the end of the century
To what extent can climate change be managed through strategies that target the carbon cycle?
- Afforestation - increased storage of carbon - use of geoengineering = mechanical tree
- Carbon trading and capture and storage - EU ETS scheme and CCS in USA - potential to cut
emissions down my 80-90%
GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
To what extent has climate change altered the geomorphic processes in glaciated landscapes?
- Warmer temps = more fluvio-glacial processes - greater attrition due to presence of melt
water
- Alaska - climate change - thawing of permafrost, positive feedback = creation of thermokarst
landscapes, mass movement and solifluction - frost heave etc
- Interglacial period = retreating glaciers - increased deposition - less erosional processes
- Climate change = warmer temps, less precipitation falling as snow - more rain - increase in
weathering eg. chemical weathering due to increased carbonation - CO₂ in rainfall forming
weak carbonic acid - weakens new exposed rocks
To what extent have climate change responses been influenced by a landscape system you’ve
studied
- IPCC uses glacial retreat and GL to highlight the urgency of climate change - however,
international directives do little to specifically target the local impacts of climate change on
GL
- Grande dixence dam - response to CC = increased renewable energy - linked to dam as
meltwater provides HEP - less use of fossil fuels - less than 5%
Examine the impacts of climate change in any one landscape system you have studied
- Melting glaciers and loss of sea ice = thawing permafrost - positive feedback - albedo effect,
also increased thermokarst landscapes - urban heat islands, solifluction etc
- Increased fluvio-glacial activity
ELSS
Evaluate how climate change has affected the interrelationship between the water and carbon
cycles.
- Arctic tundra - permafrost store (cryosphere - water and ice), positive feedback - increased
growing season etc… ET, decomposition etc
- Amazon rainforest - deforestation - degradation - loss of storage of carbon and water,
reduced precipitation, less humidity and less biodiversity = less decomposition etc - 30-60%
of Amazon could become dry savanna grassland by the end of the century
To what extent can climate change be managed through strategies that target the carbon cycle?
- Afforestation - increased storage of carbon - use of geoengineering = mechanical tree
- Carbon trading and capture and storage - EU ETS scheme and CCS in USA - potential to cut
emissions down my 80-90%
