NAME_______________________ Pd.

_________

Date_____________

Climate Change Web-Quest

Directions- Go to: climate.nasa.gov and using the information of the website,
answer the following questions. Write your answers in the space provided.

Key Indicators
1) What is carbon dioxide (CO2) and where does it usually come from?
Carbon dioxide is an important heat trapping gas, which is released through human
activities like deforestation and burning fossil fuels as well as breathing and volcanic
eruptions.

2) According to the CO2 charts, what was the highest level of CO2 in the 400,000 years
prior to 1950?
300 parts per million
3) According to the charts, what is the level of CO2 today?
Over 380 parts per million
4) Based on the information on the page, why is this level of CO2 a problem?
The increase in emissions of CO2 over the years is warming the planet drastically
meaning natural ice formations will melt and things will adjust to fit the warmer climate.
5) According to the charts on Arctic Sea Ice, what has been the overall trend since 1980?
Since 1980, the rate of change has decreased 13.3% per decade.
6) What trend can be observed for land ice?
The rate of change has decreased 118.0 gigatonnes per year.

7) What trend can be observed for sea level?

The rate of change has increased 3.4 millimeters per year.

8) What overall conclusion can you make based on the data of these three charts?
As more emissions are released, the planet gets warmer and the sea level rises.

Evidence
9) What are eight areas that scientists look at for evidence of global warming?
Sea level rise
Global temperature rise
Warming oceans
Shrinking ice sheets
Declining Arctic sea ice
Glacial retreat
Extreme Events
Ocean acidification

Causes
10) What are the five common gases that cause global warming?
Water vapor
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Chlorofluorocarbons

Effects
11) According to the effects page, what effect will climate change have on water
availability?
Frozen water from the melting ice will make the sea levels rise and cause floods, the
amount of freshwater will decrease.
12) What visible changes have already occurred due to climate change?
Rising of sea levels
Changes in precipitation patterns
More droughts and heat waves
Stronger and more intense hurricanes

Consensus
13) What percentage of scientists agree that climate change is due to human activity?
97% or more

Innovations
14) Describe three innovations in energy that could help the world become independent
of fossil fuels.