Does climate change quickly or slowly?
Slowly
What principle do scientists follow in studying ancient climates?
If plants or animals today need certain conditions to live, then similar plants and animals in the past also required those conditions.
What are three types of evidence scientists examine to study ancient climates?
Pollen, Tree Rings, and Ice Cores
How does pollen help scientists study ancient climates?
They can look at pollen to determine what kind of plants lived in a location.
What information can scientists get from tree rings?
Wide rings indicate a good growing season that was long or wet. Narrow rings indicate a dry year or a short growing season.
True or false: Ice cores have a layer of ice for each year, just like tree rings.
True
If a continent moves towards the equator, how does its climate change?
It gets warmer.
Do the continents move?
Yes!
200 million years ago, most of the land on Earth was part of a single continent. What was it called?
Pangaea
When Earth's orbit is more elliptical, does it get more or less sunlight during the year?
Less
True or false: The angle of Earth's axis always stays the same.
False, it can change over time.
How does Earth's surface change during an ice age?
It becomes covered in glaciers.
How many major ice ages were there in the last two million years?
About 20
What is an aerosol?
Solid particles or liquid drops in gas
True or false: Volcanic eruptions release aerosols.
True
How do aerosols affect Earth's climates?
They can reflect solar radiation and may lower temperatures.
