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TASEnvironmental ScienceQuick questions
Local and Global Changes to Ecosystems
Quick questions on Climate Change and the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect - TCE Environmental Science (Tasmania)
2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?Show answer
Human activities have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases. Burning fossil fuels for energy and transport releases carbon dioxide, agriculture and decomposing waste release methane, and clearing forests removes carbon sinks while releasing stored carbon. These extra gases strengthen the heat-trapping effect, so more heat is retained and average global temperatures rise. This human-driven strengthening is the enhanced greenhouse effect, and it is the central cause of modern climate change.
What are feedback loops?Show answer
Climate change is amplified or dampened by feedback loops. A positive feedback loop accelerates warming: as ice and snow melt, the bright surface that once reflected sunlight is replaced by darker ocean or land that absorbs more heat, causing further warming and more melting. Thawing permafrost releasing methane is another positive feedback. A negative feedback loop would dampen change, for example if extra plant growth removed more carbon dioxide, though such effects are generally too small to offset emissions.
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