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VICEnvironmental ScienceQuick questions
Unit 4: How can climate change and energy use be managed?
Quick questions on Natural drivers of climate change (Milankovitch cycles, solar variation, volcanic activity, feedback mechanisms): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4
3short 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 are milankovitch cycles?Show answer
Milankovitch cycles are slow, regular changes in Earth's orbit and tilt that alter how much solar energy reaches different parts of the planet and when. There are three components:
What is volcanic activity?Show answer
Large volcanic eruptions inject ash and sulfate aerosols high into the atmosphere. These particles reflect incoming sunlight, raising albedo and causing short-term cooling for a year or two. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo cooled global temperatures by roughly half a degree Celsius for about a year. Volcanoes also release carbon dioxide, but the amount is small compared with human emissions, so the dominant short-term effect is cooling, not warming.
What are feedback mechanisms?Show answer
A feedback mechanism is a process triggered by a change that then either amplifies (positive feedback) or counteracts (negative feedback) that change. Feedbacks explain why small triggers can cause large climate shifts.
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