NAME: Marissa Vargas Pd.

1st

Date: 12/15/14

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?
- Released through natural processes such as respiration and volcanic eruptions also
human such as deforestation.
2) According to the CO2 charts, what was the highest level of CO2 in the 400,000 years
prior to 1950?
- About 290
3) According to the charts, what is the level of CO2 today?
- About 390
4) Based on the information on the page, why is this level of CO2 a problem?
- The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is very likely
human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years
5) According to the charts on Arctic Sea Ice, what has been the overall trend since 1980?
- Generally decreases.
6) What trend can be observed for land ice?
- Ice is decreasing.

7) What trend can be observed for sea level?

- Sea level is increasing.

8) What overall conclusion can you make based on the data of these three charts?
- Ice is melting which is causing sea level to rise.

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
artic sea ice, glacial retreat, extreme events, ocean acidification, and decreased snow
cover.

Causes
10) What are the five common gases that cause global warming?
- water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and CFCs

Effects
11) According to the effects page, what effect will climate change have on water
availability?
- less available
12) What visible changes have already occurred due to climate change?
- shrunk ice

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

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