Natural causes of climate change

Answer 1

There are no natural causes of climate change. What is natural is the greenhouse effect. The earth's carbon cycle and water cycle have supported a greenhouse effect in the atmosphere, which has kept the planet warm for as long as life has existed.

Human causes of climate change are the discovery and burning of fossil fuels since the beginning of the Industrial Age. We burned coal and oil for industry, transport and to generate electricity. This burning released carbon dioxide that had been stored safely underground for ages. It is this extracarbon that is causing the accelerated greenhouse effect and climate change.

Another human cause is deforestation. We have been cutting down, and are still cutting down, the vast forests that used to cover the earth. Trees hold huge amounts of carbon, but not if they are burnt, or used for making paper.

Answer 2

The earth's climate is is influenced by the natural disasters occurring in the world, such volcanic eruptions, the continental drift and also the change of the earth on its axis and its orbital changes. In more detail:

o Volcanic Eruptions:

A volcanic eruption can blast huge clouds of ash and gases into the atmosphere. Millions of tonnes of sulphur dioxide gases may reach the upper atmosphere. There the sulphur dioxide transforms into tiny particles of sulphuric acid. The particles reflect energy from the sun back into space, preventing some of the sun's rays from heating the Earth therefore causing climate change.

o Continental Drift:

Millions of years ago, all the continents were joined together and this was called Pangaea. The drift has had an impact on climate change as it changed the physical features of the landmass and their position. The separation of landmasses changed the ocean currents and winds, which affected the climate. The continental drifts are still happening and are changing the ocean currents and sea-levels.

o Earth's Orbital Changes:

The earth makes one full orbit around the sun each year and is tilted at around 23 degrees. In Summer the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun and in Winter it is away from the sun. This is the opposite for the Southern Hemisphere, which face the sun in Winter and are tilted away from the sun in Summer. Changes in the tilt of the earth can affect the severity of the seasons , more tilt means warmer summers and colder winters; less tilt means cooler summers and milder winters.