preview

Science Discussion Questions

Decent Essays

Science Discussion Questions What types of measurements indicate the climate change is occurring? Several different scientific measurements have illustrated the fact that the climate of the Earth is indeed changing. Firstly, measuring the temperature of both the air and the sea through thermometers indicates the changes from the average (IFM-SEI 2011). In addition, soil has been analyzed to examine the forms of isotopes and levels of oxygen and carbon. Radiocarbon dating has also been utilized as have recordings of number, intensity, and the location of extreme weather events and natural disasters within the last century. How were these measurements collected? The measurements were collected using traditional, geothermic, and other types of thermometers. From there, the temperatures were compared using both contemporary measurements and historical measurements in order to determine the overall change which has occurred. This has been the process by which most measurements have been made regarding climate change; taking current measurements of temperature, geographical alterations, and other natural occurrences and comparing them to the traditional measurements which should have been expected if there were no change in the climate (Petit 1999, page 429). What are some of the challenges associated with collecting data over large periods of time (i.e., 100s of years)? Some of the myriad of challenges associated with collecting data over large periods of time include:

Get Access