Climate Change

Climate change

Climate change is the change in the pattern of weather in areas overtime. The climates of the world have been changing over the years on average.

I. Temperatures have increased

II. The amount of rainfall experienced in various regions is also becoming less, leading to desertification.

III. The snow on mountain peaks is melting slowly due to increase in temperatures.

IV. The climate is also becoming unpredictable with rising cases of floods and hurricanes.

These changes have been caused by mainly human factors such as:

a) Industrial activities which lead to smog in the atmosphere.

b) Mining activities which leads to increased to smog in the atmosphere.

c) Deforestation which leads to increased volume of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

d) Emission of green house gases from increased agricultural activities and industrial activities. These result into greenhouse effect. This is the retention of heat within the atmosphere by these gases

Influence of physical features on climate change

Physical features are natural land forms that are found on the earth’s surface. They include mountains, valleys, plateaus, plains, rivers, lakes and swamps.

Natural causes

These are a number of natural factors responsible for climate change. Some of them are:-

a) Continental drift

b) Volcanoes

c) Ocean currents

d) The earth’s tilt

Continental drift

Look at Africa and South America on the world map; don’t they seem to fit into each other like in a jigsaw puzzle?

Many million years ago they were joined together. Scientists believe that back then, the earth was not as it is today, but the continents were all part of one large landmass. The following are the proofs:-

I. Similar plant and animal fossils found on the eastern coastline of South America and Western Coastline of Africa.

II. Broad belts of rocks found on the Eastern coastline of South America and Western coastline of Africa.

III. Discovery of fossils of tropical plants...