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Thermometer

Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production

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Globe Showing Europe Africa

Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies

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Herb

Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology

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Flexed Biceps

Unit 3 - Biodiversity & Conservation

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Writing Hand

Unit 4 -Water & Aquatic Food Production Systems & Societies

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Deciduous Tree

Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies

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Cloud

Unit 6 - Atmospheric Systems & Societies

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Briefcase

Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use

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Bar-Chart

Internal Assessment

Hey there! Ready for a wild ride through feedback mechanisms and their impact on global temperatures? Buckle up! Here&#39;s the gist: Feedback mechanisms are the planet&#39;s response to temperature changes. Some reactions cool things down, others turn up the heat.

Imagine a super hot day in a tropical rainforest. Things heat up, water evaporates, and then we get...snow! 🏝️-&gt;🌨️. Well, not in the rainforest itself, but increased evaporation in these super warm spots can lead to increased snowfall on the polar ice caps. Imagine these ice caps as Earth&#39;s mirror to the sun - they&#39;re ultra-reflective (a term we scientists like to call &#39;high albedo&#39;). So, as more snow falls, more sunshine gets bounced back into space, cooling down our planet. It&#39;s like Mother Nature turning on her own air conditioning system!

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Real-world example: Think of wearing a white shirt on a sunny day. White reflects sunlight (high albedo) and keeps you cooler than if you wore a dark color. This is similar to how increased snowfall on polar ice caps (due to increased evaporation) reflects solar radiation, helping to keep Earth cool.

Now let&#39;s flip the switch to heating mode. Ever heard of permafrost? It&#39;s that permanently frozen ground you find in really chilly places like Siberia. But here&#39;s the thing: As global temperatures rise, some of this permafrost starts to thaw, releasing a sneaky little gas called methane.

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Methane is like the ninja of greenhouse gases - it&#39;s much better at trapping heat than carbon dioxide! So as more methane escapes, it increases the global temperature, causing even more permafrost to thaw, releasing even more methane. This cycle keeps cranking up the heat, just like a heater in winter.

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Real-world example: It&#39;s like when you tell a small secret to one friend, who tells another friend, who tells another friend (you get the idea). Suddenly, everyone knows your secret! Similarly, as permafrost melts and releases methane, this leads to higher temperatures, causing more thawing, more methane, and so on - escalating the warming effect.

Just remember, negative feedback mechanisms are like the Earth&#39;s AC system, while positive feedback mechanisms work like the Earth&#39;s heater. They&#39;re the yin and yang of our planet&#39;s climate - always reacting and adapting to changes in temperature.

Climate's Delicate Balance: Feedback Loops

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Standard Level

Environmental Systems & Societies SL

Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production

Climate's Delicate Balance: Feedback Loops

Table of content

Negative feedback mechanisms (aka the earth's ac system)

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Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production

Climate's Delicate Balance: Feedback Loops

Table of content

Negative feedback mechanisms (aka the earth's ac system)

Unlock the Full Content!