Cause Environmental Effect(s)
Warmer or cooler
ocean
temperatures
■ Some marine species may not be able to
tolerate warmer or cooler water temperatures,
resulting in a disruption in marine food webs
and biodiversity.
■ Animal migration patterns may become
disrupted.
■ Shifts in traditional weather patterns (e.g., an
increase in insect-borne diseases).
■ A negative impact on coral reefs (e.g.,
bleaching).
■ A decrease in upwelling, resulting in die-offs.
■ The amount of CO 2 that warmer ocean water
can hold decreases, which directly affects
global warming.
■ Warmer ocean temperatures may change the
ocean current flows and affect glacial melting.
■ The strength and frequency of hurricanes
and/or tornadoes may increase.
Increase or
decrease in the
amount of normal
rainfall
■ An increase in rainfall may result in an
increase in flooding, soil erosion, and leaching
of nutrients from the soil.
■ A decrease in rainfall may result in an increase
in competition for food resources, reduced
agricultural output, changes in migration
patterns, starvation, species die-offs, an
increase in forest fires, and water shortages.
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
- The zone of the atmosphere in which weather occurs is known as the (A)
ionosphere
(B) mesosphere
(C) troposphere
(D) thermosphere
