Climate inertia

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/climate-inertia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the heat storage capacity?Oceans absorb and store substantial amounts of heat, delaying atmospheric warming
2. Why do oceans make climate inertia happen?Oceans cover most of Earth and can hold a lot of heat. They absorb extra warmth from the atmosphere, so the surface temperature rises more slowly.
3. How long does it take for heat to reach deep in the ocean?Heat can take decades to centuries to travel deep into the ocean. This slow movement helps keep the Earth's temperature from changing too fast.

Climate Sensitivity: The degree of warming expected from a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.
Biogeochemical Feedbacks: Natural processes involving living organisms, geology, and chemistry that influence climate.
Tipping Points: Critical thresholds in the Earth system beyond which rapid, irreversible changes can occur.