4.3 Flashcards
What is the greenhouse effect?
The effect of greenhouse gasses increasing the temperature of the area.
What are greenhouse gasses?
Gasses that absorb and trap infrared light (heat) before releasing it.
What is a positive feedback loop?
A feedback loop where the output reinforces the initial disturbance.
What is a negative feedback loop?
A feedback loop where the output restricts the initial disturbance
What do greenhouse gasses do?
Trap heat and release it, increasing the temperature.
Why is the greenhouse effect important?
It keeps the temperature of Earth stable.
How have humans affected the greenhouse effect?
By burning fossil fuels.
What in ice cores can tell us about CO2 levels of the past?
Air bubbles.
Water vapor increases the temperature which increases the rate of evaporation and creates more water vapor. Is this a positive or negative loop?
Positive.
A higher level of Earth’s albedo increases the temperature and melts ice which lowers the albedo. Is this a positive or negative loop?
Negative.
A layer of an ice core is thicker than others. What does this tell us about that year?
There was more snowfall.
A layer of an ice core is dirtier with bits of debris. What does this tell us about that year?
There might have been a volcanic eruption or forest fire.
How can you tell what layer’s oldest in an ice core?
The one on the bottom.
What tells us about temperatures of past years in ice cores?
Isotopes. More isotopes means a higher temperature.
There’s more CO2 in the area, what is going to happen to the atmosphere?
The temperature will increase.
