6.3 Flashcards
What are some natural climate patterns?
This is what influences temperature distribution naturally
-Solar radiation
-Characteristics of earth’s surface
-Thermohaline
How does Solar radiation influence climate distribution?
Influences temperature, as without solar radiation it wouldn’t get trapped in the atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect
How does Characteristics of the earth’s surface influence climate distribution?
It affects temperature through the albedo effect.
This is…
How does thermohaline influence climate distribution?
Thermohaline is the ocean currents dependent on water density, this is how heat is distributed, through wind and ocean currents
How can precipitation be naturally influenced?
Heating of the atmosphere and earth’s surface
-this controls air movement
- E.g. conventional rain at equator
Why is there regional variation of climate?
This is due to relief migration of global patterns
What are the characteristics of healthy soils?
Dark, crumbly, contains organisms, provides air, water, nutrients, sequesters carbon, retain moisture
Why is soil health important?
It stores carbon but this depends on soil inputs and outputs, carbon is main component in the surface layer of soil
If healthy has a large surface area
What are the inputs and outputs for soil?
Inputs: plant and animal remains
Outputs: decomposition and erosion
What is fossil fuel combustion?
Process of burning fossil fuels, primary cause of climate change as it causes chemical reaction releasing co2 into atmosphere
What are the greenhouse gases?
N20 (nitrous oxide)- in atmosphere 100 years, from aircrafts and engines, 16% increase
Co2 (carbon dioxide)- 0.04% of atmosphere, from Deforestation and burning fossil fuels, 30% increase
CH4 (methane)- in atmosphere 10 years, from gas pipeline leaks and cattle farming, 250% increase
Why is a balanced carbon cycle important?
How is it maintained?
Sustains earth’s systems like climate patterns
Good soil health, photosynthesis, sequestration
What is sequestration?
Catching and storing carbon
Human factors that alter the carbon cycle?
Main factor is fossil fuel combustion
Agriculture, industry, energy production
Where does coal and oil/gas come from?
Gas/Oil- sealife, extracted from rocks 70-100 million years old
Coal- wood and trees, from 200 million yr old rocks
When burnt to generate energy, stored Carbon is released
What is the keeling curve and what does it show?
Keeling curve- graph showing amount of co2 in the atmosphere
Shows carbon levels rising, 425ppm in 2024 and 450ppm is dangerous
What are methane levels like?
-rising rapidly
-steeper change since 2010
-due to cow numbers increased, released from warming permafrost, increasing oil and gas exploitations
What are nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide levels like?
Nitrous oxide-risen not to a large extent
Carbon dioxide- 29% higher than in 1959
Why is methane one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases?
- poorly accounted for
- plumes of methane releasing more
- waste products produce when decomposing
- Turkmenistan with 2 main oil and gas fields leaked lots into atmosphere
What are some fossil fuel implications?
Balance:
- steady amount of CO2 stabilises global temps
- fossil fuel combustion altered the balance of carbon pathways
- Carbon flows increased, increased released from stores
- Fossil fuel combustion and deforestation increased CO2 inputs into the atmosphere
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Implications for climate:
- land temperatures expected to increase
- extreme weather events expected to increase in intensity and frequency
- annual perecipitation in northern europe to increase and decrease in southern europe
Artic implications:
- artic region is warming
- by 2100 eastern alps will be ice free
- red fox migrated north
- melting permafrost
- shrubs unable to survive in tundra
Implications for the hydrological cycle:
- Changes to precipitation patterns will have implications on hydrological cycle
- River discharge patterns affected
- glaciers retreat, sediment yields affect water quality
- increased likelihood of floods in winter and drought in summer
