Atmosphere 2- connections Flashcards
What is a typical large scale example of the interaction of solid earth and atmosphere?
The Himalayan mountain range
What three ways is the climate affected by the Himalayan mountain range?
Drives monsoon
Effectively 3rd pole
Uplifting drives mechanical and chemical weathering
What is the effect of monsoons on the area surrounding the himalayas?
Strength affects livelihood, crop production, 1/3 world population rely upon it
How are the Himalayas effectively a 3rd pole?
permanent ice on it which has grown and receded in glacial and interglacial
How have the Himalayas be a contributor to controlling atmospheric CO2?
uplifting 60 million yrs ago drive mechanical and chemical weathering which shifts carbon into ocean sediments by erosion deposition and burial
What would CO2 ppm be if the Himalayas hadn’t been uplifted?
1500
Where can the variation in rainfall be more clearly seen in the UK instead of N-W?
West to east
Why is west rainfall so much higher than east?
This is where high topography areas like Grampians and Pennines are
What is the main driver of monsoons?
How the land more quickly responds to seasonal changes in solar radiation than the ocean
Why does the land heat and cool more readily than the oceans?
the greater heat capacity and hence inertia of the ocean
What will the pressure system be for summer monsoons?
Low pressure
What will pressure be for winter monsoons?
High pressure
How do summer monsoons occur?
land heated by increased solar radiation this causes air to heat and rise creating low pressure this draws high pressure air from the ocean in thus brining moist air which causes intense precipitation (winter is opposite- receding of monsoon to ocean)
How does El Niño and La Nina affect monsoon?
El nino drier
La nina wetter
How much of India’s rainfall comes from the monsoon?
80%
How much of global population live in an area with monsoon climate?
60%
What is monsoon described as in terms of prevailing wind?
any 180* change in direction of wind against seasonal norm
How does the atmosphere cause movement of the ocean?
sun radiation heats atmosphere
Non-uniform heating creates winds
wind drive movement of ocean (frictional drag)
What is a thermocline?
zone of rapid temperature change between warm uppers layers and the cold waters.
How does the Coriolis effect affect wind direction?
Forces the wind driven water towards the right of the wind direction in the NH and to the left of the wind direction in the southern hemisphere
What will the surface current angles be compared to wind direction?
20-45* (right NH)
What is the Ekman transport?
The net movement of water 90* to wind direction (discovered by Ekman and iceberg movement)
What are sub-tropical gyres?
large scale thermocline
What drives gyres?
2 opposite directions of prevailing wind that pushes water together
What will the effect on ocean height be in the central ocean be because of gyres?
2-3m higher
What does the gulf stream do?
re-distribute heat from the equator to the north Atlantic
How much on incoming radiation will be reflected by ice?
90%
How much on incoming radiation will be reflected by ocean?
10%
What type of feedback is the albedo temperature feedback?
Positive
What will the temperature amplification due to the albedo-temperature feedback?
40%
Although energy from the sun varies by a small amount what can cause variation with its interaction with the surface?
season and latitude
What does a high obliquity mean?
warmer and longer summer in high northern latitude (ice sheet melting)
