Atmosphere 2- connections

Question 1

What is a typical large scale example of the interaction of solid earth and atmosphere?

Answer 1

The Himalayan mountain range

Question 2

What three ways is the climate affected by the Himalayan mountain range?

Answer 2

Drives monsoon
Effectively 3rd pole
Uplifting drives mechanical and chemical weathering

Question 2

What is the effect of monsoons on the area surrounding the himalayas?

Answer 2

Strength affects livelihood, crop production, 1/3 world population rely upon it

Question 3

How are the Himalayas effectively a 3rd pole?

Answer 3

permanent ice on it which has grown and receded in glacial and interglacial

Question 4

How have the Himalayas be a contributor to controlling atmospheric CO2?

Answer 4

uplifting 60 million yrs ago drive mechanical and chemical weathering which shifts carbon into ocean sediments by erosion deposition and burial

Question 5

What would CO2 ppm be if the Himalayas hadn’t been uplifted?

Answer 5

1500

Question 6

Where can the variation in rainfall be more clearly seen in the UK instead of N-W?

Answer 6

West to east

Question 7

Why is west rainfall so much higher than east?

Answer 7

This is where high topography areas like Grampians and Pennines are

Question 8

What is the main driver of monsoons?

Answer 8

How the land more quickly responds to seasonal changes in solar radiation than the ocean

Question 9

Why does the land heat and cool more readily than the oceans?

Answer 9

the greater heat capacity and hence inertia of the ocean

Question 10

What will the pressure system be for summer monsoons?

Answer 10

Low pressure

Question 11

What will pressure be for winter monsoons?

Answer 11

High pressure

Question 12

How do summer monsoons occur?

Answer 12

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)

Question 13

How does El Niño and La Nina affect monsoon?

Answer 13

El nino drier
La nina wetter

Question 14

How much of India’s rainfall comes from the monsoon?

Answer 14

80%

Question 15

How much of global population live in an area with monsoon climate?

Answer 15

60%

Question 16

What is monsoon described as in terms of prevailing wind?

Answer 16

any 180* change in direction of wind against seasonal norm

Question 17

How does the atmosphere cause movement of the ocean?

Answer 17

sun radiation heats atmosphere
Non-uniform heating creates winds
wind drive movement of ocean (frictional drag)

Question 18

What is a thermocline?

Answer 18

zone of rapid temperature change between warm uppers layers and the cold waters.

Question 19

How does the Coriolis effect affect wind direction?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What will the surface current angles be compared to wind direction?

Answer 20

20-45* (right NH)

Question 21

What is the Ekman transport?

Answer 21

The net movement of water 90* to wind direction (discovered by Ekman and iceberg movement)

Question 22

What are sub-tropical gyres?

Answer 22

large scale thermocline

Question 23

What drives gyres?

Answer 23

2 opposite directions of prevailing wind that pushes water together

Question 24

What will the effect on ocean height be in the central ocean be because of gyres?

Answer 24

2-3m higher

Question 25

What does the gulf stream do?

Answer 25

re-distribute heat from the equator to the north Atlantic

Question 26

How much on incoming radiation will be reflected by ice?

Answer 26

90%

Question 27

How much on incoming radiation will be reflected by ocean?

Answer 27

10%

Question 28

What type of feedback is the albedo temperature feedback?

Answer 28

Positive

Question 28

What will the temperature amplification due to the albedo-temperature feedback?

Answer 28

40%

Question 29

Although energy from the sun varies by a small amount what can cause variation with its interaction with the surface?

Answer 29

season and latitude

Question 30

What does a high obliquity mean?

Answer 30

warmer and longer summer in high northern latitude (ice sheet melting)