Atmosphere, ENSO, Air Quality Flashcards
El Niño
- wind direction
- water temp
- effect on weather
- predicting
Wind -WEST to EAST Water temp -warmer water Weather effects -West: (Asia) warmer/dryer -East: (USA!) cooler and wetter Predicting -closely watching weather data and open temperatures
What gasses are present in out atmosphere
–and %of each
N2 (nitrogen)
78%
O2 (oxygen)
21%
Argon
0.9%
Co2 (carbon dioxide)
0.03%La Nina
- wind direction
- water temp
- effect on weather
- predicting
Wind -stronger EASTERN wind Water temp -cooler Weather effect -West: cooler and wetter -East: warmer and dryer
Hurricanes
-what powers them
Latent (hidden) heat energy from condensation
- warm humid air
- ocean above 26.5 degrees C
Hurricanes
-how they effect the ecosystem they travel through
Kills millions of fish (lack of O2)
Damages reefs (sediment)
Lose of barrier islands
Neutrients and sediments added to marshes
-helps plant growth
Hurricanes
- how they effect people/ jobs
- how they lose energy
Jobs
- 1000s lost from fishing
- 1000s displayed
- many involved in clean up effort
Hurricanes stop when
- energy supply is reduced
- hits LAND or COOLER WATER
Benefits to forecasting excessive rain or droughts
Plan accordingly.
Rain- flood mitigation efforts
Drought- water conservation
Smog
- what it is
- how it forms
- how is it remediate
Smog= Smoke + Fog (SO2)
NITROGEN OXIDES react with SUNLIGHT and ORGANIC COMPOUNDS located in the atmosphere
Remediate-
Tech advances- absorbing materials (moss)
Reduction of pollution
Radon gas
- what it is
- how it forms
- how is it remediate
A colorless, odorless, tasteless, RADIOACTIVE gas
-natural breakdown of uranium soil combined with rocks and water that are exposed to the foundations of a house
-systems are available to monitor and reduce the radon amount in a house
Clean air act
-function and purpose
Requires the EPA to maintain and enforce standard on vehicle emissions and maintains air quality STANDARDS
Pollutants/ greenhouse gases
- what are they
- potential for heat
Atmospheric gases that absorb water, vapor, ozone, co2 and other environmentally harmful gases -carbon monoxide (CO) ----burning fossil files ----car exhaust -lead -sulfur Dioxide -----acid rain -----burning sulfur, coal, oil, metals CO2 CFCs N2O Methane
how do secondary pollutants form
form in the atmosphere through chemical and photochemical reactions from the primary pollutants
-when other pollutants react in the atmosphere
Global wind patterns
Wind moves towards the poles
Also moves EAST to WEST
–high pressure rotates CLOCKWISE bring cooler winds to the East and warmer winds to the West
Layers of atmosphere
- pressure change vs altitude
- temp in layers
- found in each layer
- weather location
Layers- Thermosphere -hotest Mesosphere -coldest Stratosphere -ozone Troposphere- the weather layer- warmer because of earths reflected heat
Global climate change date
Monitoring the growing size of the ozone hole
Melting of poor ice caps
Pollution (china and developing countries)
