Atmosphere (yr1)

Question 1

Absorption

Answer 1

When one substance gets mixed or completely absorbed in another substance

Question 2

Albedo

Answer 2

The proportion of light reflected from a surface

Question 3

Anthropogenic

Answer 3

Environmental change caused or influenced by humans

Question 4

Carbon footprint

Answer 4

The amount of carbon dioxide emissions associated with all the activities of a person or an entity

Question 5

Climate modelling

Answer 5

A simulation of the build up of greenhouse gases centuries in the future

Question 6

CFC

Answer 6

Chlorofluorocarbon

Any compound composed of carbon, fluorine and chlorine

Question 7

Cryosphere

Answer 7

The frozen water part of the earth

ICE

Question 8

El Nino

Answer 8

A warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical pacific ocean

Question 9

Enhanced greenhouse effect

Answer 9

The impact on the earth that the additional heated retained in the atmosphere due to increased amounts of greenhouse gases caused by humans

Question 10

Greenhouse gases

Answer 10

Gases in the earths atmosphere that trap heat

Question 11

Infrared

Answer 11

A type of energy that is invisible to the human eye but that can be felt as heat

Question 12

Insolation

Answer 12

The amount of solar radiation received by the earths surface

Question 13

Methane

Answer 13

Colourless, odourless gas that occurs abundantly in nature as a product of certain human activities

Question 14

Montreal protocol 1987

Answer 14

An international agreement to stop the productiom of ozone depleting substances and reduce their concentration in the atmosphere

Question 15

Negative feedback

Answer 15

An original effect happens that causes a second effect that in turn reduces the original effect, it maintains a balance

Question 16

North Atlantic circulation

Answer 16

A large system of ocean currents that carry warm water from the tropics northwards into the northern Atlantic

Question 17

NOx

Answer 17

Nitrous oxide

a colourless gas

Question 18

Ozone

Answer 18

O3

highly reactive gas which is composed of 3 oxygen atoms

Question 19

Polar vortex wind

Answer 19

A strong type of westerly wind which forms in the stratosphere above the poles of earth

Question 20

Positive feedback

Answer 20

An original effect that causes a second effect that increases the original effect

Question 21

Proxy data

Answer 21

Preserved physical characteristics of the environment that can be used to reconstruct past climate conditions

Question 22

Stratosphere

Answer 22

• The second layer of the atmosphere

- Temperatures increase with altitude

Question 23

Thermal stratification

Answer 23

An oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water

Question 24

Thermohaline circulation

Answer 24

Parts of the ocean circulation which is driven by flushes of heat and freshwater across the sea surface and subsequent mixing of heat and salt

Question 25

Transmission

Answer 25

When a disease moves from one individual to another or one cell to another body

Question 26

Tropospheric ozone

Answer 26

A highly reactive greenhouse gas found in the troposphere

Question 27

How does UV interact with ozone and what is its importance?

Answer 27

- Absorbed by ozone | - UV stimulates vitamin d production

Question 28

How does visible light interact and what is its importance?

Answer 28

- Converted to chemical | - In photosynthesis it splits the water molecule, essential for light to be converted to chemical energy

Question 29

How does infrared and visible interact and what is its importance?

Answer 29

- Thermal stratification | - Solar exposure varies leading to different water levels having different temperatures, creates niches/biodiversity

Question 30

How does UV interact with ozone and what is its importance?

Answer 30

- Greenhouse effect - Infrared emitted from Earth is trapped by greenhouse gas layer which absorbs it and traps heat, maintaining conditions needed for life.

Question 31

Relative effects of methane?

Answer 31

25

Question 32

Relative effects of carbon dioxide?

Answer 32

1

Question 33

Relative effects of oxides of nitrogen?

Answer 33

160

Question 34

Relative effects of CFC's?

Answer 34

2500 (typically)

Question 35

Relative effects of tropospheric ozone?

Answer 35

2000

Question 36

What releases/produces methane?

Answer 36

- Farming/agriculture/anaerobic respiration - Produced in formation of fossil fuels - Released by ventilation of coal mines, natural gas field leaks and pipelines

Question 37

What releases/produces Carbon Dioxide?

Answer 37

- Combustion of fossil fuels/wood - Ploughing - Marshes - Peat bog draining

Question 38

What releases/produces oxides of nitrogen?

Answer 38

- O+N react at high temperature in vehicle engines - Power station reactions - Released in exhaust gases - Fertiliser use

Question 39

What releases/produces CFC's?

Answer 39

- Aerosol propellants - Fridge coolants - Fire extinguishers - Solvents - Expanding plastics

Question 40

What releases/produces tropospheric ozone?

Answer 40

-Photochemical breakdown of NO2 and subsequent reactions with oxygen

Question 41

What are 2 ways that the sea level is rising?

Answer 41

- Thermal expansion - increased kinetic energy between water molecules - Ice melt - large volumes of land ice flow into the sea

Question 42

Changes in weather patterns?

Answer 42

Drought - More evaporation because of temperature increase but doesn't condense + precipitate in that area as its too hot so vegetation dies- then affects the animals. Rain precipitates elsewhere so vegetation grows where it should not.

Question 43

Changes in frequency/velocity of wind?

Answer 43

- Storms (cause damage) | - Changes in rainfall patterns

Question 44

How does cryosphere changes affect glacier movements?

Answer 44

- Warmer temperatures so front melts quicker than moves forward to create a retreating effect. - Meltwater flows through cracks - lubricates - moves quicker

Question 45

How does changes to the cryosphere affect ice lakes?

Answer 45

-Water collects on the glacier surface to form lakes. If the front wall breaks then water is released quickly and the surrounding area floods.

Question 46

How do changes to the cryosphere affect reduced ice/snow cover?

Answer 46

-Reduced albedo on ground, more radiation is absorbed, so area is hotter - melts

Question 47

How do changes to the cryosphere affect ice shelves?

Answer 47

- More loss, they break to form icebergs. Sea levels rise and they break more easily and allow accelerated land ice movement towards the sea - Rising sea levels further

Question 48

Changes to ocean circulation?

Answer 48

Cold water sinks in the north Atlantic, it draws up warm water from the south. As artic ice melts, freshwater flows into North Atlantic and could disrupt the Gulf Stream, leading to much colder waters.