Carbon Lesson 6: Human Inference Flashcards
What % of short wave radiation is reflected by clouds, aerosols and gases in the atmosphere and by the land surface?
31%
What % of short wave radiation is absorbed, particularly by the oceans?
69%
What temperature does the natural greenhouse effect gives us?
15 degrees
What would the average global temperature be without the natural greenhouse effect?
-6 degrees
What happens to long wave radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere?
When long wave radiation is reflected back, a large amount is re-radiated back to Earth by clouds and GHGs, which trap the long wave radiation in our atmosphere
What geological time period are we in?
Holocene
What is this time period also known as now? Why?
Anthropocene
Profound changes by humans
What % has CO2 increased in the atmosphere in the last 300 years?
40%
How has industry increased GHGs in the atmosphere?
Combustion of fossil fuels
How has transport increased GHGs in the atmosphere?
CO2 emissions
How has agriculture increased GHGs in the atmosphere?
Livestock – methane
Deforestation – farm land
Loss of soil carbon from ploughing
How has electricity generation increased GHGs in the atmosphere?
Increased demand due to rising population
Greater extraction of fuels
How does cement production increase GHGs in the atosphere?
Most consumed product in the world after water
Chemical processes involved in production release a substantial amount of carbon dioxide
What % of global carbon emissions come from cement production?
6%
How had wetland/peatland loss increased GHGs in the atosphere?
The nature of wetlands is shaped by water and rainfall patterns – the unpredictable change due to climate change may result in wetlands drying out.
Peatlands store large amounts of carbon - twice as much as all of the world’s forest biomass combined
How much carbon do peatlands store?
550 Gt of carbon
How much of the Earth’s surface does peatland cover?
3%
What is the effect of differing angles of the Sun’s rays?
Makes solar insolation intense at the equator but dispersed over a wider area at the poles
How does solar insolation influence temperature?
Amount of solar insolation reaching the Earth’s surface varies at different locations which in turn influences temperature
How does the Albedo effect influence temperature?
Lighter surfaces reflect more solar radiation, whilst darker surfaces absorb more. The more radiation absorbed the greater temps are
What other characteristics can affect temperature?
Ocean currents
Pressure cells
Where does rainfall occur all year round? Why?
The Equator
Because solar radiation is most intense at the equator, low pressure systems dominate there
What causes regional and seasonal variations in precipitation?
The effects of relief, pressure patterns and wind systems
