Chapter 6

Question 1

What happens to energy out as the planet heats up?

Answer 1

energy out increases

Question 2

What do warmer objects radiate more of?

Answer 2

blackbody energy

Question 3

What is radiative forcing?

Answer 3

Factors that are not initiated by the Earth’s surface temperature, but create warming or cooling (climate change)
affects climate (temperature), but is unaffected by climate (temperature)

Question 4

What would the radiative forcing in W/m^2 be if CO2 in the atmosphere doubled?

Answer 4

+4 W/m^2

Question 5

What are aerosols?

Answer 5

particles so small they don’t fall under the force of gravity but remain suspended in the atmosphere for days/weeks

Question 6

What are sulfate aerosols?

Answer 6

sulfur gases react with other atmospheric constituents to form small liquid droplets
exists in lower atmosphere

Question 6

What are black carbon aerosols?

Answer 6

produced by incomplete combustion
absorb solar radiation and decrease planet’s albedo, warming the planet

Question 7

What is mineral dust?

Answer 7

natural process, dust picked up by wind

Question 8

What is the aerosol direct effect?

Answer 8

scattering or absorption of solar radiation by aerosols in the atmosphere

Question 9

How do aerosols alter clouds?

Answer 9

they increase the number of particles in a cloud

Question 10

What is cloud-condensation nuclei?

Answer 10

small hydrophilic aerosols
attract water

Question 11

What is the aerosol indirect effect?

Answer 11

impact of aerosols on clouds

Question 12

What is climate sensitivity?

Answer 12

predicted increase in Earth’s average surface temperature

Question 13

What are feedbacks?

Answer 13

processes that respond to changes in the surface temp

Question 14

What is the difference between radiative forcing and feedbacks?

Answer 14

feedbacks do not initiate climate change whereas radiative forcing does

Question 15

What is positive feedback?

Answer 15

output regulates process to increase(increases temp)

Question 16

What is negative feedback?

Answer 16

output regulates processes to reduce/reverse(decreases temp)

Question 17

What is ice-albedo feedback?

Answer 17

positive feedback loop that occurs when a decrease in snow and ice leads to more solar radiation

Question 18

What is water vapor feedback?

Answer 18

arises because a warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapor

Question 19

What is lapse-rate feedback?

Answer 19

biggest negative feedback
occurs when troposphere warms unevenly, changing how much atmosphere cools

Question 20

What is cloud feedback?

Answer 20

reflect sunlight back to space
absorb infrared radiation by surface

Question 21

What is the runaway greenhouse effect?

Answer 21

initial temperature change leads to large temperature rise

Question 22

What are slow feedbacks?

Answer 22

processes that respond slowly increasing surface temperature

Question 23

What is the carbon-cycle feedback?

Answer 23

initial warming leads to release of large amounts of CO2 and methane currently frozen in the ground

Question 24

What do positive and negatives mean in forcings?

Answer 24

+ means temp is increasing
- means temp is decreasing
relative to Industrial Revolution

Question 25

What does ice-albedo feedback do to albedo?

Answer 25

decreases it

Question 26

What kind of feedback loop is water vapor?

Answer 26

positive

Question 27

How long does water vapor feedback take?

Answer 27

fast

Question 28

What does the cloud #1 feedback loop look like?

Answer 28

inc temp –>more clouds–>more water vapor=more clouds–>increase in albedo (lowers radiation)
negative feedback loops
takes weeks

Question 29

What does the cloud #2 feedback loop look like?

Answer 29

inc temp–>more clouds–>more water vapor=more clouds–>absorbs infrared radiation–>increases greenhouse gases
positive feedback loops
takes weeks

Question 30

What kind of feedback loop is permafrost and how long does it take?

Answer 30

positive
decades

Question 31

What kind of feedback loop are rocks and how long does it take?

Answer 31

negative
millions of years