Climate Flashcards
chapter 10-12
what is the difference between weather and climate?
weather is short term
climate is long term
what is the atmospheric gas percentage?
78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% Other
what is the biosphere?
the region of Earth where life can exsist
Define the three components of the Earth
Lithosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere
how does temperatures affected when altitude increases?
as altitude increases, temperature decreases
what’s the earth’s angle of inclination? how does it influence insolation?
90 degrees, however when the angle is high, the insolation is high, due to the angle the sun’s ray hits it at
explain how we experience different seasons in the northern hemisphere
The earth’s spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane
explain how latitude effects insolation
The higher the latitude, the smaller the angle of incidence, thus the less solar insolation reaches the surface.
what are the four major greenhouse gases?
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor
describe how thermal energy can be transferred in the atmosphere and hydrosphere
convection and conduction modes of heat transfer
describe the coriolis effect
s the pattern of deflection taken by objects not firmly connected to the ground as they travel long distances around Earth
differentiate the three methods of energy transfer: conduction, convection, radiation
- Conduction is the transfer of energy from one molecule to another by direct contact.
- Convection is the movement of heat by a fluid such as water or air.
- Radiation is the transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves.
compare natural greenhouse effect to the enhanced greenhouse effect
natural effect = naturally traps greenhouse gases
enhanced effect = human activities leading to the greenhouse gases
define albedo
high albedo = reflect light (white)
low albedo = absorb light (dark)
describe the difference between land breeze and sea breeze
When the breeze flows from the land towards the sea, it is a land breeze. When the breeze flows from the sea towards the land, it is the sea breeze.
specific heat capacity
the heat required to raise the temperature of the unit mass of a given substance by a given amount
how to tell if a substance will heat up the slowest or the fastest
The substance that is most likely to heat up the fastest is one that has a low specific heat capacity.
what is the difference between an open system and closed
open allows all energy and matter to be exchanged, while close only allows energy to be exchanged.
explain the heating of curve of water
The heating curve for water shows how the temperature of a given quantity of water changes as heat is added at a constant rate.
why does the temperature not change during phase change?
Since the energy involved in a phase changes is used to break bonds, there is no increase in the kinetic energies of the particles
what are the names of the phase change?
Freezing: liquid to solid.
Melting: solid to liquid.
Condensation: gas to liquid.
Vaporization: liquid to gas.
Sublimation: solid to gas.
Deposition: gas to solid.
which biomes are found in canada
tundra, desert, grassland, and forest
what is a carbon sink?
A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases
carbon source?
Examples of carbon sources include the burning of fossil fuels like gas, coal and oil, deforestation and volcanic eruptions
