Climate Change Flashcards
Composition of earth atmosphere
1% H20, C02 is 0.41 %
78% is nitrogen
Oxygen is around 20%
Define greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gases allows sun’s
radiation to enter, but traps heat
that is reflected back
explain change of climate in earth history
Greenhouse and icehouse intervals or warm and cool intervals
medieval warm period related to increased solar activity, decreased volcanic activity and ocean circulation changes
-little ice age 1303-1860; caused by decreased summer solar radiation and erupting volcanoes blocking sunlight or both
Define medieval warm period
Warm period in time thought to be caused by increased solar activity, decreased volcanic activity and ocean circulation changes
Define little ice age
Time when the Tems river would freeze in London, caused by decreased summer solar radiation and erupting volcanoes blocking sunlight or both
How do we define the base of the holecene ***possible question
The base of the Holocene epoch is defined in the NGRIP ice core record.
Evolution of land plants dates back to the late Silurian***possible question
Plants are C02 Sink and stabilize earths surface.
What were plants like in the late carboniferous
Tropical forests, check text
When did the first angiosperms (flowering plants)
Flowering plants evolved during the Early to mid-Cretaceous. Flowers “co-evolved and
diversified with insects”; the insects were the pollinators as opposed to wind in gymnosperms. Up to 90% of living plant species are angiosperms and insects comprise 50% of all known animal species.
What percent are insects and angiospersm compared to other life forms on earth
90% of living plants are angiosperms
50% of animal species are insects
When was the last iceage, and its impact on plants
late carboniferous
Define the Palocene and Eocene Thermal Maximum
Occurred 55.5 million years ago
There were indications there were increases in temperature
Evidence for Ocean acidification, ocean circulation changed, disrupted carbon cycle, faunal communities were distributed.
Over a 2500 year period, there was a Large Igneous Province (LIP) and major pulses that released methane clathrates
- this released 12,000 Gigatonnes of carbon = 44,000 Gt of C02 ** test question (don’t get carbon and carbon dioxide confused)
At the time atmospheric C02 levels were maybe 1125 PPM
What did the Paleocene Eocene Thermal maximum do for life
Mammals thrived in Europe and NA, overall mass extinction of fish in Northern Atlantic. The Canadian Artic looked very different
Define the Fossil Forest
There were subtropical forest in 80 degrees north in the Canadian artic, due to the Thermal maximum
How much C02 do humans contribute to the atmosphere every year
4.5 Parts Per Million (PPM) every year
