Climate Change Flashcards
Evidence from Climate Change
Landforms and soil fossils, plants and animals sediment and ice cores tree rings fossilized pollen lake sediments historical narratives
tree rings
Warm for about 11 000 years
tree rings - thicker lines mean climate is more perfect for growth thus more precipitation and water available
tighter lines suggest dry climates and less growth
Sun spots
short term changes take place when storm areas occur on the surface areas that appear dark blue to isolated surface cooling
solar flares : sudden explosions of energy caused by tangling, crossing or recognizing of magnetic fields near sunspots
Orbit changes
During 100 000 years earths orbit stretches form nearly circular to elliptical resulting flux is 17.5 million km
axis changes
wobbles in the axis due to unequal distribution of mass form varied climates, every 21 000 years the eartsh access swivels
climate feedbacks
positive feedback - enhanced effect ex. ocean warming
negative feedback - reduced effect
urban microclimates
cities are usually warmer than their rural counterparts, greater concentration of heat producing objects combustion and people
trapped radiant energy
windows of building acts as a magnifying glass heating the roads
metropolitan climates
less radiation reduced wind speeds greater temperatures more condensation and cloud cover less evaporation form dry surfaces leading to greater runoff
air pollution
primary pollutants - gasses or solids that come directly from industrial and domestic sources - ex. c02, shofar dioxides and nitrogen solid examples are metals and smoke
secondary pollutants - produced by the interactions of primary pollutants with each other or the atmosphere
acid precipitation
produced when sulfur and nitrogen react chemically with atmospheric water vapor
pollution plume
dust domes can detach form their urban centres when winds > 13km/hr
smog
solar radiation and organic compounds react with nitrogen oxides = ground level ozone
blanket that is holding in our city heat
