Climate Change

Question 1

what is the troposphere + how does height affect temperature here

Answer 1

where most weather processes occur. As height increases, temperature decreases

Question 2

what is the mesosphere + how does height affect temperature here

Answer 2

The layer of the atmosphere that has a low density, so there is less absorb of energy = low temp. As height increases, temperature decreases

Question 3

what is the stratosphere + how does height affect temperature here

Answer 3

lacks dust and water vapour.
As height increases, temperature increases

Question 4

what is the thermosphere + how does height affect temperature here

Answer 4

Increase in absorption energy = increased energised short-wave radiation. As height increases, temperature increases

Question 5

define albedo

Answer 5

the reflectivity of a material

Question 6

why is albedo important

Answer 6

reduces the amount of solar radiation reaching the earths surface, so does not allow for extensive heating, helping to cool the planet

Question 7

what would happen if the surface of the earth changed to more or less reflective

Answer 7

more -> the earth gets cooler
less -> hotter

Question 8

how are the oceans and other water on earth important to the Global Energy Budget

Answer 8

They absorb, store and redistribute heat to help regulate the earth’s temperature. Water’s high heat capacity allows it to absorb large amounts of water without significant temperature changes

Question 9

name 4 greenhouse gases

Answer 9

• water vapour
• CO2
• Methane
• Chlorofluorocarbon’s

Question 10

give 2 facts about water vapour

Answer 10

• makes up 95% of all greenhouse gases
• accounts for 50% of the greenhouse effect

Question 11

give 2 facts about C02

Answer 11

• levels have risen 85ppm over 62 years, and is expected 200ppm more by 2050
• C02 levels have increased due to human activities (deforestation)

Question 12

give 2 facts about methane

Answer 12

• 2nd largest contributor of the greenhouse gas effect
• methane comes from cattle, paddy fields and natural wetlands

Question 13

give 2 facts about chlorofluorocarbons

Answer 13

• synthetic chemicals that destroy ozone and absorb long-wave radiation
• 10,000 times more efficient at trapping heat than C02

Question 14

how do volcanoes affect climate change (Phillipines Jun1991)

Answer 14

• ash cloud reflected solar radiation
• 20 mill tonnes of ash in the air
• absorbed infrared radiation emitted by the Earth, and stopped it being reflected back to earth
• reduced temp of earth slightly

Question 15

issue with methane

Answer 15

• its in gaseous state under normal conditions - hard to capture and store

Question 16

where is methane stored and how can it be released

Answer 16

• found below the sea floor
• organic material trapped in permafrost -> when it melts it releases methane
• methane is trapped underwater at high pressure and low temps, and when temps rise, the methane is released

Question 17

what is a negative feed back loop

Answer 17

decreases the amount of change and reduces the inputs, to return stability to a system

Question 18

what is a positive feed back loop

Answer 18

increases the amount of change leading to instability in a system

Question 19

what is an example of a positive feedback look

Answer 19

-> increased cooling
-> increased ice growth
-> increased albedo
-> less insolation
-> increased cooling

Question 20

what is an example of a negative feedback loop

Answer 20

-> burning (volcano)
-> More aerosols in the air
-> reduced solar radiation at the surface
-> cooling

Question 21

what is the atmospheric system

Answer 21

an open system receiving radiation from both the sun and the earth.

Question 22

where does short wave radiation come from and it what form

Answer 22

from hot bodies i.e. the sun. ultraviolet

Question 23

where does long wave radiation come from and it what form

Answer 23

from cold bodies i.e.the earth. infrared

Question 24

what is convection

Answer 24

transfer of heat by movement of a gas or liquid

Question 25

what is conduction

Answer 25

transfer of heat by contact

Question 26

define greenhouse effect

Answer 26

the process where water vapour, C02 CH4 AND CFCs allow short wave energy from the sun to pass through the atmosphere and heat the earth.

Question 27

what is the amount of insolation affected by

Answer 27

• the suns angle
• cloud type

Question 28

what is permafrost

Answer 28

frozen ground layer under the topsoil. Anywhere cold enough to have frozen ground for 2 years counts as permafrost

Question 29

what are the issues with melting permafrost

Answer 29

• the ground underneath becomes unstable
• releases methane
• loss of plants due to the top soil being destroyed

Question 30

Case study - Greenland
what has been happening to the ice sheets in greenland and what are the impacts of it

Answer 30

• Since 2002, large areas of the Greenland ice shelf has been melting and pouring billions of gallons of fresh water into salty seas
• the maximum melt area has increased by 16% from 1979 to 2002
• rise in sea levels
• the rising threat of the return of cold winters
• could shut down the Gulf Stream, reducing warmer currents reaching the UK
• depressions could dump snow on England -> leading to a much colder continental climate
• Canada would experience deep freezes where the sea could freeze and snow could lie for weeks and months

Question 31

which countries emit the most C02 today and in total and per person

Answer 31

today
-> 53% from asia
-> 27% from china (10 billion tonnes of C02 in 2017)
-> 15% from usa
-> 7% from india

total
-> usa (290 billion tonnes) 25%
-> EU -> 22%

per person: usually oil rich countries
-> qatar (49 tonnes pp)
-> australia (17 tonnes pp)

Question 32

What would happen if all the ice melted (5)

Answer 32

– Coastal flooding
– lower albedo levels
– severe water shortages (wars over freshwater))
– relocation and property damage due to flooding
– increase in natural climatic events for example storms and tsunamis

Question 33

Briefly describe what is happening with the retreating Swiss glaciers

Answer 33

This is where the glaciers are losing more mass than they can gain which ends up in a production of their size. This is due to warmer temperatures in Switzerland and lower snowfall

Question 34

Facts of the retreat of the Swiss glaciers

Answer 34

– Switzerland is losing 10% of its glacier ice in two years
– one-third of its glacier volume has melted since 2000
– there will shrink to 5% of their current size by the end of the century

Question 35

What are the impacts of the Swiss glaciers retreating

Answer 35

– There will be an increase in natural disasters for example floods Deri flow and landslides
– the lakes form inside the glaciers risk suddenly spilling downhill wiping up villages and infrastructure