Climate Change Flashcards
what are the three main mechanics of heat transfer?
- conduction
- convection
- radiation
what is the conduction heat transfer?
thermal energy transfer, highly energetic molecules/atoms collide with less energetic giving them energy
what is the convection heat transfer?
highly energetic molecules move from one place to another, carrying thermal energy with them
what is radiation heat transfer?
atoms/molecules emit electromagnetic waves; that are converted to thermal energy when they interact with matter
sum up solar radiation?
- radiant energy takes from in electromagnetic waves (narrow wave lengths)
- includes UV, visible, IR
- all forms of life depend on solar radiation
how do water and land retain heat?
water: greater heat capacity and depth more wide spread
land: more concentrated (warmer)
what creates wind?
when a thermal circulation occurs when warm air rises and cool air sinks, this creates wind
during the day what happens to land and air?
- land heats quicker than water
- low over land high over water
- movement of air = high to low so breeze it towards land
during the night what happens to land and air?
- land cools faster than water
- high over land. low over water
- breeze from land to water
what 4 regions can the atmosphere be divided into?
- troposphere
- stratosphere
- mesosphere
- thermosphere
sum up the troposphere.
- 11 km from earth
- area contains our weather
- temperature decreases with height
what is the tropopause?
an area between the troposphere and stratosphere, temperature doesn’t decrease with height in this area
sum up stratosphere.
- 20-50km above earth
- temp. increases with height due to presence of ozone layer
- average temp. -46 degrees c
what is the stratopause?
area between stratosphere and mesosphere
sum up the mesosphere.
- 60-90km above earth
- temp. decreases with height
- average air temp, -90
what is the mesopause?
area between mesosphere and thermosphere
sum up thermoshere.
from 110-500 km above earth
temp increases with height
UV radiation is absorbed by molecular oxygen
what is the ionosphere?
a layer of charged particles in the thermosphere, caused by the absorption of energy from the sun
how much of the earths surface is covered by water?
70%
97% saltwater
3% freshwater
explain hydrologic cycle
- evaporation comes from rivers and lakes and moist ground
- condensation occurs with cooling temps. and cloud formation
- water falls in some form of precipitation
what is the basis of the continental drift theory? (4 point)
- earths crust/mantle are divided into 7 large plates and several smaller ones
- the plates are moving in relation of one another
- continents move as the plates do
- during the past 200 million years the continents gradually moved apart to their current positions
how many glacial and inter-glacial periods have there been in the past 800,000 years
there have been 8
what are the 3 reasons behind ice ages?
- eccentricity of the earths orbit: between circular and elliptical
- tilt: the tilt of the earths axis
- procession of wobble: where direction of tilt changes
what are the 2 main reasons global warming ins occurring?
burning of fossil fuels/ deforestation
What are the 5 problems with global warming?
- increased average annual temp.
- melting of polar icecaps and glaciers
- melting of permafrost
- rise in ocean sea levels
- more extreme weather
what is a feedback loop?
a process in which the result acts to influence the original process
what is a positive vs. negative feedback loop?
positive: the effect increases the original cause
negative: the effect decreases the original cause
what are the three main types of clouds?
cumulus, stratus and cirrus
what are cumulus clouds?
puffy clouds, form from convection currents and the meeting of air masses
what are stratus clouds?
low level, flat, forms in many layers. forms by the meeting of air masses, up the side of a mountain range, by conduction when at ground level (fog)
what are cirrus clouds?
high-level clouds made of ice crystals formed by deposition
what is deposition?
when water vapor changes directly from a gas to a solid
what is a nimbus cloud?
rain or snow bearing cloud
what is a nimbostratus cloud?
stratus cloud that brings rain
what is a cumulonimbus cloud?
rain or snow bearing cloud (storm clouds)
below 2000m what are the clouds called? (3)
stratus
nimbostratus
cumulonimbus
from 2000m to 6000m what are the clouds called? (2)
altostratus
altocumulus
what are clouds that are above 6000m called? (2)
cirrostratus
cirrocumulus
what happens in solar radiation (clouds)
ground heats by conduction, air heats, becomes less dense and rises
what happens with air masses?
two air masses of different temps. meet, cooler pushes warm air up
what happens in a mountain range?
a moving air mass meets a mountain range, the mass rises over the mountain and cool
what does a weather system consist of?
temperature, wind, pressure, and moisture
what is an air mass and what are the 4 types?
a large body of air that has the same temp and humidity
- continental: originates over land; dry air
- maritime: originates over water; moist air
- polar: originates over polar regions: cool air
4: tropical: originates over tropical regions: wgwarm air
what are the 4 types of fronts?
warm front: warm air mass, gradually rises over cold
cold front: cold air mass pushes under a warm one- results in violent storms
occluded front: a cold front catches up to a slower warm front - less extreme storms
stationary front: cold and warm air masses meet and stay there for several days - steady precipitation
what does the Coriolis effect result in?
- results in the prevailing westerlies (movement of air from west to east)
- prevailing easterlies (movement of air from east to west)
what is the jet stream?
a ribbon of extremely fast moving air, tend to occur within polar and temperate zones
