climate change Flashcards
what are the four main components of the climate system
- the carbon and water cycles
- concentrations of greenhouse gases in atmosphere
- positive and negative feedback loops, including albedo effect
- ocean currents
what is climate projection and how is it generated
estimate for future climate, generated by complex computer models
six clean energy sources
wind power - turbines
geothermal - heal below earths surface
solar power - absorb radiation
hydroelectricity - energy of moving water
biofuel - plant based feel
nuclear power - created by splitting of nuclei of atoms
disadvantages of clean energy sources
wind power - noise disturbance
geothermal - can release harmful gases
nuclear power - produces radioactive waste
if climate change is not put to end, it could result in:
- disintegration of the greenland and west antarctic ice sheets which raises sea level
- extinction of half the worlds species
- increase in extreme weather
four main global impacts on climate change
rising sea level - glaciers and ice sheets melt, resulting in rising sea levels
impacts on agriculture - crops could receive less water and flooding could occur
impacts on ecosystems - wildlife will migrate to area they’re not supposed to be.
impacts on human, plant and animal health - diseases could spread toward the poles
how do changes in arctic impact the rest of the world
albedo effect - land will reflect less of the suns energy and absorb more.
sea level rise - as glaciers and ice sheets melt more water will flow into oceans.
ocean currents - water flowing into oceans can slow or stop ocean currents, which affect the climate in many countries
how to combat climate change with
- transportation
- energy production
- energy conservation
- waste management
- use less fuel by driving efficient (no idling)
- use clean energy sources
- collect methane and use it for energy
factors that effect climate
- near large bodies of water
- latitude
- altitude
- land formation
positive feedback loops
increasing temperature - increased evaporation into atmosphere - increased water vapour in atmosphere traps more radiation
increasing temperatures - more co2 released from carbon sinks - more radiation trapped
the albedo effect
the proportion of radiation that is reflected by a surface is called its albedo. Light surfaces (ice, snow) have a higher albedo and absorb a lot of radiation. dark surfaces (land, water) opposite.
the higher the latitude, the
colder the climate
earths four spheres
atmosphere
hydrosphere
lithosphere
biosphere
layers in atmosphere
troposphere
stratosphere
the atmosphere does what
insulates earth and shields it from radiation
