Climate Change Flashcards

1
Q

What is the difference between weather and climate?

A

Weather: conditions of atmosphere over short time periods.

Climate: average of weather conditions over long time period.

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2
Q

Preserved physical characteristics of the past that stand in for direct meteorological measurements and enable scientists to reconstruct the climatic conditions over a longer fraction of the Earth’s history.

A

Climate proxies.

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3
Q

Proxy data consists of two elements. Define both.

A

Span: range of time for which data from a given type of proxy exists.

Resolution: how much detail is to be found in a given type of proxy data.

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4
Q

What is palynology?

A

Study of pollen.

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5
Q

What are two ways we can know past temperatures?

A

Ice cores; sediment cores.

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6
Q

Lighter water _____ preferentially. Heavy water _____ preferentially.

A

Evaporates.

Precipitates.

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7
Q

What are the climate and sea level proxies for the Eocene (~55Ma)?

A

Marine sediments.

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8
Q

Describe the greenhouse effect.

A

Ultraviolet (UV) energy absorbed by the Earth’s surface; at night, radiated as infrared (IR) energy. IR prevented from leaving the atmosphere by certain gasses.

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9
Q

Which two gasses contribute most to the greenhouse effect?

A

Carbon dioxide; methane.

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10
Q

What is albedo?

A

Measure of how much light that hits surface is reflected without being absorbed.

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11
Q

How is carbon stored? What is the process for it?

A

Photosynthesis.

Water + Carbon Dioxide + Nutrients + Sunlight ➔ Oxygen + Organic material.

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12
Q

How is carbon released back into the atmosphere?

A

Decomposition.

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13
Q

Between 2007-2017 the ocean absorbed what?

A

25% of anthropogenic CO2.

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14
Q

Increased CO2 decreases what? Why is this important?

A

pH.

Warm water holds less gas.

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15
Q

Increased CO2 in the ocean = increased _____.

A

Acidification.

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16
Q

List eight climate concerns.

A

Food security.

Increase in extreme weather events.

Drought/forest fires.

Access to water.

Flooding.

Melting of the permafrost.

Displacement of vulnerable peoples.

Sea level rise.

17
Q

Why does sea level rise occur?

A

Glacial ice melting, expansion of water with heat.

18
Q

What is the risk of permafrost melting?

A

Release of methane; ancient viruses.

19
Q

Agricultural lands contribute 20% of greenhouse gasses. Why is this?

A

Methane from soil.

20
Q

North Americans waste _____% of the food they buy.

A

30-50.

21
Q

Decreasing food waste would be beneficial for what three reasons?

A

Decreases use of pesticides/fertilizers runoff into water.

Decrease release of methane.

Decrease soil degradation.

22
Q

One method of geoengineering is solar radiation management. What does this entail? What are four problems with it?

A

Artificially increasing albedo.

Doesn’t decrease CO2.

Sudden spikes in temperatures if technology fails.

Ocean acidification is not mitigated.

Effectiveness depends on latitude.

23
Q

Which is more potent: methane or carbon dioxide?

A

Methane.