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Geography > Climate Change > Flashcards

Climate Change Flashcards

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1
Q

What is paleoclimatology?

A

the study of the Earth’s past climates through proxy methods

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2
Q

What are the three methods for long-term climate reconstruction?

A
  • isotope analysis
  • ice cores
  • ocean sediment core
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3
Q

What is significant about the climate of the past 70 million years (3)?

A
  • scientists have been able to reliably recreate climate
  • continents have been stable throughout this time
  • relatively rapid warming of the atmosphere
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4
Q

What are some characteristics of the climate of the past 70 million years (3)?

A
  • warmer
  • tropical environments extended further
  • cooling trend 50 million years ago
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5
Q

What is significant about the climate of the past five million years (3)?

A
  • oversaw the evolution of modern humans
  • rise of agriculture and civilizations
  • included an ice age
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6
Q

What is significant about the climate of the past 20,000 years?

A

there have been more sources of data to analyze climate

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7
Q

What is dendrochronology (4)?

A
  • each ring represents a year of growth
  • the thicker the ring, the wetter the conditions
  • the thinner the ring, the dryer the conditions
  • scars form forest fires
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8
Q

What are the mechanisms of natural climate change (4)?

A
  • solar variability
  • Earth’s orbital cycles
  • continental position and topography
  • atmospheric gases and aerosols
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9
Q

How does solar variablity affect climate change (4)?

A
  • variations in amount of energy coming into Earth’s system
  • solar output has increased by 1/3
  • changes in the sun’s magnetic field
  • susnpot activity
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10
Q

How does Earth’s orbital cycles affect climate change (5)?

A
  • distance between Earth and sun varies
  • elliptical orbit around sun varies
  • shape of ellipse varies
  • Earth’s orientation towards sun
  • axial tilt varies
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11
Q

How does continental position and topograpy affect climate change (4)?

A
  • composition of continents impacts atmospheric and oceanic circulation
  • example: formation of Himalyan Mountains affects jet stream and rain shadow
  • example: formation of Panamanian Bridge prevents ocean flow
  • position and structure impacts Earth’s albedo
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12
Q

How do atmospheric gases and aerosols affect climate change (3)?

A
  • more carbon dioxide = warmer
  • less carbon dioxide = cooler
  • aerosols cause cooler conditions
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13
Q

What is feedback (3)?

A
  • feedback: systems produce outputs that influence their own operations
  • positive feedback: feedback amplifies system changes; destabilizes system
  • negative feedback: a reduction in system changes; stabilizes system
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14
Q

What are some examples of feedback that impact climate (2)?

A
  • ice-albedo feedback

- water vapor feedback

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15
Q

What is the carbon budget?

A

the exchange of carbon between sources and sinks in all of Earth’s spheres

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16
Q

What is the Carbon Cycle (3)?

A
  • some processes remove carbon from the atmosphere (photosynthesis)
  • some add carbon to the atmosphere (respiration and decomposition)
  • must remain balanced
17
Q

What are some human impacts on the Carbon Cycle (2)?

A
  • clearing forests: decreases carbon sinks

- industrial revolution: burning of fossil fuels

18
Q

What is the Keeling Curve?

A
  • shows increase of carbon dioxide since 1955

- fluctuation caused by seasonality and photosynthesis

19
Q

How do oceans affect the carbon cycle (5)?

A
  • absorption of carbon by ocean results in smaller than expected amount of CO2 in atmosphere
  • absorption causes formation of carbonic acid in ocean
  • ocean acidity negatively impacts marine life
  • the world’s oceans have absorbed about 50% of atmospheric carbon
  • as the ocean’s temperature increases, its ability to dissolve carbon decreases
20
Q

How do plants affect the carbon cycle?

A
  • plants grow at a quicker rate and store more carbon

- but as temperature increases, photosynthesis decreases

21
Q

What serves as evidence for present climate change (5)?

A
  • sources of climate data
  • rising temperatures
  • melting ice
  • rising sea levels
  • increased atmospheric water vapor
22
Q

What are some sources of climate data (4)?

A
  • weather data
  • satellites
  • weather balloons, ships, buoys, etc.
  • aircrafts
23
Q

How do rising temperatures explain climate change (2)?

A
  • warmest time in last 120,000 years

- increse in 20th century temperature happened faster than any other increase in the last 1,000 years

24
Q

How does melting ice explain climate change (3)?

A
  • melting sea ice does not increase sea level, but exposes lower albedo ocean water, resulting in increasing temperatures
  • glacial ice is decreasing in Antarctice and Greenland
  • permafrost has been thawing
25
Q

How do rising sea levels explain climate change (2)?

A
  • by-product of melting ice in polar environments

- happening faster than previously thought

26
Q

How does increased atmospheric water vapor explain climate change (3)?

A
  • increasing since the 1970s
  • by-product of increasing temperature
  • results in more frequent and extreme weather events
27
Q

What is the primary cause of worldwide temperature increases?

A

increase of greenhouse gasses in atmosphere

28
Q

How do greenhouse gasses affect climate change (2)?

A
  • higher levels of greenhouse gasses absorb more longwave radiation trying to exit Earth’s atmosphere
  • contribution to climate change depends on type of gas and how long gas remains in atmosphere
29
Q

How has the increase in carbon dioxide contributed to climate change (3)?

A
  • most prevalent of greenhouse gasses
  • lasts 50-100 years
  • primary sources: fossil fuels (70%), biomass burning, forest removal, industrial agriculture, cement production
30
Q

How has the increase in methane contributed to climate change?

A
  • 2nd most prevalent
  • lasts about 12 years
  • traps more heat than CO2
  • primary sources: livestock, mining coal, oil, natural gas, rice farming, burning vegetation
31
Q

How has the increase in nitrous oxide contributed to climate change?

A
  • 3rd most prevalent
  • lasts about 120 years
  • primary sources: commercial agriculture (chemical fertilizer)

Geography (11 decks)

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