Climate change and earth science Flashcards
what is weather
- A description of the atmospheric conditions in a particular location over a short period of time.
-Includes temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind.
what is climate
- The average weather in a region over a long period of time (> 30 years).
- The climate of a region determines the types of animals and plants that live there.
what is the difference between weather and climate
- weather refers to short-term changes in the atmosphere, climate describes what the weather is like over a long period of time in a specific area.
what are climate zones based on
temperature, precipitation, and vegetation
explain ecozones
- In the last 30 years, there has been a greater focus on ecosystems.
- Based on landforms, soil, vegetation, and human factors, in addition to precipitation and temperatures.
what’s the difference between ecozones and ecoregion
- canadian ecozone= global ecoregion
- Globally, there are 867 distinct ecoregions.
-E.g., Timmins is located in the Abitibi Plains ecoregion, which is one of the 30 ecoregion in the Boreal Shield ecozone.
what are factors affecting climate
- Distance from the equator (latitude).
- The presence of large bodies of water.
- The presence of ocean or air currents.
- Land formations
- The height above sea level (altitude)
explain which energy (quanta) is in the sun
The Sun emits a wide range of light (electromagnetic radiation)
(UV, visible, and infrared)
explain the Interaction between Earth and the Solar radiation
- Electromagnetic radiation can be absorbed, reflected, or transmitted
when does earths surface absorb/emit light
-Earth’s surface absorbs light during the day and emits light during the night
explain the difference between outgoing and outgoing lower energy radiation?
- outgoing solar radiation (30%) is reflected by clouds, the atmosphere, and earths surface
- outgoing lower energy infrared radiation (70%) is radiated by clouds, the atmosphere, and both directly and indirectly from the earth
what are the four main components of earths climate system
- lithosphere (rocks)
- hydrosphere (water)
- atmosphere (gas)
- living things
-Each component absorbs solar radiation and moves energy around the globe.
what are the atmostshpereic components
- Nitrogen (N2) 78%
- Oxygen (O2) 21%
- Argon (Ar) 0.93%
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) 0.04%
- Water (H2O) trace amounts - 4% (depending on climate)
- Trace amounts of methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, CFCs, and other gases.
what are the greenhouse gases
- Any gas in the atmosphere that absorbs infrared radiation from the Earth and radiates it in all directions.
- Water vapour (H20)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Methane (CH4)
- Ozone (O3)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
what is the greenhouse gas effect
- High-energy radiation from the sun enters the atmosphere.
- Gases and clouds in the atmosphere trap some of the infrared radiation from Earth’s surface and radiate it back.
- This is a natural process that has been happening for millions of years.
explain Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Concentration: 385 ppm (parts per million)
- Causes up to 25% of greenhouse effect on Earth
- Carbon cycles through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere
explain carbon sinks
- forests and oceans, act as carbon sinks because they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store the carbon atoms
- CO2 is stored in plants through photosynthesis and released back into atmosphere when plants burn or decompose.
- CO2 dissolves into ocean and forms solid calcium carbonate, which sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
explain Water vapour (H2O)
- Concentration: trace amounts - 4%
- Causes up to 67% of greenhouse effect on Earth.
- Water also cycles through the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
-warmer climates lead to more water vapour, more water vapour leads to warmer climates
explain the albedo effect
- Ice and snow on Earth’s surface reflect more solar radiation than grass and trees.
- ice melts -> less sun radiates ->warmer climates
- ice forms -> more sun reflects -> colder climates
explain Methane (CH4)
- Concentration: 1.785 ppm
- Methane is 23 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than CO2
- produced naturally by biological processes, such as plant decomposition and animal digestion.
explain the Ozone (O3)
- trophosephere/planes (O3 is toxic as a greenhouse gas)
- stratosphere (protects earth from high energy UV radiation)
- mesosphere
- thermosphere
- exosphere
explain Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Concentration: 0.321 ppm
- Nitrous oxide is 300 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than CO2.
- Produced by the reactions of bacteria in soil and water.
explain Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
- Concentration: trace amounts
- Depletes ozone layer, allowing more UV light to pass through the atmosphere.
- Only produced by human sources
- Used as a refrigerant
- under Global ban: No longer allowed to be used and manufactured (Montreal Protocol)
what is anthropology
the study of humans
