Climate Change Part 1 Flashcards
What are 5 effects of climate change?
Declining arctic life, Increase in severe weather, Coral reef bleaching, Glacial retreat, Thinning of arctic ice
What is a proxy measurement?
Using evidence to estimate past measurements
What are 3 examples of proxy measurements?
Ice cores, pollen deposits in lakes, coral reefs/ mother of pearl
What are 3 random, naturally occurring events that change climate?
Volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts, tectonic plate movement
What are 3 regular, naturally occurring events that change climate?
Sunspot cycles, lunar cycles, earth’s tilt
What are the 8 effects of climate change?
Less biodiversity, more severe weather, loss of land glaciers, more disease, ocean becomes more acidic, weather patterns change, sea level rises, positive feedback loop in arctic
Why is it bad that terrestrial glaciers are melting?
Loss of drinking water, rising sea level
What is the formula for ocean acidification?
CO2 + H2O = H2CO3
Why is the sea level rising?
Melting terrestrial glaciers and thermal expansion
What are 3 things happening in the arctic because of climate change?
Positive feedback loop, thermohaline circulation disrupted, CO2 and CH4 are released
What happens in a positive feedback loop?
Albedo increases, more heat is absorbed, thermohaline circulation is disrupted, CO2 and CH4 are released from melting permafrost
What is an externality?
A choice affects other people in a way that is not accounted for in the market price
What are 2 examples of externalities?
Smoke from factories = increase in health care cost, river dam = destruction of fishing industry
What happens in the greenhouse effect?
1) 30% of solar energy is reflected by high albedo surfaces.
2) 70% is absorbed by earth and re-emitted as heat.
3) Some heat is absorbed by greenhouse gases and re-emitted, warning the troposphere.
4) Some infrared energy escapes into space (less than before)
What are the 3 greatest greenhouse gases?
1) water vapor
2) CO2
3) CH4
What is the greenhouse effect in a nutshell?
We made the atmosphere too good at holding in heat
What are 3 greenhouse gas factors?
1) abundance /quantity
2) atmospheric lifetime
3) global warming potential
What is the atmospheric lifetime of something?
The amount of time until the gas leaves the atmosphere
How can gas leave the atmosphere?
Cycles, like the nitrogen and phosphorus cycle
What does GWP mean?
How much heat can be stored per molecule
What is the base measurement for GWP?
1 (CO2)
What are 5 primary sources of greenhouse gases?
1) CO2 (fossil fuels)
2) CH4 (methane)
3) FCs and SF6 (coolants and fishing lines)
4) O3
5) N2O (fertilizer)
CO2 contributes ___% of greenhouse gases
50
What is the GWP of CO2?
1
What is the GWP of methane?
In the 20s
What is the GWP of PFCs?
In the thousands
What is the GWP of N2O, HFCs, and SF6?
Between CO2 and PFCs
What is the GWP of ozone?
Ozone has no calculated GWP
What are the 2 biggest sources of greenhouse gases?
Electricity /heating (25%), agriculture (24%)
