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Energy & Environment > Climate Emergency > Flashcards

Climate Emergency Flashcards

1
Q

The climate system can be though of as a [] that drives heat between the equator and the poles

A

Heat engine

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2
Q

This engine powers [] and [] circulation, giving rise to our climate

A

Wind and ocean circulation

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3
Q

Albedo is a measure of . . .

A

The reflection of solar radiation, relative to the total radiation received

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4
Q

On the albedo scale, what is 0-1 ?

A

1- reflects all radiation
Snow
Ice
Greenery
Soil
Water
0- black body

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5
Q

[]% of the earth’s atmosphere is []km from its surface

A

90%

12km

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6
Q

All bodies lose heat to their surroundings through []

A

Radiation

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7
Q

What aspect of radiation varies with the bodies temperature?

A

Colour

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8
Q

The sun at []K loses most of its energy in the [] spectrum

A

5778K

Visible spectrum

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9
Q

Normal bodies emit what type of radiation?

A

Infra-red

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10
Q

Glass is transparent to which radiation type, but opaque to which other type?

A

Transparent to visible glass

Opaque to infra red

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11
Q

The earth’s atmosphere has [] which are transparent to [] but opaque to []

A

Trace gases

Sunlight

Infra-red

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12
Q

Trace gases which are opaque to infra-red radiation from bodies close to Earths surface temperatures are called

A

Green house gases

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13
Q

Explain the greenhouse gas effect on a greenhouse

A

Interior warms from short wavelength solar radiation

Glass absorbs longer wavelength radiation

Incoming energy is trapped

Interior temp rises until rate of heat loss = incident radiation

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14
Q

Elevation of surface temp due to atmospheric optical properties is the [], it is why the Earth is []°C but the moon is []°C

A

Greenhouse gas effect

12

-28

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15
Q

What is the most potent GHG?

A

Water vapour

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16
Q

What is the water vapour cycle

A

Higher vapour conc. in air

Traps more heat

Higher temp causes evaporation of sea water

More evaporation, more vapour in the air

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17
Q

What are the other GHGs?

A

CO2

CH4

CFC & N2O

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18
Q

What is climate forcing?

A

It is the extra solar radiation needed to obtain the same temperature elevation of the atm. Without the GH effect

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19
Q

(Climate temp + rise due to GHE )

is equal to

A

Climate temp + forcing

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20
Q

Climate forcing is a function of [] conc. in the atm.

A

CO2

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21
Q

What is the forcing equation?

A

ΔF= 5.35ln( C/Co)

Where C is the conc. of CO2 in the atm.

And Co is pre-industrial conc.

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22
Q

Why does the forcing equation follow a logarithmic variation?

A

CO2 absorption is nearly saturated.

By comparison, increase with forcing for other GHGs is much sharper

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23
Q

What is climate sensitivity?

A

The global temp rise resulting from forcing equivalent to doubling CO2 conc. over pre-industrial levels

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24
Q

CH4 has a lifetime of

A

12 years eve for it is oxidised by CO2

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25
Q

What are CFCs?

A

Chlorofluorocarbons

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26
Q

What are the three stable climate states that could arise in geological timescales?

A

Snowball earth

Grounded/floating ice and sea level

Runaway greenhouse effect (yeehaw)

27
Q

What happens in the snowball earth climate state

A

Proves that the earths surface was entirely frozen at least once

Associated with a low GHG conc.

Ice-albedo feedback causes the ice cover of the earth

28
Q

What happens in the grounded/floating ice and sea level state

A

If arctic melted, Earth’s albedo would change but not sea level

This is because floating ice displaces the same volume as melted ice

Sea level depends on fresh water locked in ground ice (glaciers)

29
Q

What happens in the runaway greenhouse effect ?

A

This is a state where the feedback between surface temp and atmospheric opacity increases.

Until GHE is so strong that the ocean boils away.

This is thought to have happened on Venus

30
Q

The use of fossil fuels has increased atm. CO2 from [] to [] ppm

A

278 - 415 ppm

THATS ALMOST DOUBLE

31
Q

CO2 in the atmosphere will stay a problem even if emission stopped, true of false?

32
Q

Even if the world were to stabilise emission . . .

A

CO2 would continue to accumulate, so we must also work on removing CO2 from the atmosphere

33
Q

What causes sea levels to rise?

A

Ice sheet melt

Sea water expansion (due to warming)

34
Q

If large ice caps melt, land on Earth has been [], causing a corresponding [] of the Earth

A

redistributed

deformation

This is because areas of high pressure (ice caps) are redistributed

35
Q

in what year is there a risk of 0.5m sea level rise?

36
Q

What are two predicted consequences of rising sea levels?

A

increased frequency and intensity of storm surges

projected 800M people at risk

37
Q

What does an amplified hydrological cycle involve?

A

higher temp

more evaporation

increased precipitation

higher frequency and intensity of extreme events

(storms, flooding, hurricanes)

38
Q

What is the main contributor to 1C rise of global average temperature?

A

rising levels of greenhouse gases

39
Q

CO2 makes up for what proportion of GHGs in the atmosphere?

40
Q

CH4 has caused what proportion of warming?

41
Q

CH4 is [] times more potent than CO2 over its [] year lifespan

A

80 times

20 year

42
Q

Engineers must . . .

A

reduce FF emissions, whilst making the transition to lower carbon fuels easier

Reduce cost of lower carbon tech

43
Q

It is not enough for Engineering solutions to just tackle today’s problems, the must meet future needs and have built in []

A

resilience

44
Q

following a []C increase in average global temp . . . What happens to the weather cycle’s viability for influencing design?

A

2°C

the 20-50 year weather cycle will no longer be a suitable basis for design

45
Q

Argiculture, fossil fuels and deforestation cause

A

GHG emissions

46
Q

GHG emissions cause

A

Global warming, climate change

47
Q

GW, climate change cause the following environmental effects

A

habitat destruction, ocean acidification

Intensified weather events

glacial retreat

coral bleaching

Pest propagation

48
Q

Habitat destruction leads to

A

biodiversity loss

ecosystem collapse

49
Q

GW, climate change cause the positive feedback effects of

A

snow cover reduction, lower global albedo

water vapour increase

permafrost melt, methane release

50
Q

glacial retreat leads to

A

sea level rise

51
Q

pest propagation leads to

52
Q

sea level rise leads to

A

flooded land, crop failure

53
Q

flooded land and crop failure give rise to

A

human migration and conflict

54
Q

intensified weather events lead to

A

direct human harm

55
Q

What is the estimated CO2 content in GigaTonnes for the atmosphere

56
Q

What is the estimated CO2 content in GigaTonnes for vegetation

57
Q

What is the estimated CO2 content in GigaTonnes for soils

58
Q

What is the estimated CO2 content in GigaTonnes for accessible fossil fuels

59
Q

What is the estimated CO2 content in GigaTonnes for the Ocean

60
Q

how many gigatonnes of carbon per year does fossil fuels put into the atmosphere?

61
Q

how many gigatonnes of carbon per year does the atmosphere put into the ocean?

62
Q

What is the forcing contribution of CO2 in Wm^-2 ?

63
Q

What is the forcing contribution of CH4 in Wm^-2 ?

64
Q

What is the forcing contribution of CFC in Wm^-2 ?

Energy & Environment (13 decks)

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