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Climate Final Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

system:

A

an object (or group) being studied within a boundary

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2
Q

open system:

A

allows energy and matter to flow in and out

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3
Q

closed system:

A

allows energy but not matter to flow in and out

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4
Q

isolated system:

A

neither matter nor energy can flow across the boundary

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5
Q

what 3 components make up the biosphere

A

Atmosphere (air)
Lithosphere (land)
Hydrosphere (water)

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6
Q

what is the biosphere?

A

a thin layer of air, land, and water near Earth’s surface
- all life on Earth exists in this layer

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7
Q

Atmosphere

A
  • a layer of gases surrounding Earth (raising 800+km)
  • Divided into five layers found at different altitudes
  • temperature fluctuates as you pass through these layers
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8
Q

what makes up the atmosphere

A

78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% other gases

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9
Q

What are the four layers of the atmosphere in order?

A

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

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10
Q

troposphere

A
  • first layer of the atmosphere
    -0-10km
  • contains most gases
  • only layer with correct temp and oxygen level to support most living things
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11
Q

stratosphere

A
  • 10-50km
    -second layer of atmosphere
  • contains ozone layer which absorbs most of the suns rays
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12
Q

distance of the mesosphere and thermosphere

A

-The mesosphere is the third layer and is 50-80 km
-thermosphere is the last layer of the atmosphere and is 80+ km

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13
Q

Lithosphere

A
  • Land of biosphere
  • solid portion of earth
  • home to many micro-organisms, plants and animals
  • extends from Earths surface to 100 km below
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14
Q

Hydrosphere

A

-Water layer of biosphere
- all water in its three states (l,s,g)
- 97% is salt water in oceans
- contains cryosphere

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15
Q

cryosphere:

A

water temporarily frozen in polar ice caps, permafrost, glaciers

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16
Q

what kind of energy is solar energy

A

radiant energy

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17
Q

does the biosphere absorb or reflect energy from the sun?

A

absorb

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18
Q

how does radiant energy travel

A

at different wavelengths

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19
Q

what is insolation

A

the amount of solar energy received by a region

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20
Q

do all warm objects emit energy and if so what is it called

A

yes and it is called infrared radiation

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21
Q

how doe the earth maintain its energy and temp

A

by radiating as much energy into space as it absorbs from the sun(radiation budget)

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22
Q

what is the radiation budget

A

having a balance of raditaion.
- energy absorbed is equal to the energy released

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23
Q

albedo:

A

-how much light an object reflects
- an object’s colour affects the amount of energy it will absorb or reflect

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24
Q

what albedo do dark objects have

A

dark surfaces absorb energy and have a LOW albedo - low reflection

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25
Q

what albedo do light surfaces have

A

light surfaces reflect energy and have a high albedo

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26
Q

what do greenhouse gases do

A
  • keep the earth warm by holding onto heat
  • absorb infrared radiation released from Earth’s surface
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27
Q

without greenhouse gases how would the average tempurature on earth be

A

-19

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28
Q

climate:

A

trend in temperature, pressure, humidity, and precipitation over many years

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29
Q

weather:

A

temperature, pressure, humidity, and precipitation at one place and time

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30
Q

what affects climate

A

-global winds
- proximity to large bodies of water
- Ocean currents
- insulation(amount of solar energy absorbed)

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31
Q

how is the amount of solar energy absorbed influenced

A

-tilt of earth’s axis relative to the sun
- earth’s revolution around the sun
- the shape of the Earth

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32
Q

Earth’s tilt:

A

-Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours and orbits the Sun every 365 days
-angle of inclination
- determines length of day throughout the year

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33
Q

angle of inclination:

A

the tilt of the Earths axis (23.5 degrees)

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34
Q

how does Earths orbit effect the amount of solar energy absorbed

A

-at the equator day and night are each 12 hours throughout the year, everywhere else has seasons
- equinox
-solstice

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35
Q

equinox:

A

day hours = night hours -> 2x per year: spring(end of march) and fall(end of september)

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35
Q

solstice:

A
  • one pole is as close as possible to the sun and the other is as far as possible -> summer(end of June) to winter(end of December)
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36
Q

at the equator what do the suns rays do and how does affect earths solar energy

A
  • at the equator, sun’s rays strike the Earth directly (90 degrees)
  • away from the equator, areas receive less solar energy
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37
Q

specific heat capacity (c)

A

amount of heat it takes to raise the temperature of 1g of a substance by 1 degree Celsius

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38
Q

H2O has a high heat capacity meaning…

A

-it absorbs a lot of energy before increasing temp and takes a long time to cool

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39
Q

phase change:

A
  • a change in state of matter (solid, liquid, gas)
  • always involve energy changes, but never temperature changes
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40
Q

what happens to energy during melting and boiling

A

energy added to the system is used to overcome forces of bonds that hold molecules together

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41
Q

what happens to energy during freezing and condensing

A

energy is released as heat as bonds/forces reform

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42
Q

solid to liquid:

A

melting

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43
Q

liquid to solid:

A

freezing

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44
Q

liquid to gas:

A

evaporation

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45
Q

gas to liquid:

A

condensation

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46
Q

solid to gas:

A

sublimation

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47
Q

air to solid:

A

deposition

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48
Q

heat of fusion(Hfus):

A

amount of heat (kJ) required to convert 1 mole of solid to liquid or liquid to solid
- melting, freezing

49
Q

heat of vaporization(Hvap):

A

amount of heat (kJ) required to convert 1 mole of a liquid to a gas or gas to liquid
- evaporating, condensing

50
Q

during a change in state how is energy released and absorbed

A
  • energy is absorbed to break up bonds (endothermic)
  • energy is released in formation of new bonds (exothermic)
51
Q

When do you use Q=mc^T

A

-when there is a change in temperature
- ^ means change
- Q is in jouels

52
Q

when do you use the equations Q = nHf or Q= nHv

A
  • when there is a change of state/phases
  • nHf is solid<–> liquid
  • nHv is liquid<–> gas
  • no temp change
  • Q is in kilojoules (kJ)
53
Q

what factors affect climate:

A

-insolation
-precipitation
-humidity
-air pressure
-daylight hours
- albedo
- cloud cover
- mountains
- latitude
- temp
- oceans
-winds

54
Q

why is solar energy not absorbed equally on earth?

A

because of the Earths spherical shape, the tilt of its axis, and its revolution around the Sun

55
Q

what helps distribute solar energy around the earth

A

wind and water currents

56
Q

thermal energy transfer:

A
  • movement of thermal energy from an area of high temp to an area of low temp
57
Q

what kind of energy is the energy we receive from the Sun

A

radiant+solar energy

58
Q

how does radiant energy travel

A

in waves and is reflected or absorbed

59
Q

how is solar energy transferred

A

conduction and convection

60
Q

conduction:

A

direct contact between particles of two substances

61
Q

convection:

A

movement of a fluid like air or water

62
Q

wind:

A

movement of cool air from high pressure to low pressure

63
Q

how does air travel in convection currents?

A

hot air from the equator travels toward cooler air at the poles in convection currents

64
Q

what is air veering sideways called?

A

The Coriolis effect
- wind currents tend to veer sideways from their original path due to Earth’s rotation on its axis

65
Q

what causes the Earth’s spin

A

winds shifting

66
Q

what are jet streams

A
  • currents of extremely fast-moving air located in the stratosphere
  • influences precipitation and storms
    -flow from West to East in the northern hemisphere
67
Q

El nino:

A

-disruption in the Pacific Ocean where water temp increases and wind direction reverses
- causes heavy rainfall over North America and drought in Australia and SE Asia
- western north America experiences warming

68
Q

La Nina:

A

-occurs when winds increase in strength and cool surface water
- causes high precipitation in SE Asia
-eastern north america experiences warming

69
Q

unique properties of water:

A
  • it has a low albedo and absorbs most of the solar energy striking it
    -high specific heat capacity, so it can absorb large amounts of energy without changing temperature
70
Q

High Hvap (heat of vapour/evaporation) requires….

A

a lot of energy to break strong bonds between molecules to evaporate

71
Q

high Hfus(heat of fusion) must…

A

lose a lot of energy in order to freeze
-when things freeze they expand

72
Q

hydrologic cycle:

A

water is constantly moving in the biosphere through the hydrologic cycle

73
Q

what effects earths climate and weather systmes

A

-phase changes that occur in water cycle impact earth climate and weather systems

74
Q

when water vapour condense to liquid:

A

-thermal energy is released into the atmosphere warming air
- warm air rises which can start thunderstorms or even hurricanes

75
Q

what causes currents

A

-warmwater has a lower density so warm water rises and cool water sinks causing currents
- wind and earths rotation also play a role in ocean currents

76
Q

In which direction do currents go:

A

because of the Coriolis effect, currents in the North go clockwise, and in the South go counterclockwise

77
Q

Gulf stream:

A

warm current that begins in the Caribbean and carries warm water up to Canada and the UK where it is called the: North Atlantic Drift

78
Q

why is it difficult to change the temperature of water and the environment around it

A

water has a high capacity for heat making it difficult to change its temperature

79
Q

how does the ocean affect climate?

A

-when wet air cools, the water in the ocean falls as precipitation
- when sun warms areas around oceans, the land warm faster than the water
Land and sea breeze

80
Q

whats a sea breeze

A

land warm air rises and cool water air moves in onto land

81
Q

whats a land breeze

A

at night, water cools slower than land, so air over water is warmer

82
Q

how do mountains affect climate:

A
  • wet air water blows onshore and up mountains
  • it loses moisture as orographic precipitation
    -chinooks
83
Q

chinook:

A

pressure increases, and warm dry air moves over the other side of the mountains

84
Q

how does energy travel from/into the biosphere?

A

energy is either absorbed from or released into the biosphere

85
Q

what type of system is the earth?

A

closed

86
Q

what does it mean when we say that water is a polar molecule?

A

This means that in the water molecule, one side is positively charged and the other side is negatively charged.

87
Q

what are the 6 biomes

A

tundra, taiga, grasslands, temperate deciduous forest, desert, tropical rainforest

88
Q

tundra:

A

-permafrost, bitter cold, and high winds means no trees or tall plants
- little annual rainfall, averages less than 25 cm per year, but accumulation on top of permafrost
- animals: arctic hare, lemmings, caribou, arctic fox, wolf
- winters are long and cold and summers are short and cool
- coldest biome

89
Q

taiga: (boreal forest)

A
  • largest terrestrial biome
  • dominated by cone-bearing, evergreen trees(coniferous)
  • adapted to heavy snowfall
  • ## 35-100 cm of precipitation per year
90
Q

grassland:

A

-deep, rich topsoil means a lot of conversion to agriculture
- seasonal drought, occasional fires and grazing by large mammals prevent shrub and tree establishment
- prolonged dry season, 25-75 cm of annual precipitation

91
Q

temperate deciduous forest:

A
  • mid-latitudes, with enough moisture to support trees
  • deciduous trees drop their leaves in winter
  • 75-100 cm of precipitation each year
  • animals: deer, fox, squirrel, mice, snakes, many bird species
92
Q

desert:

A
  • driest biome
  • less than 25 cm per year, rate of evaporation exceeds precipitation
  • supports limited plant life because the soil retains little to no moisture
  • animals: lizzards, rattlesnakes, vultures, desert toirtoise, coyotes, gila monsters
93
Q

tropical rainforest:

A
  • greatest diversity of plants and animals
  • closed tree canopy
  • pronounced vertical layering
  • temperatures vary little each month
  • rainfalls nearly every day, this biome has the highest average precipitation
94
Q

what is the greenhouse effect?

A

the process through which heat is trapped near the Earth’s surface by substances known as ‘greenhouse gases.’

95
Q

what is a biome?

A

a biome is a large geographical region with a specific climate that the plants and animals that inhabit it are adapted to

96
Q

what kind of systems are cell and biomes

A

open systems(exchange matter and energy with surroundings)

97
Q

how is the distribution of earths biomes affected

A

by the amount of solar energy and precipitation received by different regions

98
Q

ecosystem:

A

community of living organisms that interact with eachother and with the non-living, physical environment

99
Q

habitat:

A

place where an organism lives or is usually found

100
Q

what is climate change?

A
  • Earth’s climate is changing
  • this is evident in increasing average air and ocean temps, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising average sea level
101
Q

what are the greenhouse gases?

A
  • water vapour
  • CO2
  • N20
  • Methane
    Halocarbon
    Ozone
102
Q

where is water vapour found?

A

part of the hydrological cycle

103
Q

what is CO2

A

the burning of fossil fuels

104
Q

carbon sink definition

A

anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases eg. trees remove carbon

105
Q

why is deforestation bad

A
  • when trees are cut and burned, CO2 is released into the atmosphere
  • roots decay, releasing more CO2 and methane from the soil
  • fewer trees absorb less CO2 for photosynthesis
106
Q

what increases the amount of heat trapped in the atmosphere

A

greenhouse gases, deforestation, urbanization

107
Q

exosphere:

A

fifth and outermost layer of the earths atmosphere

108
Q

radiation:

A

energy that comes from a source and travels through space at the speed of light

THis energy has an electric and magnetic field associated with it

has wavelike properties

examples: light and heat

109
Q

humidity:

A

amount of water vapour in the air

110
Q

natural greenhouse effect:

A

a natural process that warms the earth’s surface

111
Q

enhanced greenhouse effect:

A

-pressure from greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere by human activities
- where extra greenhouse gases in our atmosphere trap too much of the sun’s energy
- CO2 is most abundant

112
Q

what are CFCs

A

-chlorofluorocarbons
-classified as halocarbons

113
Q

what are halocarbons

A

a class of compounds that contain atoms of carbon and halogen atoms

114
Q

heating and cooling curves

A

heating curves show how the tempurature changes asa substance is heated up and coolingcurves show how the temperature changes as a substance is cooled down

115
Q

what is the origin of the greenhouse gas, water vapour

A

hydrological cycle

116
Q

origin of CO2

A

burning of fossil fuels

117
Q

origin of N2O

A

burning fossil fuels and wood

118
Q

origin of methane?

A

decomposition of organic waste

119
Q

origin of halocarbons?

A

coolants in fridges, air conditioners

120
Q

origin of ozone?

A

gas or solvents reacting to heat and sunlight

121
Q

what major phenomenon does the earth’s tilt give us?

A

seasons

Science (14 decks)

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