Climate mechanisms

Question 1

4 climate mechanisms

Answer 1

solar forcing (change in solar output), tectonics, orbital forcing (change in orbit), anthropogenic forcing

Question 2

length of 4 mechanisms

Answer 2

tectonic (long term), orbital forcing (medium term), anthropogenic (short term), solar forcing (short term)

Question 3

surface energy budget

Answer 3

radiation comes from sun in UV/visible and 1/3 is reflected by earth back to space, earth gives off infrared but ghg re-radiate back down to surface

Question 4

radiative forcing

Answer 4

change in earth’s budget due to ghg

Question 5

insolation

Answer 5

incoming solar radiation, doesnt heat earth evenly due to curvature more at equator, land heats more than sea, some areas have more clouds/pollution so needs to be redistributed

Question 6

sunspots

Answer 6

dark cooler areas surrounded by hotter areas (faculae), sunspot cycle is 11 years, more sunspots means sun is hotter, 3800K

Question 7

sun surface temp

Answer 7

5800K

Question 8

faculae temp

Answer 8

8000K

Question 9

stephan boltzman law

Answer 9

solar radiation = proportional to temp(4)

Question 10

is total radiation amount the same each year

Answer 10

yes

Question 11

Northern hemisphere orbit around sun

Answer 11

tilts towards in summer and away in winter

Question 12

orbital forcing has 3 components

Answer 12

tilt/obliquity, eccentricity, precession

Question 13

tilt/obliquity

Answer 13

40,000 yr cycle, controls seasons, bigger tilt means hotter summer (vice versa), tilt is 23.5 but is decreasing so seasons should be less extreme

Question 14

eccentricity

Answer 14

100,000 yr cycle, how elliptical the orbit is, if there is a big difference between radiation of perihelion and aphelion then its elliptical, currently elliptical

Question 15

precession

Answer 15

cycle every 20,000 yrs, change in wobble of axis which changes time at which northern hemisphere towards/away from sun, makes seasons less extreme, elliptical orbit effects precession more

Question 16

perihelion

Answer 16

point where it is closest to sun, january and northern hemisphere faces away

Question 17

aphelion

Answer 17

point where it is furthest away from sun, july and northern hemisphere faces towards

Question 18

when is season strong in southern hemisphere

Answer 18

strong tilt, high eccentrity, perihelion in january, austral

Question 19

when is season strong in northern hemisphere

Answer 19

strong tilt, high eccentricity, perihelion in july, boreal

Question 20

Can both hemispheres experience strong seasons at same time

Answer 20

no

Question 21

continentality

Answer 21

when seasons stronger in southern hemisphere and weaker in northern