Climate Processes Flashcards
What are the 3 characteristics of systems
-components (hill slope, river channels)
-a flow of energy which powers the components (inputs or outputs)
-internal regulation of their functioning (positive/negative feedback)
What is the different in climate and weather
Climate: average temperature/ weather of any area over 30yrs
Weather: day to day events in a climate system
What are the 4 layers of atmosphere
-troposphere (layer which we live, weather occurs and ghg are trapped)
-stratosphere (temperatures increase with height due to ozone layer
-mesosphere: no absorption of heat so temperature cools
-thermosphere: temperature rise again due to being heated by the sun
The ghg effect
-the natural ghg effect makes the earth warmer and livable, natural ghg keep earth at 33 degrees however extract ghg enhances these effects and increases temperature
Global ocean circulation patterns
-warm water from tropical equatorial regions into the north or south hemispheres in colder water
-the same the other way round
Facts about the suns main energy source
-solar energy: 1 trillion megaton atomic bomb per second
-energy emitted from the sun 3.9 x 10 (26) watts
Boltman law
-the total energy radiated per unit surface area of a black body per unit time is directly proportional to the fourth power of the black body’s thermodynamic temperature
-5.67 x10(-8) wm (-2) k(-4) X temperature
Weirns law
-the relationship between the temperature of a black body and the wavelength at which it produces the greatest amount of light
-constant equal to 2897 X temperature
What are the seasonal changes in the earths axis tilt
-there is a change in a radiation distribution from summer to winter due to the change in the earths axis tilt.
-longer radiation distribution is in January (perihelion) and shortest in July (aphelion)
-energy is highest in northern hemisphere in July and highest in Southern Hemisphere in January
Milankovitch cycle:
-periodic change in the orbital characteristics of earth
-axial precession: when the axis wobbles
-charge in obliquity: tilt in the axis (41yrs temp changes from 21.5-24.5 degrees)
-eccentricity: change in orbital shape (circle to oval)
What is direct and diffuse solar radiation
-direct: shortwave radiation taht passes uninterrupted through the atmosphere
-diffuse: shortwave radiation that is scattered or reflected downwards that has a interrupted path to the surface but does make it
Net radiation wave lengths equations:
Shortwave length: incoming SW-reflected SW
Net long wave: incoming LW-reflected LW
Net radiation: net SW + net LW
Energy balance equation
Net radiation: sensible heat + latent heat + subsurface heat
What happened to radiation in day and night
-moist day: most radiation goes into latent heat with little sensible heating of the atmosphere
-moist night: night has no SW radiation. Atmosphere is warmer and moist
What are the changes in relative humidity with temperature increase
Of teh temperature increases the water vapour amount stays the same but the relative humidity decreases