depth study climate change Flashcards
climate change definition?
a long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods of time that range fo=rom decades to millions of years
weather vs climate?
Weather – short term, specific to a location at a particular time (daily, temp, rain, wind)
Climate – long term average weather conditions in a region (temp, precipitation)
areas of high rainfall?
5 points
- regions of rising moist air and low pressure
- low latitude near the equator (tropics, near sun)
- Mid-latitude regions experience moderate-high levels of rainfall, created by cold fronts or low pressure (higher rainfall in winter)
- Coastal areas experience higher rainfall than inland (closer to water)
- Regions on windward slopes of mountains, increasing altitudes cause water vapor and winds
areas of low rainfall?
5 points
- Regions with high pressure, reduces condensation resulting in clear skies
- Subtropic regions
- Polar regions due to lack of evaporation and moisture (heat depict)
- Inland areas due to distance from bodies of water
- Leeward slopes of mountains (facing ocean side)
areas of high temperature?
4 points
- Areas closer to equator (warmer, direct insolation)
- Hottest places on earth are in subtropical climate zones of high pressure, no cloud cover, high insolation
- Most comfortable climates in mid-latitude zones
- Areas of low albedo (reflection of surface) absorb more insolation (higher temp)
areas of low temperature?
5 points
- Areas closer to the poles
- Heat deficit zones, receive less insolation due to the angle of the earth
- Regions beyond 37 degrees N and S
- Areas of high albedo
- Areas of high altitude (in atmosphere)
heatbudget definition/key element?
2 points
-The balance of incoming and outgoing heat on earth
- Once the insolation has been absorbed, it is eventually re-radiated back into the atmosphere
greenhouse gas definition?
2 points
The process by which greenhouse gasses trap a proportion of the outgoing longwave radiation from the earth
- this leads to the warming of the atmosphere
how does the heat budget influence the earths climate?
2 points
-Any alteration to the balance of incoming/outgoing radiation has significant impacts for the earth’s climate
-heat budged dictates planets overall temp
how does greenhouse gasses influence the earths climate?
1 point
-gasses are essential to retain heat, and keep the planet warm enough to sustain life.
hydrological cycle definition/key element?
2 points
The continuous movement of water in the earth’s spheres, in the form of solid, liquid and gas.
-driven by solar energy, which powers process of evaporation + transpiration
how does hydrological cycle influence earths climate?
3 points
-processes + regulates elements of weather (rainfall)
-undisturbed cycle creates long term climatic patterns
-alteration would amplify processes, impacting the earth’s climate by changing precipitation patterns, disrupting ecosystems and intensifying extreme weather patterns.
hydrological cycle diagram features?
evaporation… dont just list
4 points
-evaporation: water changing from liquid to gas, due to insolation. Mostly in oceans
-condensation: water changing from gas to liquid. Occurs in atmosphere
-precipitation: occurs when rain, snow, hail, falls from sky. When the atmosphere cannot hold the weight. Depends on temp (falls as liquid or solid)
- transpiration: plants release water vapor into atmosphere through leaves.
heat budget diagram features?
incoming insolation
3 points
-47% gets through to earth’s surface
-30% reflected into space
-23% absorbed by atmospheric gasses
heat bugdet diagram features
outgoing insolation
3 points
-24% latent heat
-10% directly into space from earth’s surface
-6% longwave is absorbed by greenhouse gasses
solar variation overview?
natural cause
2 dot points
- Refers to the changes in the sun’s energy output
- These variations occur due to changes in solar activity, such as sunspots, solar flares and shifts in solar radiation
solar variation cause climate
natural cause
4 dot points
- The solar cycle is an 11-year cycle. Sunspots are huge magnetic storms that occur on the sun’s surface
- During a storm, extra radiant energy is released and is sent to the earth, affecting the amount of insolation received.
- More sunspots indicate higher solar activity, increasing energy output
- Less solar activity leads to minor cooling effects
volcanic eruption overview?
natural cause
2 dot points
- Eruptions can influence earths climate by releasing gases and ash into the atmosphere
- Their impact depends on the size, frequency and type of eruption
volcanic eruptuon cause of climate?
natural cause
3 dot points
- Initially dust and ash emitted into the upper atmosphere can create a short-term cooling effect
- 2O2 reacts with water vapor to form sulphate aerosols, which prevents some of the suns rays from heating the earth
- Greenhouse gases contribute some warming effect
urban overview?
anthropogenic causes
one point
- Activities associated with urban land use contribute to most anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions
urban cause of climate?
anthropogenic cause
4 dot points
- Human caused Greenhouse gas emissions – urban…
- Energy use in cities (is increasing due to rapid urbanization and population growth)
- Urbanization and land use changes
- Urban activities (housing, transport, energy, industrial processes)
deforestation overview point?
anthropogenic causes
one point
- Contributes to climate change by releasing stored CO2 into the atmosphere when trees are removed, and by reducing the plant’s ability to absorb CO2
deforestation cause of climate?
anthropogenic causes
2 points
- Trees absorb and store carbon. When forests are cleared or burned, this stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere as CO2
- The less trees there are, the less ability for the planet to absorb CO2
climate change rate overview?
1 dot point
- More recent climate change is occurring at a rate much faster than in the past, mostly due to anthropogenic processes
