Exam 3 Flashcards
Anomaly
Difference from the mean
Changes in precipitation
• how much it rains
• how hard it rains (intensity)
• frequency of rain
How can precipitation increase but the intensity has not
Rained more often
Snow water Equivalent
Amount of water in the snowpack
Glacier extent has been…
Decreasing
N hemisphere sea ice is…
Decreasing
S. Hemisphere sea ice is…
Decreasing too but was increasing at one point
What is making sea levels rise
Thermal expansion and glacier melt
Increase in temp=
• more intense precipitation
• reduction in snow, glacier, and sea ice
• increase sea level rise
What drives emissions I= PxAxT
Emissions= population + affluence + technology/ greenhouse gas intensity
Greenhouse gas intensity EI x CI
Energy intensity x carbon intensity
Energy intensity vs carbon intensity
Energy to produce $ GDP
Emission/ unit energy
Energy intensity has been…
Decreasing but carbon intensity has not
IPCC makes RCP
Representative Concentration Pathways
By the intergovernmental panel on Climate Change
RCP numbers
Refer to approximate radiative forcing by the year 2100
SSP’s
Shared socioeconomic pathways
5 different SSP’s
1: sustainability and equity in everything
2: middle of the road
3: regional rivalry- conflict and economic growth for wealthy with fossil fuel use
4: inequality- 3 but with oil, gas, and coal
5: fossil fuel development- equity in economics with oil, gas, and coal
Climate model is based on
Data, theory, and best understanding
Steps of climate model
- Identify set of forcing- possible combinations of future conditions
- Set up model with relatively consistent conditions
- Wait
How are climate models used
A. To test hypothesis about specific climate changes
B. Detection and attribution
C. What will climate be like in future
Three kinds of uncertainty with GCM’s
- Scenario uncertainty
- Model uncertainty
- Internal variability
Elements of cryosphere
Glaciers
Snow cover
Lake and River ice
Frozen ground aka permafrost
Sea ice
Ice shelf
Ice sheet
Impacts of declining snow cover in Spring
• earlier start to growing season
• longer more intense wildfire season
• changes in streamflow
• challenges for snow- dependent wildlife
• greater variability and uncertainty
• economic impacts
Ice sheet impact Antarctic and Greenland:
Antarctic: 60 m sea level rise
Greenland: 6 meters of sea level rise
Permafrost melt=
Methane release and some lakes drain/ form
Ocean tasks:
Creates oxygen- 50% in atmosphere
Carbon sink- absorb 25% of carbon
Heat sink: captures 90% of warming
Ocean structure
Epipelagic zone (55F)
Thermocline
(39F)
Climate change impact to marine systems
- Warning causes changes in physical structure of ocean
- Increased CO2 changes chemistry of ocean
- Warming can exacerbate existing problems
- Impacted marine life
Warmer water vs colder water
Warm water less dense
As ocean warms, it’s more
Stratified
Fresh water is ___ than salty
Less Dense
Density differences drive
Thermohaline circulation
Thermohaline Circulation
Combination of ocean currents that play major role in redistributing heat around planet
Vertical currents depend on density and reno differences
Thermohaline circulation Gulf Stream to Atlantic
Gulf Stream becomes saltier because of evaporation.
Merges with cold currents of Greenland and send cold, salty water to depths of ocean
Ocean acidification
Oceans have historically been a 8.16 ph: basic
Due to rising CO2 changing chemistry
Acidic oceans will
Deplete ocean of compounds used to make shells and skeletons
