Exam 3 Flashcards by Alicia Friedrichsen

Anomaly

Difference from the mean

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Changes in precipitation

• how much it rains
• how hard it rains (intensity)
• frequency of rain

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How can precipitation increase but the intensity has not

Rained more often

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Snow water Equivalent

Amount of water in the snowpack

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Glacier extent has been…

Decreasing

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N hemisphere sea ice is…

Decreasing

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S. Hemisphere sea ice is…

Decreasing too but was increasing at one point

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What is making sea levels rise

Thermal expansion and glacier melt

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Increase in temp=

• more intense precipitation
• reduction in snow, glacier, and sea ice
• increase sea level rise

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What drives emissions I= PxAxT

Emissions= population + affluence + technology/ greenhouse gas intensity

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Greenhouse gas intensity EI x CI

Energy intensity x carbon intensity

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Energy intensity vs carbon intensity

Energy to produce $ GDP
Emission/ unit energy

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Energy intensity has been…

Decreasing but carbon intensity has not

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IPCC makes RCP

Representative Concentration Pathways

By the intergovernmental panel on Climate Change

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RCP numbers

Refer to approximate radiative forcing by the year 2100

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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

1. Warning causes changes in physical structure of ocean 2. Increased CO2 changes chemistry of ocean 3. Warming can exacerbate existing problems 4. 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