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EES 1070 > Exam 3 > Flashcards

Exam 3 Flashcards

1
Q

What is climate

A

Long term patterns of temperature and precipitation

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2
Q

What is weather

A

Short lived local patterns of temperature and precipitation due to circulation of the troposphere

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3
Q

What makes up earth’s atmosphere

A

Nitrogen gas
Oxygen gas
Water vapor
Aerosols (minute suspended particles and droplets)

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4
Q

Describe the troposphere

A

Immediately adjacent to earth’s surface
Convection currents redistribute moisture and heat

Air temperature drops as distance from earth increases

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5
Q

Describe the stratosphere

A

After troposphere
Almost no water vapor.
1000x more ozone than troposphere
Protects life from uv Rays

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6
Q

Describe mesosphere

A

After stratosphere
Middle layer
Diminishing temperatures

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7
Q

Describe the thermosphere

A

After mesosphere

Ionized gases and high temperatures

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8
Q

What is tropopause

A

Boundary that limits mixing between troposphere and upper zones as air ceases to rise

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9
Q

What happens to uv light as it passes through the atmosphere

A

1/4 is reflected
1/4 absorbed by the gases
1/2 reaches earth surface

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10
Q

What is the ozone hole, where is it, and why does it form

A

Where ozone levels of the stratospheric level are greatly depleted in a concentrated area

Mostly over the South Pole (Antarctic)

Forms because of chlorofluorocarbons and pollution a are depleting the ozone level

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11
Q

What is solar insulation

A

Solar radiation that had been received

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12
Q

What is albedo. Give example of high and low

A

Light reflected by the earth

High-snow, clouds, water (low sun) sand, atmosphere

Low- water (sun overhead), forest, black spoil

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13
Q

Why doe deserts occur at about 30 north and south latitude

A

The subtropical jet stream created by the ferrel cell and the had,et cell

Warm air, high and high pressure
Convection currents and winds

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14
Q

What happens to air masses as cold front advances

A

The cold air hugs the ground and pushes the warmer air up. The warm air is cooled and triggers thunderstorms

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15
Q

What happens to air masses as warm fronts advance

A

Warm air is less dense and slides over cool air
Forms long wedge-shaped bands of clouds
Cause drizzle

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16
Q

What powered hurricanes

A

Water vapor is abundant and the latent heat is released by condensation this intensifies convection currents and draws in more warm air and water vapor

-temperature differences + water

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17
Q

What are the milankovitch cycles related to and what do they explain

A

Related to the period orbit and tilt of earth. The orbit and tilt explain cycles of shifts and changes in the distribution and intensity of sunlight which affect climate and weather patterns

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18
Q

What is El Nino

A

Warm phase of the souther oscillation, shifting pattern of flow and currents

Warm water in the Pacific Ocean move back and forth between Indonesia and South America. The northern jet stream pulls moist air from the Pacific Ocean causing intense storms and heavy rains in the U.S.

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19
Q

How does sea level respond to past continental glaciation

A

Decrease during glaciation and increasing during melting

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20
Q

What is the Kyoto protocol and what two counties were exempt

A

1997 international agreement to roll back carbon dioxide, methan, and nitrous oxide emissions about 5% below 1990 levels by 2012 by setting different limits for different countries based on prior output
Exempt in India and China

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21
Q

What do the continental glaciers in the past 2 million years say about natural climate change and human induced climate change

A

Climate changes naturally, not necessarily caused by humans. Little ice age began in 1400s before the industrial revolution

Drastic changes can naturally occurs over short periods of time

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22
Q

What caused the brown haze in smog

A

Nitrogen dioxide

Further oxidized nitric oxide

23
Q

What is the main cause of carbon monoxide

A

Produced by cards/trucks

-incomplete combustion

24
Q

What is the cause of a temperature inversion in the atmosphere and where in the U.S. Is temperature inversion a major cause of air pollution

A

When a stable layer of warm air lies above cooler air reversing the normal temperature decline with increasing height preventing convection currents from dispersing pollutants

Problem in California

25
Q

How does burning coal compare to natural gas with regard to relative production of CO2

A

Natural gas produces 1/2 as much CO2 as an equivalent amount of coal

26
Q

How does the variation in sunspot numbers observed for hundreds of years relate to climate change on earth

A

The more sunspots the higher the sea levels and changes in temperature deviation. Sunspots correlate with waves of climate changes

27
Q

What common metallic air pollutant has dramatically declined in the atmosphere over the past 50 years

A

Lead

28
Q

What amount of oil in a reservoir can be extracted by simple pumping

A

30-40%

29
Q

What are oil chaos and tar sands

A

Oil shale- sedimentary rock rich in kerogen which can be heated and extracted for oil.

Tar sands- sand and shale particles coated with bitumen, long chain hydrocarbons, which extracted when mixed with steam and the product refined as oil

-creates toxic sludge

30
Q

What is the most rapidly growing energy source

A

Natural gas/ methane

31
Q

What has been the evolution of nuclear power as a major world energy source

A

1953- atoms for peace, 140 reactors requested
High construction costs and safety fears
100 orders cancelled
After 1975 13 orders placed and cancelled
Half the price of coal but still not a loved energy source

32
Q

What is the most likely disaster in a nuclear power plant

A

Cooling system failure resulting in a meltdown and release of radiation

33
Q

Why did coal replace wood as industrialized counties major energy source in the 19th century

A

Wood became scarce and coal was an abundant energy source and coal burns hotter than wood and additional heat was needed for boilers

34
Q

How does eating locally grown food in season save energy

A

Less transportation and storage costs

-don’t have to ship grapes from Brazil

35
Q

What is cogeneration

A

Simultaneous production of electricity and heat, both of which are used reducing costs

36
Q

How has the cost from nuclear power compared to coal changed from 1970 to 1990

A

Electricity from nuclear power plants was 1/2 price of coal in 1970 but twice as much in 1990

37
Q

What is a breeder reactor and what dangerous elements are produced as a by product

A

Type of reactor to produce nuclear energy. Creates fissionable plutonium and thorium isotopes from stable uranium

Produces weapons grade plutonium as waste

38
Q

Wher do spent fuel rods/assemblies go when they are removed from a nuclear reactor

A

Deep water filled pools at power plants for short term storage

39
Q

What was the high level nuclear waste site that was developed by the U.S. Department of energy but never used

A

Yucca mountain Nevada

40
Q

How long is high level nuclear reactor waste dangerous

A

60 years

41
Q

How many nuclear reactors are in the U.S. And how much of our electricity is produced by them

A

103 nuclear reactors

Produces 20% of electricity

42
Q

What has been an important limit on the expansion of nuclear power plants

A

Public opinion

43
Q

How do oil reserves in tar sands and oil shakes compare to that in conventional oil reserves

A

Have 10x as much oil as conventional reserves

44
Q

What is the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere

A

The atmosphere transmits sunlight while trapping heat

Longer wavelengths are absorbed in the lower atmosphere trapping heat close to the earth’s surface

45
Q

What is a monsoon and where do they occur and why

A

Seasonal reversal of wind patterns caused by differential heating and cooling rates of oceans and continents

  • prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas
  • support life but can also be disaster out floods
46
Q

What kind of storm or rain pattern accompanies warm and cold fronts

A

Cold-thunderstorms

Warm-drizzle

47
Q

Have humans had to adapt to significant climate changes over the past 100,000 years

A

Yes

Mini ice age and other climate changes

48
Q

What percent of the worlds commercial energy is provided by fossil fuels

A

88%

49
Q

How do the world coal deposits compare to conventional oil and gas resources combined

A

Coal deposits are 10x greater than conventional oil and gas resources combined

50
Q

How many coal miners were killed in China in mining accidents in 2008 alone

A

91,172 killed

51
Q

What are tar sands and how are they mined and oil extracted

A

Sand and shale particles coated in bitumen. Missed with steam and the bitumen is extracted and then refined. The product is oil

Strip mined

52
Q

What is natural gas

A

Methane

53
Q

What is the process that powers nuclear reactors

A

Nuclear fission

EES 1070 (3 decks)

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