Final Exam Flashcards
- a) What is the definition of solar constant?
b) What is the numerical value of the solar constant?
c) Discuss one reason why this amount of energy is not received at the Earth’s surface anywhere on Earth at any time of the day or the year.
The solar constant is the amount of radiation coming off the sun, the numerical value of it is 1366 W/m^2. We don’t receive that much radiation because or atmosphere reflects some of it back out into space. One example is how the clouds in our atmosphere reflect radiation back out to space.
- a) How would winter and summer temperatures in Cedar Falls be changed from what they are now, if the Earth’s axis tilted 30o to the perpendicular to the orbital plane instead of the present tilt of 23.5o to the perpendicular to the orbital plane.
b) Explain why winter and summer temperatures would be different from present in terms of changed zenith angles in winter and summer.
Summer temperatures would be cooler than they are now and winter temperatures would be warmer than they are now.
The reason that summer temperatures would be warmer than they are now is because the we would be closer to the sun than we are now in the summer. The reason that winter temperatures would be cooler than they are now is because we would be further away from the sun than we are now.
- Describe all the radiation exchanges (emitted, absorbed) involved in the Earth’s greenhouse effect. Be sure to discriminate between long wave radiation and shortwave radiation and to use emitted (or radiated) and absorbed as appropriate. You are welcome to draw a diagram for your benefit, but I will grade your written response.
The earth receives shortwave solar radiation from the sun. Some of which is reflected back out to space, but most is absorbed by the planet. The earth then emits long wave radiation out to space but most of this is reabsorbed by the atmosphere by gasses like CO2 and water vapor. Then the CO2 and water vapor emitted that energy back down to the earth’s surface.
- a) List one atmospheric gas that absorbs longwave (terrestrial) radiation.
b) Briefly discuss a source for the gas you listed above in “a”.
c) List another (different) atmospheric gas that absorbs longwave (terrestrial) radiation.
d) b) Briefly discuss a source for the gas you listed above in “c”.
Carbon Dioxide. Ones source of carbon dioxide is from the coal we burn to get our electricity.
Methane. One source of methane gas is from the melting of the permafrost.
- a) Why does urbanization generally make it more likely that rain will occur over or just downwind of urban areas than in surrounding rural areas?
b) How is the urban area engineered to remove surface water quickly and prevent water ponding on streets?
c) What is a consequence to natural urban streams of removing water quickly from urban areas?
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- a) Describe how sea-surface temperatures change during the warm-phase of El Nino.
b) How do changed sea-surface temperatures affect the overlying Tropical Pacific atmosphere, including the changed distribution of precipitation over the Tropical Pacific Ocean?
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- Using a discussion of radiation flows (including exchanges between the Earth and atmosphere), account for why BWh climate regions have a wider range of temperature during the 24-hour day/night cycle than nearby moist climates.
BWh climates have a wider range of temperature during the 24-hour day/night cycle than nearby moist climates because they have less cloud cover, and precipitation. This means there is more insolation from the sun being directly absorbed by the earth surface than in nearby moist climates because they they have clouds which absorbe the radiation from the sun more and then at night more longwave radiation escapes because once again there is no clouds to reabsorbe that precipitation
- a) List the season, not month, that is it dry in the Mediterranean (Csa, Csb) climate.
b) Why is the Mediterranean (Csa, Csb) climate seasonally dry?
c) Why is the Mediterranean (Csa, Csb) climate seasonally wet?
d) Provide an example of a location that experiences a Mediterranean (Csa, Csb) climate.
a. Winter
b. The CSA CSB climate is seasonally dry because the the subtropical high is strong during this season which supresses the formation of clouds and precipitation
C The Csa and Csb climates are seasonally wet because the subtropical high is weak during this season which enables the formation of clouds and precipitation
D. Crete Greece
- a) Was the exceptional precipitation in Boulder, Colorado, in September, 2013 a result of climate change or a rare weather event.
b) Briefly, provide a reason to support your answer above.
The exceptional precipitation in Boulder Colorado was a rare weather event because it you look at the recurrence interval of the event. Which is the number of years on record plus one all divided by the rank of the event the recurrence of that extreme weather happening again would be in the next 114 years.
- Describe one main point in the IPCC’s, “Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis”.
One main point in this report is that carbon emissions have actually increased by 61% since the first Summit on Climate Change in Rio where it was decided that the world would reduce their climate emissions by 2% below 1990 levels.
- a) Discuss one consequence of climate change discussed in class and/or your textbook that likely will have the greatest direct impact on you personally within the next five years.
b) Explain why it will likely have a direct impact on you personally (be specific).
One consequence of climate change would be the increase in the intensity of precipitation. This would have a direct impact on me because in the next five years I will be looking into buying a home, and damage from intense precipitation will be something that I will need to protect myself against.
- You learn you are getting a job in Houston, Texas.
a) List two different types of natural hazards (climatic or geologic or one of each) you are likely to face once you move there.
b) Why are these natural hazards present in Houston? (be specific; urbanization is NOT natural)
A. Hurricanes,
- You learn you are getting a job in Seattle, Washington. a) List two different types of natural hazards (climatic or geologic or one of each) you are likely to face once you move there. b) Why are these natural hazards present in Seattle? (be specific; urbanization is NOT natural)
A. volcanos
- a) Explain why the amount of runoff (overland flow) increased in the Upper Midwest in the 1830’s and 1840’s immediately after the region was settled by Europeans.
b) Explain why the quantity of soil eroded increased in the Upper Midwest in the 1830’s and 1840’s immediately after the region was settled by Europeans.
c) What was the combined consequence of the above changes on floodplains in the Upper Midwest?
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- You have been informed that the city to which you are moving after you graduate has a levee constructed to the 0.2% probability (500-yr) flood level. Argue why (multiple reasons) the levee may be overtopped and a resulting flood may occur within the city in your lifetime (assume you will live to at least 80).
Increase in intensity of rainfall due to climate change,
