Foundations of Climate Change Flashcards
describes the long term differences in the statistics of weather patterns measured over multi-decadal periods
climate change
refers to the exact state of the atmosphere at a particular location and climate
weather
refers to the long term patterns or statistics of the weather
climate
what are 6 areas to measure historic climate change
1) surface thermometer 2)satellite temp 3)glacier ice 4)arctic sea extent 5) ocean heat 6)sea level
how much has the Earth warmed since the late 19th century
1 degree Celsius
what are the two contributing factors to sea level rise
loss of grounded ice and thermal expansion of water
Describe how the earth’s climate has changed over long periods of time and
cycling of cooling and warming (difference of 6 degrees over thousands of years) interglacial and ice ages. cooling ended 300 years ago and extreme warming began in the industrial revolution 1800s(too hot too fast)
explain different methods for measuring non-anthropogenic climatic changes
1)tree rings, 2)corals, 3)speleothems, 4)ice cores, and 5)ocean sediment
what is anthropogenic climate change
greenhouse gases are increasing due to human activity, burning fossil fuels
what is energy balance
sunlight (or energy) to the Earth is absorbed by the atmosphere and reflected back to space (through clouds) - this exchange of radiation back to space is energy balance and determines the temperature of the earth
what is radiative forcing
when the amount of energy that enters the earth’s atmosphere is different from the amount of heat that leaves
what are greenhouse gases and how do they effect the atmosphere
GHGs absorb radiation and reduce the heat reflected back to space. this trapping and warming is the GHG effect.
what are the primary greenhouse gases, their sources, and relative contribution to climate change
water vapor (H2O) - evaporation, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - fossil fuels, Methane (CH4) - agriculture/waste disposal, Nitrious Oxide (N2O) and Halocarbons - agricultural/industrial, and Ozone (O3) - hydrocarbons such as fuel and propane
what are aerosols
particles so small that the buoyant forces can be stronger than the forces of gravity and remain suspended in the atmosphere. they reflect radiation and cool the atmosphere
what are the natural processes that effect the climate
tectonic shifts, output of the sun, orbit variations, unforced variability
Describe extreme-event attribution science and the data and techniques scientists use to connect climate change to extreme events
quantify contribution on climate change on an extreme event: 1)historical analysis 2)physics of the event and 3)GCM models
Describe how climate tipping points could disrupt natural systems and harm human well-being.
climate system undergo large rapid shift (disrupted ocean currents cause temperature shift or rapid melting ice to SLR)
Explain the different approaches and key considerations of climate change adaptation
infrastructure (sea walls), government influence (water consumption initiative) - large scale coordination and financial implications
Discuss trends in the energy system and how energy sources can contribute to or mitigate climate change. Understand relative carbon intensities of energy sources.
reduce emissions with renewable energy: wind solar biomass hydroelectric nuclear or carbon sequestration and storage (CSS)
understand geoengineering technologies
sulfur input/radiation management, carbon dioxide removal, BECCS (manipulating our atmosphere)
