GE 15 8-9week Flashcards
What is the atmosphere?
The atmosphere is a layer or set of layers of gases surrounding a planet, held in place by the planet’s gravity.
What conditions are more likely to retain an atmosphere?
An atmosphere is more likely to be retained if the gravity is high and the temperature is low.
How is temperature defined?
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses hot and cold.
What is the source of heat related to temperature?
Temperature is the manifestation of thermal energy present in all matter, which is the source of heat when a body is in contact with another that is colder.
Define pressure.
Pressure is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed.
What is gauge pressure?
Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the ambient pressure.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from a planet’s atmosphere warms the planet’s surface to a temperature above what it would be without this atmosphere.
What are greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases are gases that absorb and emit radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect on planets.
What is climate change?
Climate change refers to a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns, often specifically referring to the rise in global temperatures from the mid-20th century to the present.
Define weather.
Weather is the state of the atmosphere that describes how hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy it is.
What is climate?
Climate is the long-term average of weather, typically averaged over 30 years.
What is wastewater?
Wastewater is water that has been contaminated by human use, which can include domestic, industrial, commercial, or agricultural activities.
Define scarcity.
Scarcity is the limited availability of a commodity that is in demand in the market or by the commons, often related to a lack of resources to buy products.
What is eutrophication?
Eutrophication occurs when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients, leading to excessive growth of algae.
What is urban runoff?
Urban runoff is the surface runoff of precipitation created by urbanization, often causing flooding and water pollution.
What is sewage?
Sewage is a type of wastewater produced by a community of people.
What does environmental law encompass?
Environmental law encompasses aspects of the law that protect the environment and includes regulatory regimes related to the management of specific natural resources.
What is the troposphere?
The troposphere is the layer of air immediately adjacent to the Earth’s surface, where most weather phenomena occur.
What is the stratosphere known for?
The stratosphere contains ozone, which absorbs UV radiation and helps warm the atmosphere.
What is the mesosphere, and what is unique about it?
The mesosphere is the layer below the thermosphere, and it has temperatures that decrease with increasing altitude, reaching extremely cold temperatures.
What happens in the thermosphere?
The thermosphere is a highly ionized region with charged gases, and it is responsible for phenomena like the aurora borealis and aurora australis.
What is atmospheric pressure?
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area caused by the weight of overlying atmospheric gases on those below, and it decreases with altitude.
How does high atmospheric pressure affect weather?
High-pressure systems are associated with clear and sunny weather as air descends, warming and causing condensed water drops in clouds to vaporize.
What is temperature, and what does it measure?
Temperature is a measure of thermal energy, which is the kinetic energy (motion) of atoms and molecules in a substance.
How does water vapor content vary in the lower atmosphere?
Water vapor content in the lower atmosphere varies from less than 1% to about 4% by volume, depending on factors like air temperature, pressure, and water vapor availability.
Explain the greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth by trapping heat from the sun in the atmosphere, making it suitable for life. It’s named for its similarity to a greenhouse’s glass, which lets in sunlight but traps heat.
What causes the greenhouse effect to intensify?
Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which intensifies the greenhouse effect.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather refers to the short-term conditions in the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, and wind, while climate refers to the long-term average of weather patterns over longer periods, typically decades.
How are climates classified?
Climates are primarily classified by latitude (tropical, subtropical, mid-latitudinal, sub-Arctic, Arctic) and also by wetness/dryness (e.g., humid continental, Mediterranean, monsoon, desert, tropical wet-dry).
What are the main sources of climate data?
Climate data come from three main sources: the Instrumental Record (measuring climate since 1860), the Historical Record, and the Paleo-Proxy Record (using data like tree rings, sediments, ice cores, and corals to study past climates).
How do ice cores provide climate data?
Ice cores contain small bubbles of air that can be analyzed for atmospheric gases, including CO2 and CH4, making them valuable for understanding climate change over the past million years.
How do tree rings provide climate data?
Tree-ring patterns, known as dendrochronology, reveal climate variability by reflecting growth conditions. Wider rings indicate favorable conditions, while narrower rings indicate poorer conditions.
What do sediments and pollen provide in terms of climate data?
Sediments, including pollen from plants, provide insights into past climates by studying biological material preserved in lake, bog, pond sediments, and ocean deposits.
How do corals contribute to climate data?
Corals have skeletons containing isotopes that can be used to determine past water temperatures, offering insights into historical climate variations.
