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Geography > Global Climate Change > Flashcards

Global Climate Change Flashcards

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1
Q

Define weather

A

The state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time as regards heat, cloudiness, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.

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2
Q

Define climate

A

The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.

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3
Q

Define climate variability

A

Is the difference between the average expected conditions and the actual seasonal conditions from one year to the next.

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4
Q

Define climate change

A

A change in global or regional climate patterns

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5
Q

Define anthropogenic

A

Originating in human activity

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6
Q

Define anthropence

A

A period of time that started at the industrial revolution although there is some debate that it started with agriculture.

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7
Q

Define Greenhouse gas effect (enhanced)

A

The absorption of heat and creating warmer conditions within the greenhouse than being experienced outside.

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8
Q

Define paleo-climatology

A

The study of climate prior to the availability of records of temperature, precipitation and other instrumental data

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9
Q

What is the composition of the atmosphere?

A

Nitrogen=78%
Oxygen=21%
Carbon dioxide=0.03%
Water vapour, etc=less than 1%

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10
Q

What are the factors that effect rainfall across the globe?

A

Distance from sea- further inland means less rain because the water has further to travel from the sea
Prevailing winds-brings water from oceans (monsoons in Darwin)
Latitude + longitude- closer to the equator will receive more rainfall.
Air pressure systems and locations-low and high pressure systems bring rain

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11
Q

What are the factors the effect temperature across the globe?

A

Altitude-higher=cooler/ lower=warmer
Latitude and longitude-receiving different concentrations of the suns rays
Albedo effect- white reflects sunlight (Polar regions/ snow and ice)
Ocean currents- circulation of ocean currents bringing warmer air (North Atlantic drift)

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12
Q

What are the 5 steps of the hydrological cycle?

A
  1. water vapour condenses to form clouds (water changing from a liquid to a gas)
  2. clouds gain more water and are therefore becomes heavier and falls or precipitates as rain (from gas to liquid)
  3. precipitation falls the earth surface and infiltrates the soil
  4. any other excess water that cannot enter the ground is surface runoff (or melted ice) and flows into the ocean or is evaporated (from liquid to gas)
  5. plants return water into the atmosphere via transpiration
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13
Q

What is the hydrological cycle?

A

The movement of water, ice, vapour, snow around the globe.

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14
Q

What are the 8 steps in the heat budget?

A
  1. 100% of solar radiation enters the atmosphere
  2. 31% is deflected by clouds from the albedo effect
  3. 19% is absorbed into the atmosphere’s aerosols
  4. 50% is then absorbed terrestrially
  5. 6% is lost via atmospheric window (just goes straight past earth)
  6. 7% then leaves through convention and conduction
  7. 22% then leaves through evaporation and condensation
  8. 15% is retained by green house gases
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15
Q

What is the heat budget?

A

Incoming (short-wave) and outgoing (long-wave) heat, the balance between heat going in and out the atmosphere

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16
Q

What are the 6 steps in the carbon cycle?

A
  1. CO2 is taken out of the atmosphere via photosynthesis
  2. Plants then either are fossilized, consumed by animals or decomposed
  3. Animals respire which release CO2 into the atmosphere, they then either, fossilize, decompose or sediment into limestone
  4. The act of decomposition releases CO2 into the atmosphere
  5. The ocean acts as a carbon sink containing the limestone and CO2 from the atmosphere diffuses into the ocean
  6. Fossil fuels are another carbon sink and once combusted, release CO2 into the atmosphere
17
Q

What is the carbon cycle?

A

Cycle that balances the exchange of carbon between the sinks

18
Q

What are the steps in atmospheric circulation?

A

idk

19
Q

What is atmospheric circulation?

A

idk

20
Q

How does the heat budget effect the hydrological cycle?

A

Causes increase in evaporation and transpiration because of increase in heat therefore an increase in condensation
Influences the movement of ocean currents
Produces convectional movements of air and advection of water vapour

21
Q

How does the heat budget effect atmospheric circulation?

A

Produces regions or low pressure, therefore convectional air movements
Produces different zones of low and high pressure to to the differential heating of the land and sea
Affects intensity of low pressure by heating which results in varying pressure gradients and wind speeds

22
Q

How does the water cycle effect the heat budget?

A 
Transfer heat (latent heat) into the atmosphere via evaporation and transpiration.
Reflects light (Albedo) from clouds and ice surfaces
Transfer of heat through ocean currents
23
Q

How does the water cycle effect atmospheric circulation?

A

Produces regions of high to low precipitation

Tranfsers energy into atmosphere via evaporation and transpiration

24
Q

How does atmospheric circulation effect the heat budget?

A

Transfer energy away from the equator toward the poles via hedly and polar cells
Transfer energy from the ground into the air via convection

25
Q

How does atmospheric circulation effects the water cycle?

A

More water from one region to another via advection

26
Q

Name 2 natural pieces of evidence for global warming?

A
  1. Ice cores

2. Tree rings

27
Q

Name 3 pieces if evidence for global warming from human impact?

A
  1. Enhanced greenhouse effect: the natural warming caused by when heat that is trapped by gases in the lower layers of the atmosphere
  2. Frequency of weather events: w
  3. Sea level changes
28
Q

How are ice cores and tree rings used to measure time before any recording?

A

Used to estimate past climate conditions and extend understanding to before records

29
Q

The Natural Greenhouse gas effect (natural)

A

Causes the earth to be at 15 degrees all the time

30
Q

How is the Enhanced greenhouse gas effect evidence?

A

A huge increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere over the last 300 yrs (by human activity) has meant the average temperature of the atmosphere is slowly rising

31
Q

What are the results form the enhanced greenhouse gas effect?

A

Climate change (differentiating places climate, overall global heating, flooding and droughts more common)
Altering plant and animal life (forcing adaptation)
Melting of ice caps

32
Q

Evidence of global warming can be seen through?

A

Palao-climaology
The enhanced greenhouse gas effect
Sea level changes
Frequency of extreme weather events

33
Q

What are some natural causes of global warming?

A

Orbital Variations and Ice ages (this can been seen through rock scratching)

34
Q

How does orbital variations (Milankavotch cycles) effect global temperatures?

A
  1. the earth axis has an orbital wobble which shifts over the course of 26 000 years. This can cause increases in the solar intensity throughout the seasons.
  2. The title of the earths axis can vary by up to 3 degrees on a 41000 cycle (the current tilt is 23.4 and decreasing). A greater tilt allows for a stronger summer sun and a weaker winter sun.
  3. The shape of the earths orbit is elliptical. The distance at perihelion (closest to the sun) and aphelion (furthest from the sun) interacts with the tilt and wobble of the earths axis to further varies the amount of solar incoming energy.
35
Q

What are some Anthropogenic causes of global warming?

A
  1. Agriculture- fermentation and livestock=methane/ deforestation required
  2. Industry- coal, large scale energy= transport, mining
  3. Urbanization- urban heat island=melbourne
36
Q

What are 2 reasons for land cover change?

A
  1. Albedo

2. Carbon sequestration

37
Q

What is carbon sequestration and what does it do?

A

Clearing of vegetation leading to an increase of carbon being released from the soil, in Australia the land sector contributes 25% of total anthropogenic emmisions

38
Q

What is the albedo effect and what does it do?

A

Reflectivety of the suns rays of the land, deforestation has increased this cooling effect in cooler climates

Geography (6 decks)

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