Global CO2 Flashcards
What is the Latitude?
Angular distance North and South of Equator. The max is 90º N & S
What is the Longitude?
Angular distance to the East or West of 0º. There is a max of 180º E & W
What are lines of longitude called?
Meridians
What are the seven important natural reference points?
North Pole, Arctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer, Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, Antarctic Circle, South Pole
What is the special latitude of the north pole?
90º N
What is the special latitude of the Arctic Circle?
66.5º N
What is the special latitude of the Tropic of Cancer?
23.5º N
What is the special latitude of the Equator
0º
What is the special latitude of the Tropic of Capricorn?
23.5º S
What is the special latitude of the Antarctic Circle?
66.5º S
What is the special latitude of the South Pole?
90º S
What are the two special meridians?
- Prime Meridian: 0º Longitude
2. International Date Line:180º (maximum value)
What is weather?
Short term view of atmospheric conditions for a given place at a given time (a few days out to a week)
What is the climate?
A composite view of atmospheric conditions over many years.
What is the atmosphere?
It is an envelope of gases that surrounds the earth and is held in place by gravity
What are the layers of the atmosphere going from the earth up?
Earth, Troposphere, Stratosphere, Ozone Layer, Mesosphere, Ionosphere
What is unique about the troposphere?
It is where weather happens.
What is the function of the atmosphere?
It protects Earth’s surface from dangerous high energy radiation (most UV, X-rays, Gamma), which facilitates life
What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen (N2) - 78.084%
What are some important rare “trace” (<1%) gases?
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) (most abundant)
- Ozone
- Water Vapor
What does CO2 do in the atmosphere?
CO2 traps heat near earth’s surface
For the greenhouse effect, what doe short waves and long waves do in the atmosphere?
- Short waves (from the sun) pass through atmosphere
2. Long waves (from earth) are trapped in and create heat
What are some benefits of having CO2 in the atmosphere?
- It keeps heat energy from escaping earth (like a blanket)
2. It is necessary for plants to conduct photosynthesis, provides energy for most food webs on earth
What is known about the Greenhouse Effect?
- CO2 keeps earth warmer than it would be otherwise
2. CO2 concentrations are on the rise
How do we know about the Greenhouse Effect? Give two ways we can get data.
We have monitoring stations around the globe and we collect data through satelites
What evidence is there about long-term history of CO2?
There are bubbles in ice cores from up to 3600m deep in Vostok, Antarctic. Ice preserves samples of past atmosphere composition,
What does the antarctic ice core data show?
That temperature and CO2 rise and fall together over the past 400,000 years
What is the cause of this increase in CO2?
Fossil fuels are the biggest contributor to the rise of CO2. Deforestation also accounts to 25% of the increase of CO2.
Who are the top CO2 emitters in the world?
Top five: China, United States, India, Russia, and Japan.
Why does deforestation cause an increase in CO2?
Forests change to built-landscapes and agriculture. Trees burn or rot and release carbon.
What are some natural (non-human) sources of gases and particulates?
Volcanoes, forest fires, plants, decaying plants, soil, ocean.
What are natural cycles?
Nonhuman forces that also cause climate change
The vast majority of scientists do not believe that increased CO2 is causing climatic warming. True/ False
False, they do believe increased CO2 is causing climatic warming
Where is global warming going?
Oceans - 93.4%
Atmosphere - 2.3%
Continents - 2.1%
Other - 2.1%
How much has global sea level increased over the last 100 years?
10-25cm
Why do sea levels rise?
Because glaciers melt
What do records of declining glaciers throughout the world show?
That there is warming and tremendous change
What areas in the world are most vulnerable to sea level rise?
Coastal areas
What are some possible benefits from global warming for agriculture?
Enhanced CO2 means greater yields, longer growing seasons, increased rainfall
What are some possible drawbacks from global warming for agriculture?
More frequent droughts, heat stress, shortened life cycles, increase flooding and salinization
So in summary, what are the potential impacts of global warming?
- sea level rise, especially around coastal areas
- loss of habitat in forests and natural areas
- less water supplies and quality of water
- more crop yields but less water for irrigation
- health risks, weather-related mortality, infectious diseases
