Greenhouse Gases Flashcards
What is methane good at?
Absorbing the sun’s radiation
Where does methane come from?
It is released from wetlands and animals naturally.
How strong is methane compared to carbon dioxide?
It is between 25 and 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide?
How much methane can a cow emit per year?
120kg of methane a year
Human activities have only a small direct influence on atmospheric concentrations of water vapour, primarily…
Through irrigation and deforestation
Why does the surface warming caused by human production of other greenhouse gases lead to an increase in atmospheric water vapour?
Because warmer temperatures make it easier for water to evaporate and stay in the air in vapor form.
What is the Earth’s carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle is the natural circulation of carbon among the atmosphere, oceans, soil, plants and animals.
Since when have concentrations of CO2 rapidly increased? Why?
Since the industrial revolution because of the combustion of fossil fuels.
What do we call the carbon dioxide-absorbing oceans and forests of the world?
We call these carbon sinks.
How many acres of forest are estimated to be lost every year?
18 million acres of forest
What happens when CO2 dissolves in water?
It makes a weak acid
What happens when the oceans become more acidic due to CO2?
The acidity causes coral bleaching, which kills coral, this in turn causes habitat destruction.
