IB Core - Global Climate Flashcards
This diagram uses Watts per meter squared as its unit. From the figure, much insolation reaches the Earth?
By the time insolation reaches the surface of the Earth and is averaged out across Earth’s spinning spherical surface, we receive about 342 watts per m2.
Insolation reaching Earth’s atmosphere varies over short periods of time based on sunspot activity. What is sunspot activity?
These are temporary phenomena that appear as spots darker than the surrounding areas.
They are regions of reduced surface temperature caused by intense magnetic storms but these storms increase the amount of highly charged particles, increasing the shortwave UV radiation being emitted from the sun and entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
Sunspots increase and decrease through an average cycle of 11 years.
Define Greenhouse Gasses
atmospheric gases that absorb infrared radiation and cause world temperatures to be warmer than would otherwise be the case. These include: water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) nitrous oxide (N2O) and ozone (O3).
How can trade affect greenhouse gas emissions?
Will likely increase:
- increased export of manufactured goods - the production process will increase emissions
- TNCs relocating to NEEs where regulations may be more lax, leading to more emissions
- Increased container shipping to transport goods for trade will increase emissions
- Emerging economies may import fossil fuels, which they will likely be reliant on, increasing their consumption leading to more GHG emissions.
Define Climate Change
a long-term trend or movement in climate detected by a sustained shift in the average value of any climate element (e.g. rainfall, droughts, hurricanes).
Explain how the global energy balance can be affected by global dimming from volcanic eruptions?
Increased aerosols / dust / particles in the atmosphere prevent the input of shortwave radiation into the atmospheric system, leading to a net cooling effect
How can seal-level change as a result of global warming?
- Thermal expansion: high temperatures result in water occupying a greater space, which results in sea level rise
- Melting of the icecaps and glaciers results in an increase of water as it moves from the cryosphere into oceans, increasing the amount of water in the oceans - this is known as eustatic sea level change
Distinguish between the natural greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Natural greenhouse effect: longwave, outgoing radiation is absorbed by GHGs, heating up the atmosphere.
Enhanced greenhouse effect: human activity is increasing the concentration of GHGs, further raising tropospheric temperatures by absorbing and scattering back to Earth some of the longwave outgoing radiation.
How can carbon offsetting reduce global GHG emissions?
Funds activities and projects such as tree planting or solar power which reduce or counterbalance (offset) emissions from elsewhere
Insolation that reaches the earths surface is converted and re-emitted. What is it re-emitted as?
Long wave, infrared radiation.
Solar flares are a form of external forcing that alter the amount of insolation reaching the Earth’s surface. What are solar flares?
Solar flares are closely associated with sunspot activity.
Hot matter called plasma interacts with the magnetic field sending bursts of plasma up and away from the sun in the form of a flare.
It is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots.
Identify as many methods as you can to adapt and mitigate to climate change.
The atmospheric system is made up of inputs, outputs, transfers, and stores. True or false?
True
Outline three ways geoengineering can mitigate climate change.
Solar radiation management: space mirrors or reflective aerosol’s in the upper atmosphere
Cloud seeding: currently in operation in 8 states and dozens of countries to boost precipitation – particles of silver iodide and dry ice are ices to encourage cloud formation and precipitation – little evidence it works
Ocean fertilization: involves adding nutrients (iron or nitrates) to the upper layers of the ocean to stimulate phytoplankton activity. These microscopic plants, after blooming, would die and sink to the ocean floor taking with them the CO2 they photosynthesized into new tissues
Distinguish between the natural greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect.
The natural greenhouse effect = long wave/outgoing radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases heating up the atmosphere.
The enhanced greenhouse effect = when increased emissions from industry, transport, and other means such as methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapour, are emitted into the atmosphere, causing more long wave radiation to be absorbed in the atmosphere and re-emitted to Earth, causing greater levels of warming.
A lot of the long wave radiation doesn’t make it back to space and is instead absorbed by greenhouse gasses and clouds in our atmosphere. How much is re-emitted in random directions to then be re-absorbed by the surface or by gasses higher in the atmosphere?
324 watts per m2 is re-emitted in random directions
What happens to short-wave insolation as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere?
Insolation reacts with the chemical composition of the atmosphere, where some of it is absorbed, scattered, or continues on to the Earth’s surface.
That insolation that continues through the atmosphere reaching the surface is converted to infrared radiation and re-emitted back into the atmosphere where further interactions occur.
From the diagram, what is the total insolation re-emitted back into space from reflection by the surface, clouds, and atmospheric gasses?
107 watts per m2
The Earth doesn’t, continually absorb insolation. Some is re-emitted. What is the total amount re-emitted back into space?
235 watts per m2 as long wave radiation.
