L6 - Climate History & Long Term C

Question 1

climate cooling mechanisms?

Answer 1

1. Chemical weathering can be a negative feedback loop - thermostat
2. Decrease in volcanism - less co2 to atmosphere
3. Continental drift - change in ocean currents and thus heat transfer.
4. Continental drift - Himalaya formation & increased silicate weathering

Question 2

monsoon mechanism?

Answer 2

• Land has low thermal inertia and heats up quickly. Creates low pressure as air rises
• Pressure difference causes air to flow inland from high pressure ocean
• Moist air from sea is slowly heated and joins up motion
• Cools and condenses to produce heavy rain
• Monsoons initially dry (rising of sensible heat) then wet (release of latent heat)
  Opposite during winter - warm air rises over sea and air from land joins motion

Question 3

What is a proxy for temperature?

Answer 3

d18O isotope ratio

Question 4

5 components of the climate system?

Answer 4

hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, cryosphere

Question 5

what makes up the middle atmosphere

Answer 5

stratosphere and mesosphere along with the stratopause and mesopause

Question 6

How will climate change exacerbate co2 increase from ocean sinks?

Answer 6

Decreased solubility (positive feedback), acidification disrupts biological pump

Question 7

How will climate change exacerbate co2 increase from land sinks?

Answer 7

Permafrost thaw, wildfires, change in biome (boreal to tundra)

Question 8

what does NPP comprise?

Answer 8

short term C storage

Question 9

what does NBP comprise?

Answer 9

Long term C storage

Question 10

What may have triggered the PETM?

Answer 10

Volcanic activity, comet impact, wildfires, permafrost

Question 11

MPT

Answer 11

change from glacial-interglacial cycles being dominated by obliquity to eccentricity