Lecture 9 Climate change

Question 1

what is weather vs. cliate

Answer 1

weather: the sstate of the atmosphereic at a specific time and place
climate; the average of the atmospehre over a long period of tme

Question 2

what are the atmospheric gases

Answer 2

nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour, ozone, methane, halocarbons, aerosols

Question 3

what is climate syste

Answer 3

function of the interaction of many spheres

Question 4

when was the last glacial period

Answer 4

all of canada was covered 18,000 years ago, lower sea level exposed the Bering lanfd bridge

Question 5

when was he holocne epoch

Answer 5

time period form 100,000 years ago, medival warm period time of mild tmpes, and the little ice age

Question 6

what are the 4 general causes for climate change

Answer 6

1 variation in solar raidiation

2. changes in composition of the atmosphere
3. changes in the earths surface
4. variation in earths surface

Question 7

what are the milankowitch theory

Answer 7

proposes 3 perate phenomena relaing to earth’s orbit leads to climate change

1. eccentricty; changes in shape of orbit
2. precession: direction of axis (23,000 year cycle)
3. obliquity: changes in the tilt of axis

Question 8

what is the green house effect

Answer 8

gases allow solar radiation to pss through but absorb infared radiation. earth warms due to change in climate due to retention of earth own radaition

Question 9

wha are the main green house gases

Answer 9

co2 water vapour methane

Question 10

what is ozone

Answer 10

form nautrally in stratosphere, and chemically in troposhpere

Question 11

describe the destruction of ozone

Answer 11

CFC in 1900s found in spray cans hairsprays and ineffiecin appliances, non essetal uses were banned in 1970s

Question 12

what is the montreal protocool

Answer 12

1987, worldwide agreement among contries to educe CFC concentrations

Question 13

what is acid preciptation and what are the main sources

Answer 13

precipitation that combines with pollutants and inturn turns acidic, major sources sulfur oxides an nitrigen oxides t form nitric and sulferic acid

Question 14

what are the effects of acid precip

Answer 14

slows tree growth,reduces fish population an erodes material

Question 15

how do climate models work

Answer 15

series of mathmatical equations, variables; greenhouse gases, solar raiation, manth other componments

Question 16

what is the kyoto protocool

Answer 16

1997, global agreement aming to slow climate change, ojbetive to reduce green house gases to 5% by w

Question 17

what arre the impacts of climate change

Answer 17

polar areas will wrm the most, boreal forest will expand northward and agriculture, preiciptation pattern would change affecting habitats, increased frequency and intesity of storms and hurricanes

Question 18

what are the impacts of climate change on human health

Answer 18

increases infectious disease, inrease in extreme weather events, increase in heat wave related deaths, increase in allergi disorders, impacts to native population and wildlife