Midterm Flashcards
What is a prominent source of carbon monoxide?
Wildfires
Define atmospheric circulation
The movement of solar-warmed air on a rotating earth
What regions receive light at 90 degrees?
Regions near the equator
What energy is concentrated near the equator?
Solar/Light energy
What latitudes receive light at low angles?
High
What do seasons relate to?
The tilt of the Earth on its axis
During summer what hemisphere is tilted toward the sun?
Northern hemisphere
During summer what hemisphere is tilted away from the sun?
Southern hemisphere
More energy is absorbed _________ than emitted (radiated away from the earth)
Near the equator
More energy is emitted ________ than is absorbed
Near the poles
What do the atmosphere and ocean act to do in partnernship?
Redistribute energy around the globe
Air flows from regions of _______ to ______ pressure due to differential heating and cooling
High , Low
What is the airflow from regions of high to low pressure due to differential heating and cooling called?
Atmospheric convection currents
How does daytime influence the movement of air?
Sun comes out and shines on land and water to heat both up –> land heats up faster because it takes less energy based on mass –> warm land warms up the air above it and creates an area of low pressure –> air over water remains cooler due to the ocean’s heat capacity –> the wind blows from high to low pressure which creates more wind
What heats up faster based on mass, land or water?
Land
When warm lands warm up the air above it does it create an area of low or high pressure?
Low pressure
How does nighttime influence the movement of air?
The wind blows from land to ocean causing the land and ocean to start to cool but the ocean doesn’t cool as quickly as land does because of high heat capacity
Define heat capacity
Heat required to raise the temperature of 1g of a substance by 1 degree Celusius
What has a high heat capacity?
Water - it absorbs a lot of heat before it is able to get hot
What has a relatively low heat capacity?
Land - it takes less energy to increase the temperature compared to water
What is a hadley cell?
Large scale atmospheric circulation system that relies on the fact that solar heating is largest at the equator
_________ is greatest at the equator
Solar heating
How does a hadley cell work?
Rising warm air is being replaced by air from further to the south and the north, and you get a convergence of air that rises up until it is warm and sinks down
On a non-rotating earth atmospheric circulation would be _________
Up and down
Define the coriolis effet
Diversion of anything that is not attached to the earths surface
Earth rotates from the ____ to the ______
West, East
Points at the equator rotate _____ than points near the poles
Faster
The coriolis effect causes winds to be deflected to the ______ in the northern hemisphere
Right
The coriolis effect causes winds to be deflected to the ______ in the southern hemisphere
Left
What does the coriolis effect do to circulation cells?
It causes winds to deflect, it breaks up the two large hadley cells into 6 smaller cells (3 in each hemisphere)
Westerlies are coming from _____ and going to the _______
West, East
________ is a lot in equatorial regions and less further north or south
Global precipitation
The warmer the air is the more _______ it can hold
Water vapor
Define expansional cooling
Air rises and expands bc it cools
Describe the process of global precipiation
Convergence of air then it warms and rises up, and as it rises up it cools bc it expands and experiences lower pressure. As it rises and expands there is a point where it can’t hold water vapor anymore because it is cool and clouds form so the vapor condenses and becomes water droplets
As air gets higher in the atmosphere it ______
Cools
Define saturation vapor pressure (SVP)
The maximum amount of water vapor that can exist in the air
The ______ the vapor pressure, the ______ amount of water vapor in the air
Higher, greater
At really low temperatures SVP is _____ so it means air can’t hold very much water in the form of water vapor
Low
The Great Lakes have become increasingly warmer which sets up _______ in their vicinity
Precipitation patterns
Define lake effect snow
Occurs when cold air moves across the open waters. As the cold air passes over the unfrozen and relatively warm waters, warmth and moisture are transferred into the lowest portion of the atmosphere forming clouds and then it cools and expands causing precipitation
In recent precipitation patterns rising air ____ and the water vapor ______ into rain
Cools, condenses
________ are often associated with rain and clouds
Low pressure systems
_______ is often associated with clear skies
High pressure systems
As air ____ it can hold more and more water vapor (meaning no clouds)
Warms
Define intertropical convergence zone
A permanent low-pressure zone where surface winds full of heat and moisture converge to form a zone of increased precipitation and cloudiness
In the intertropical convergence zone _____ and _____ winds converge
Northeast, southeast
__________ shift latitude throughout the course of the year because of the tilt of the earth that determines the seasons
Atmospheric circulation patterns
_______ (a weather condition) are associated with the large scale atmospheric conditions that shift position over the course of the year
Monsoons
How do monsoons work?
Warm moist winds from the ocean rise and cool (expansional cooling) reaching saturation vapor pressure and then they dump out rain
Heating and cooling in different locations (differential cooling) set up _____ that cause winds
Pressure gradients
_______ are embedded in the cells that control winds
Jet streams
Define jet streams
Very swift air currents that move from west to east where the cells meet
Jet streams provide ____ air to north of streams and provide ___ air to south of streams
Warm, cooler
Define global hydrological cycle
Water in its 3 states can exist in regular conditions in the earth’s systems
The intertropical convergence zone migrates _____ and ____ with the seasons because of the tilt of the earths axis
North, south
How is climate change affecting monsoons?
Global warming → increased water vapor in the warmed atmosphere → rainier summer monsoon seasons/unpredictable, extreme rainfall events
Define warm front
Warm air masses come into contact with coldair masses and want to rise above it so warm moist air condenses so we get more moderate precipitation
Energy is either ____ or ____ so its a big part in the redistribution of energy around the globe
Consumed, released
Solid to liquid to gas means energy was ____ from the environment
Taken
Water vapor to liquid to solid means heat energy is _____ into the environment
Released
Define latent heat
Heat absorbed or released during a change of state without a change of temperature
Global warming causes an intensification of the ________________ because warmer air holds more water vapor
Global hydrological process
All of our weather happens in the ______-
Troposphere
Commercial planes fly in the ______ because of convection cells and the craziness that comes along with them
Lower stratosphere
Why is the atmosphere stratified?
Due to different pressure levels
___________ are driven by atmospheric winds
Ocean surface currents
Energy from the wind is transferred to the water by _______
Friction
Define Ekman transport/spiral
Net transport of water that is 90 degrees to the right of the applied surface wind
The Ekman spiral gives rise to _______
Fisheries
Define upwelling zones
Zones where surface waters are replaced by cold, nutrient-rich water that “wells up” from below
Define ocean gyres
Large swirling water masses distributed through major ocean basins - move warmth and moisture from the tropics to higher latitudes, which affects air temperature and rainfall
______ and _____ are the roots of upwelling and downwelling zones and fisheries
Friction, Coriolis effect
The prevailing wind patterns on the earth blow from ____ to ____
East to west
How do ocean gyres work?
The ocean churns up various types of currents. Together, these larger and more permanent currents make up the systems of currents known as gyres. Wind, tides, and differences in temperature and salinity drive ocean currents.
Why is there a great pacific garbage patch and what is it?`
Collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean because converging surface currents cause the plastic and debris to accumulate. It is a direct result of friction, the Coriolis force and east to west winds.
Define western boundary currents
Boundary systems between circulation currents - at the western boundaries of all major ocean basins because of the direction of planetary rotation
The _____ is the most important water source with respect to the transfer of heat around the globe
Gulf stream
What does the gulfstream do?
Transports warm water into relatively high latitudes
In the ocean the _____ is the _____ water
Densest, deepest
In the ocean the lightest water is the _____
Shallowest
______ increase as ______ decreases (think ocean)
Density, temperature
Density increases as oceanic _______ increases
Salinity
What can cause water to circulate?
Density differences
What is key to the transport of heat in the ocean?
Stratification - heavily salted water (deepest) causes heat below to stay trapped and not melt the ice on the top
Define thermohaline circulation
The movement of ocean currents due to differences in temperature and salinity in different regions of water - plays an important role in supplying heat to the polar regions
The gulf stream is expected to _____ not to _____
Weaken, cease
As long as we have a rotating planet with _________ we will have large scale heating and cooling
Differential heating and cooling
Why would the gulf stream weaken?
High levels of melting inputs to northern latitudes
________ is a recurring climate pattern across the pacific ocean (warm phase)
El nino
______ is the cooling of the eastern tropical pacific ocean
La nina
Define climate
The general weather conditions usually found in a particular place
Planetary energy balance controls _______
The distribution, variability, and the mean of the temperatures in a given area
Define albedo
Reflectivity of a planets surface
Light colors have very ____ albedo
High
Dark colors have very _____ albedo
Low
What are some huge contributing factors to albedo?
Cloud cover, ice caps/sea, volcanic aerosol particles
Track this and remember it queen
Ice melting → decreased albedo → less radiation reflected → warming → back to the beginning
Track this and remember it queen (part 2)
Ice growth → increased albedo → more radiation reflected → cooling → back to beginning
Why doesn’t the earth get insanely hot?
Energy arriving from the sun will heat up the earth but the energy being absorbed = the energy being released
Why is the earth stably habitable?
We have an atmosphere that controls the climate
Our atmosphere is largely ____ to short wave radiation (light) coming in from the sun
Transparent
Our atmosphere is largely ____ to long wave radiation (infrared) coming in from the sun
Opaque (not transparent)
Most organic matter produced through photosynthesis is destroyed by ______
Respiration
Most organic matter produced through photosynthesis is destroyed by respiration.
But some fraction escapes respiration and becomes buried in sediments and undergoes chemical transformations to form ________, which can cause the release of _______
Fossil fuels, petroleum and gas
What do fossil fuel burning and respiration have in common?
Releasing massive amounts of CO2 through combustion
What is the problem with the amount of fossil fuels we’re releasing?
It is out of balance with the production and consumption of CO2.
_____ and _____ are very potent greenhouse gases but have much shorter atmospheric lifespans than carbon dioxide
Methane, nitrous oxide
Define isotope
Same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons - changes mass and how they act
Define global warming potential
Examines each greenhouse gas’s ability to trap heat in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide
What do trace gases do?
Absorb in “window regions” left open by water vapor & help warm places where water vapor alone cannot do it
Photosynthesis stores ____ and produces _____
Energy, oxygen
Methane and nitrous oxide are very potent greenhouse gases but have much _______ atmospheric lifespans than carbon dioxide.
Shorter
If you have a large infrared absorption rate you have a high ____
GWP
Where does methane come from?
Hind gut producers (cows and sheep), rice production, land fills, wetlands
How is methane produced through wetlands?
Organic matter degradation but you have run out of oxygen so instead of producing CO2 they’re producing methane
Negative/stabilizing feedback process
Warming → increased weathering → decreased CO2 → cooling
Urey reaction
Co2 concentrations on earth are not consistently increasing despite the fact that CO2 is being constantly supplied by volcanoes because rocks are absorbing it at the rates it is being produced (recently more co2is being released than absorbed so it is being caught in the atmosphere)
Half to the CO2 released goes into ______ and the other half goes into the ________
Oceans, terrestrial biosphere
Carbon _____ have been increasingly turning into carbon ______
Sinks, sources
Temperature changes are controlled by the balance between _________ and weathering feedbacks
Carbon sinks and sources
What do Milankovitch cycles control?
The intensity of the seasons at particularly high latitudes
Ice sheets can change the _____ of land and water surfaces through changing the reflectivity of our surface
Albedo
What portion of anthropogenic emissions accumulate in the atmosphere?
50%
Of the 50% of anthropogenic emissions that don’t make it to the atmosphere how much is absorbed by the terrestrial biosphere?
60%
Of the 50% of anthropogenic emissioons that don’t make it to the atmosphere how much is absorbed by the ocean?
40%
We are increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere is taking on more and more of it with the goal of ______
Maintaining the 50/50 atmospheric split
Large ecosystems that were carbon sinks have turned into carbon sources. This has changed feedbacks from ______ to _______
Negative, positive
__________ can become places to produce large source of carbon dioxide and methane
Tundra
The respiration rates of corals _____ in warmer temperatures
Increase
When coral respiration is out of step with energy production in the body what happens?
It loses symbionts and ability to regulate itself and leads to more CO2 in the water
Any source of environmental stress can cause movement away from ______________
A healthy and functioning ecosystem
Describe the process of sedimentation
Precipitation causes runoff from lands, deforestation causes more erosion, agriculture: we till the soil until there’s a massive loss of top soil so its getting picked up bc its lighter and going everywhere
________ will ensure that we have no healthy functioning coral reef ecosyetms
Ocean acidification
Ocean acidification is ______ of ocean temperature
Independent
Define ocean deoxygenation
Overall decline in the oxygen content of oceanic and coastal waters - occurs when oxygen consumption (respiration) is greater than oxygen replenishment through photosynthesis/mixing
Consequences of ocean deoxygenation
Decreased biodiversity, shifts in species distributions, displacement or reduction in fishery resources and expanding algal blooms
Describe process of ocean deoxygenation
Warmer ocean water holds less oxygen and is more buoyant than cooler water. This leads to reduced mixing of oxygenated water near the surface with deeper waters, which naturally contain less oxygen. Warmer water also raises oxygen demand from living organisms. As a result, less oxygen is available for marine life.
Define hypoxia
Lack of oxygen
Describe the relationship betweeyn hypoxia and ocean deoxygenation
Ocean oxygen loss driven by excessive organic matter and growth of algae and the threats it poses to ecosystem services are documented in many regions but likely under-reported in others. The two causes can also interact – warming-induced oxygen loss is tipping coastal areas into hypoxia and may contribute to the dramatic increase in reports of coastal hypoxia.
Ocean deoxygenation is often accompanied by ______
Ocean acidification
A warming ocean _____ oxygen supply but _______ oxygen requirements of marine organisms, making it critical to understand the combined effects of these stressors.
Decreases, increases
What are the two main ways oxygen enters the ocean?
Surface mixing where air meets the water through the wind, and photosynthesis by microscopic plankton or macroalgae that produce it
As we ______ temperatures, we _______ the concentration of oxygen that equilibrates in surface oceans
Increase, decrease
________ could be common given the distribution of low oxygen waters
Hypoxia
Equatorial regions are warmer than polar regions because _________
High latitudes receive light at lower angles than equatorial regions
Rank the greenhouse gases in terms of GWP
CFC, nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide
Describe one way in which arctic warming could lead to a positive feedback
Warming can melt some the sea ice which would lower albedo and that could allow surface area to warm
Solar heating is higher _______ than anywhere else
At the equator
The ____________ is steepest at the equator so it heats there more than anywhere else
Angle of sun’s radiation
What is the area between rising sides of hadley cells called?
Intertropical convergence zone
Large scale ocean circulation is driven by _______
Density of water masses
