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SIO 25 - Climate Change and Society > Midterm #2 > Flashcards

Midterm #2 Flashcards

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1
Q

Units used to measure incoming solar radiation

A

W/m^2

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2
Q

What energy is not included when calculating energy in (Ein) for the energy budget

A

energy reflected by the earth’s albedo

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3
Q

The Solar Constant

A

the intensity of the sunlight at the distance of the planet’s orbit

Average solar constant: S = 1360 W/m^2

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4
Q

Ein Formula

A

Ein = S(1-a)/4 where S is the solar constant and a is the earth’s albedo

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5
Q

Eout Formula

A

σT^4 where T is temperature

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6
Q

What causes changes to the earth’s albedo

A
  • land use changes
  • ice cap, ice sheet, and glacier melt
  • sea level rise
  • volcanoes
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7
Q

What causes changes to the Solar Constant

A
  • sunspots
  • solar flares
  • sudden changes that affect the earth’s orbit
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8
Q

What causes changes to greenhouse gas emissions?

A
  • deforestation/wildfires
  • burning of fossil fuels
  • volcanic eruptions
  • chemical weathering
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9
Q

Gigaton

A

One billion metric tons; one metric ton = 1,000kg OR 2,200 lbs

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10
Q

1 part per million (ppm) of atmospheric CO2 in Carbon

A

2 Gigatons of Carbon

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11
Q

Parts Per Million (ppm)

A

A measure of the concentration of something

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12
Q

How to convert from Carbon Dioxide (CO2) units to Carbon (C) units

A

Divide by 3.67

because the atomic weight of CO2 is 3.62 times the atomic weight of carbon

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13
Q

What does the overall trend of the Keeling Curve show us?

A

CO2 in the atmosphere has been increasing (shown by consistent measurements since the 1950s)

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14
Q

What causes the “sawtooth” cycle/annual variance in CO2 levels on the Keeling Curve

A

Photosynthesis in the Northern Hemisphere and the fluctuations in photosynthesis due to the seasonal cycle

Only the Northern Hemisphere because there’s more land and vegetation in the Northern Hemisphere

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15
Q

Atmosphere and Biosphere exchange

A

Respiration and Photosynthesis transfer CO2 in and out of the atmosphere at a generally 1 to 1 ratio but it varies throughout the year (causes the sawtooth trend on the Keeling Curve)

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16
Q

Atmosphere and Ocean Exchange

A

Ocean Acidification through the absorption of atmospheric CO2 into the ocean

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17
Q

Atmosphere and Lithosphere Exchange

A

Volcanoes release CO2 from the rocks directly into the atmosphere

Chemical weathering deposits the CO2 in the atmosphere back into the rocks, this is through acid rain taking CO2 out of the atmosphere and breaking down rocks through weathering and eventually depositing the broken down rock and initial CO2 back into the rock layer.

Used to be at a 1-1 ratio BUT more recently has been a slightly uneven ratio with CO2 returning to the rocks quicker than it is released but this is a very very slow process

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18
Q

Aerosols effect on the energy budget

A

Aerosols have a cooling effect because they increase the albedo of the clouds

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19
Q

Climate Forcings

A

Drive/Initiate climate change

Are themselves unaffected by the climate

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20
Q

Climate Feedbacks

A

Responses to changes in the Earth’s surface temperature

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21
Q

Climate Sensitivity

A

The temperature change that occurs as a result of a climate forcing and the associated feedbacks

Determined by calculating the temperature increase caused by a doubling of atmospheric CO2

Radiative Forcing + Feedback

About 3 C for us now

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22
Q

Fast Feedbacks

A
  • water vapor feedback (+)
  • ice albedo feedback (+)
  • high clouds (+)
  • low clouds (-)
23
Q

Committed Warming

A

How much warming we have already committed to within how much CO2 has already been released into the atmosphere

Currently 0.5 C

24
Q

Climate Simulation

A

A model-based representation of the temporal behavior of the climate system under external forcing and boundary conditions

The result of these simulations are the modeled response to the imposed forcing & variability

25
Q

Climate Projection

A

A climate simulation that extends into the future based on a scenario of future external forcing

26
Q

What factors control future emissions

A

human activities:

  • population growth
  • land use change
  • GDP (production + consumption = more emissions)
  • agricultural practices
27
Q

IPAT Relation / Kaya Identity

A

Equation to determine total emissions

28
Q

Equation to determine total emissions

A

I = P x A x T

I = total emissions of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere
P = population
A = affluence
T = greenhouse gas intensity
29
Q

The greenhouse-gas intensity term T equation

A

T = EI x CI

EI = energy intensity
CI = carbon intensity
30
Q

Energy Intensity

A

the number of joules of energy it takes to generate one $ of goods and service

31
Q

Carbon Intensity

A

the amount of greenhouse gas per joule of

energy generated

32
Q

Stefan-Boltzmann equation (what is it not the equation itself)

A

Total power radiated by a

blackbody

33
Q

Stefan-Boltzmann equation

A

P/a (or Eout)= σT4

P = power
a = area (in m2)
σ= 5.67x 10-8 W/m2 /K4
T = temperature in Kelvin (K).  
where K = C + 273.15
34
Q

Simple Climate Model

A

Simplifies all of the effects of the atmosphere concentrated in a single layer

Adding a second layer of atmosphere increases a planet’s surface temperature which continues for every additional layer

The layers represent the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere

35
Q

Top ocean layer transfer with atmosphere

A

The top 100m of the ocean is the mixed layer and it exchanges carbon rapidly with the atmosphere

36
Q

Deep ocean exchange

A

The deep ocean contains most of the carbon in the ocean, exchanges carbon with the mixed layer in a process called the biological carbon pump

37
Q

Why is the combustion of Fossil Fuels so significant

A

Fossil Fuels would have origionally returned to the atmospere over billions of years but is now returning to the atmosphere rapidly

38
Q

What determines the speed of warming caused by energy imbalance in the earth’s energy balance

A

Initially is set by the heating of the ocean’s mixed layer which heats very quickly so the warming would occur very quickly, then it would slow down as the warming would have to occur in the deep ocean which takes much more energy

It will take millennia to reach equilibrium

39
Q

How long does the planet warm from energy imbalance?

A

The planet warms until Eout balances for the planet as a whole AND for each individual component of the climate system (biosphere, lithosphere, ocean)

40
Q

Ice-Albedo Feedback

A

Positive

A warming planet causes ice to melt which lowers the albedo of the planet and induces more warming

41
Q

Water-Vapor Feedback

A

Positive

A warming planet holds more atmospheric water vapor which is a greenhouse gas which then causes more warming

42
Q

Cloud Feedbacks

A

Positive and negative

Positive: Absorbs Eout

Negative: Reflects sunlight (reduces Ein)

43
Q

ENSO (El Nino/Southern Oscillation)

A

Large scale shifts of rainfall and temperature patterns across the globe

44
Q

Shared Socioeconomic Pathways

A

Predictions of the future (including politics and emissions) depending on a variety of changing factors and future possibilities

45
Q

SSP 1 Sustainability

A

Gradual shift to environmentally friendly practices, economic equality across countries, slow population growth, shift to renewable energy

46
Q

SSP 2 Middle of the Road

A

Similar to historical patterns

47
Q

SSP 3 Regional Rivalry

A

Rich get richer poor do not, increased conflict; Nationalism is strong, population growth is down in rich and up in poor countries, consumption is resource-intensive & development is slow; heavy reliance on high-carbon fuels

48
Q

SSP 4 Inequality

A

World is divided, rapid technological and energy development

49
Q

SSP 5 Fossil Fueled Development

A

Similar to SSP 1 but instead of a shift to renewable energy and environmentally friendly practices the world stays reliant on fossil fuels

50
Q

Warming for the next century

A

Regardless of what path is taken, warming remains relatively similar up until 2040-50ish

51
Q

Why is predicting Climate different from predicting Weather

A

Weather predictions are exact while Climate predictions are predicting the statistics of the weather over time periods of years

52
Q

How does the albedo affect the temperature of the planet?

A

Lower albedo = Higher Temperature
Higher albedo = Lower Temperature

Why? Higher Albedo = more energy reflected away from the planet

53
Q

Net Radiative Forcing Since 1750

A

2.5 W/m^2

SIO 25 - Climate Change and Society (2 decks)

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