mt #2 Flashcards
radiative forcing
measurement of the capacity of gas or other forcing agents to affect the energy balance
positive values of radiative forcing
results in the heating of the surface
negative values of radiative forcing
results in the cooling of the surface
decrease in stratospheric ozone is an example of an
anthropogenic forcing
aerosols
microscopic or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere (size from about 0.01 to 10 micrometers) (e.g. dust, smoke, salt)
direct effect of aerosols
- reflect shortwave radiation
- absorb shortwave radiation
- absorb longwave radiation
NET cooling effect
indirect effects of aerosols
- decrease in droplet size, brighter cloud
- reduced cloud droplet sizes, decrease in precipitation, longer lasting, thicker cloud
Natural Sources of Aerosols
land (dust), Ocean (salt), Volcanic eruptions (smoke)
Anthropogenic sources of Aerosols
factories, cars, power plants, deforestation
3 types of aerosols
- sulfate
- black carbon
- organic carbon
Sulfate Aerosols
- cooling, negative radiative forcing effect
- natural source: volcanoes
- Anthro source: burning of fossil fuels
- 90% is anthropogenic
- reflect solar radiation
Black Carbon Aerosols
- warming effect
- natural source: biomass burning (forest fires)
- anthropogenic sources: incomplete combustion from coal diesel engines, biomass burning (deforestation)
- elemental carbon/soot
- absorbs solar radiation, low albedo
Organic carbon
- cooling effect
- natural source: biomass burning
- anthropogenic source: fossil fuel burning, deforestation
climate model
a mathematical representation of the physical processes that control climate
factors effecting emissions
- global population
- energy generation
- economic growth
- type of economy
- cooperation among countries
RCP
representative concentration pathways
mitigation scenario
RCP 2.6: low forcing level. radiative forcing peaks and declines by 2100
stabilization scenarios
RCP 4.5 and RCP 6.0: for RCP 4.5, radiative forcing stabilizes by 2100
for RCP6, radiate forcing does not peak by 2100
High GHG emissions scenarios
RCP8.5: Radiative forcing does not peak by 2100
Climate models, use past or present do test?
past
Does land or sea surface temperature increase more? why?
Land because water reflects more solar radiation, while land retains more heat.
Climate changes in Cali
- Coastal Danger
- bad air days
- droughts and wildfires
- spreading diseases
- loss of native fish
Negative of groundwater pumping
is we pull out the water, this would cause the land to sink
atmospheric rivers
narrow jets of very humid air that normally originate in the warm subtropical Pacific Ocean
valley fever
fatal disease caused by inhaling microscopic spores of soil dwelling fungus
3 step framework for climate change solutions
reduce emission sources, support ghgs sinks, improve society
one time actions
buying an energy efficient car
changing to led lights
behavioral changes
recycling, take shorter showers, taking public transit instead of a car
baseline
amount of energy intended to satisfy an avg customer’s electricity needs in a given area
food miles
number of miles (km) that food is transported from origin to your mouth
food energy efficiency
inputfossilenergy/calories
four methods for CO2 storage
- diversion into industrial processes
- conversion to mineral carbonates
- pumping into deep ocean
- (BEST) burial in deep geological formations
negatives to deep ocean CO2 storage
- interfere with aerobic respiration
- may prove toxic to certain organisms
- dissolution into carbonate and bicorbnate forms would acidify seawater
where to do co2 burial in geological formations
- depleted or natural gas fields
- deep coal seams
- saline formation
- cons: costly
mitigation
action taken to halt or decrease environmental impact of a particular action
adaptation
a change of the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to the environment
