Natural Forcing Flashcards

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1
Q

Eccentricity - impact of more elliptical vs more circular

A

More elliptical - further away during N Hem summer - colder/glacials
More circular - closer during summer - hotter - melting - interglacials

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2
Q

Obliquity - range of Earth’s tilit

A

22-24.5 degrees

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3
Q

Obliquity - impact of increased/decreased tilt

A

Increased - N Hem more exposed to sun in summer to more heat energy - more melting - interglacials
Decreased - N Hem less exposed to sun in Summer - less melting - glacials

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4
Q

Length of Eccentricity cycle

A

100,000 years

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5
Q

Length of Obliquity cycle

A

41,000 years

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6
Q

Length of precession cycle

A

26,000 years - around

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7
Q

Impact of precession

A

Can increase/decrease impact of Eccentricity
When N Hem closer towards sun during circular - increased impact
When N Hem closer towards sun during more elliptical - decreased impact
Makes seasonal contrast more extreme in 1 hemisphere and less in the other

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8
Q

What would the average temp be without GHGs

A

-18 degrees

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9
Q

What do GHGs absorb and re-emmit

A

Long wave solar energy/IR waves that have been re-radiated from the Earth’s surface

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10
Q

How much can increased sun spots increase the temperature

A

0.1 degrees

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11
Q

Length of solar activity cycle

A

11 years

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12
Q

What is it called when sun activity decreases for a sustained period of time

A

Grand Minimum

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13
Q

How long do Grand Minimums last

A

10s-100s of years

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14
Q

When was the last Grand Minimum

A

During the ‘Little Ice Age’ - Maunder Minimum

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15
Q

What gas is produced by volcanic eruptions that decreases the global temperature

A

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

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16
Q

Impact of volcanic ash

A

Blocks out sunlight - so decreased solar energy - global cooling
Very short term - weeks/months

17
Q

Impact of volcanoes in the long term

A

CO2 and increased GHG effect

18
Q

What recent volcanic eruption was significant + what was the impact

A

Mount Pinatubo 1991 - caused a 1 degree temp decreased in a year
Due to 20 mil tons of SO2 released

19
Q

Another volcanic eruption and its impact

A

Tambora 1815 - 1816 called ‘year without summer’ - cooling

20
Q

Impact of continental drift

A

Split from Pangea - so increased land at higher latitudes so decreased temps - increased by albedo

21
Q

Impact of formation of isthmus of Panama

A

Cut off ocean circulation between Atlantic and Pacific - forming the Gulf Stream - increased temps in Europe
LT - as a result increased evap so increased precip - this decreased salinity of Arctic and Atlanitc - so decreased downwelling and weakened gulf stream and deep ocean currents changed - triggered Quaternary Ice Age