Ocean-Climate system - 17 Flashcards

1
Q

How reliable are model predictions for climate change?

A
  • Assumptions are made
  • Simplified versions of reality
  • Quantitative results are less reliable than qualitative results
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2
Q

How will global warming cause sea level rise?

A
  • Melting of ice sheets and glaciers

- Thermal expansion

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3
Q

How much will global sea level rise in the 21st century?

A

Around 50 cm (5mm/yr)

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4
Q

What affect will sea level rise have?

A
  • Extensive coastal flooding
  • Barrier island erosion
  • Salt marshes and mangrove disappearance (impact on commercial fishing industry)
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5
Q

Give an example of a species that has disappeared due to warming ocean temperatures …

A

Winter Flounder in New England … reduced survivability of eggs and larvae due to warmer temperatures

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6
Q

How much of a reduction in the northerly flow of the Gulf stream has been recorded?

A

30% reduction … precursor for the switching off of the thermohaline conveyer belt?

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7
Q

How much excess heat is absorbed by the oceans?

A

70-80%

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8
Q

How much of our emissions are being absorbed by the oceans?

A

1/3 (IPCC)

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9
Q

How much will calcification reduce by is we hit 700ppm of CO2?

A

Reduction by 30%

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10
Q

How many people would be displaced by rising sea level?

A

1 billion

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11
Q

How are organisms responding to rising sea level temperature?

A
  • Migration to cooler waters … e.g. squid, jellyfish

- phytoplankton population decreasing … in turn causes die off of sea bird populations

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12
Q

What impact does acidifying water have on organisms?

A
  • Shell formation of pteropods and formanifera disturbed

- Reduction of carbonate to produce coral reefs

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13
Q

What can we do to solve these issues?

A
  • Geoengineering?
  • New policy?
  • International agreements?
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