questions Flashcards
What is most of our economy based upon? (3)
coal, oil, and gas
Why is arctic the air conditioning for the northern hemisphere?
sea ice caps help regulate the earth’s atmosphere. ice helps to reflect some of the sun’s light and heat back into space.
Carbon sinks / heat sinks: 2 things that absorb carbon from our atmosphere
ocean and rainforests
4 greenhouse gases
- methane
- nitrous oxide
- carbon dioxide
- water vapour
How are we impacted by climate change?
Extreme heat waves / health
2 ways we can take action to reduce climate change
recycling and reducing energy consumption
what is the importance of up-cycling?
reducing waste that helps reuse materials
What is a heat sink?
world’s oceans, which absorb and store a significant amount of heat from the atmosphere, regulating global temperatures.
what is IPCC
International panel of climate change (take decisive actions)
What is the ozone layer
Shield in sky to protect us from the sun’s harmful rays
Why is the atmosphere layer important?
Without this layer, most solar energy reaching earth would radiate back into space; average temperature would be 34 degrees celsius lower than today (really hot days and freezing cold nights)
weather definition - 5 example - 3 weather conditions
Specific atmospheric conditions that occur at a particular place & time
Example: sun, wind, rain, snow, frost
Weather Conditions: tornado, blizzard, storm
climate definition - 3 examples - 6 factors determining climate
Average weather conditions that occur over a long period of time
examples: tropical, dry, temperate
factors determining climate: latitude, elevation, ocean currents, nearby bodies of water, topography, prevailing winds
4 factors that affect climate change (natural greenhouse gas effect)
- Solar radiation
- Land and sea ice changes
- Volcanic eruptions
- Methane / Nitrous oxide
4 factors that affect climate change (anthropogenic effect)
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O)
- Deforestation
- Land Use Changes
- Human Activities (burning fossil fuels, industrial processes, transportation, agriculture)
3 methods of energy transfer
- Radiation
- Conduction
- Convection.
What is it called when energy is transferred in a form of waves/particles, radiates thermal energy, and has NO medium?
Radiation
example of radiation
sunlight -> space -> earth -> heat / light
description of conduction
transfer of thermal energy between 2 objects forming DIRECT CONTACT
example of conduction
metal spoon -> hot cup of tea -> heat from tea -> conducted through the spoon
description of convection
transfer of energy through movement of particles in liquids / gas (fluids)
what does motion create?
convection current
example of convection
steam rising from a boiling pot of water -> heat from the bottom of the pot rises up -> water heats up -> less dense -> rises as steam -> cooler water moves down
how much solar radiation do atmospheric gases above poles receive?
very little since gases are much colder
-> lose energy & contract -> makes air more dense
anthropogenic greenhouse gas effect
caused by human activities (burning fossil fuels)
natural greenhouse gas effect
gases that are naturally produced that trap heat to make it warm enough to support life
why is the anthropogenic effect bad if there is already heat trapped in there air because of NGG effect
because the ngg traps heat just enough to support life but having human actives release more greenhouse gas emissions starts trapping more heat that disrupts ecosystems, lifestyles, etc.
what is albedo
the measurement of the % of light that an object REFLECTS
what has high albedo
clean snow - reflects more light back into atmosphere (cooling effect)
what has low albedo
soil - dark in color that absorbs more heat and less reflection (heating effect)
2 classifications of a positive feedback loop and an example
- INCREASE in the effect of interacting particles / INCREASE in global warming
- DECREASE in albedo (absorption0
example: melting ice
2 classifications of a negative feedback loop
- DECREASE effect of interacting parts/ DECREASE in global warming
example: increase in global warming -> more evaporation (greenhouse gas) -> clouds (white) -> more reflection (albedo) -> DECREASE in global warming
what are carbon sinks?
natural/artificial reservoirs that ABSORB and store carbon dioxide
what are carbon sources?
processes/activities that RELEASE carbon dioxide (burning fossil fuels)
how do solar panels work?
sun shines on solar panel -> light is absorbed -> converting energy from sun into power
how does the natural greenhouse effect work?
First receiving solar radiation from the sun. This incoming solar radiation enters the Earth’s atmosphere, with some of it being absorbed by the surface while the rest is reflected back into space by the planet’s albedo, which refers to its reflective properties. The absorbed solar energy warms the Earth’s surface, causing it to emit infrared radiation. Gases such as methane and water vapor, then trap a portion of this infrared radiation, preventing it from escaping directly into space. This trapped infrared radiation effectively acts as a thermal blanket, maintaining a stable temperature necessary for sustaining life on Earth.
