Quiz 1 Flashcards
Not Unit 1, covers all content in binder until "end quiz 1" is marked
How is incoming solar radiation absorbed and reflected?
reflected and absorbed by clouds, atmosphere, and surface. Some reflected infrared from the surface gets reflected again by greenhouse gases in atmosphere
What is a system?
the subject of study
What are the surroundings?
everything outside of a system.
what is a boundary?
something that divides the system with its surroundings. Can be invisible, chemical, physical, etc.
What is an open vs. closed system?
Open: exchanges matter and energy across system
closed: does not
With respect to matter and respect to energy, what type of systems does earth have?
matter: closed system
energy: open system
1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics
1: energy cannot be created nor destroyed
2: when energy is transformed, its ability to do work diminishes (lost as heat)
What is a steady state?
input = output
Positive and negative feedback loops
Negative: dampen rate of change. This is usually good.
Positive: amplify rate of change. Takes away from equilibrium usually.
What is Global Change? Global Climate Change? Global Warming? How are they related?
Global Change: all anthropogenic impacts to the planet
Climate change: all global change involving temp, precipitation, and winds
(ex: precipitation changes)
Global warming: global change specific to temperature
These are all subcategories of one another!
What is the greenhouse effect? Greenhouse gases? Examples?
GH effect: trapping of heat near Earth’s surface due to absorption and reradiation of infrared, done by GHGs
GHGs: gases in atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation.
Examples:
Water vapor (barely does anything tho)
CO2
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Chloro and Hydrofluorocarbons (these are strictly anthropogenic)
how is the global warming potential of a gas measured?
CO2e, meaning CO2 equivalents.
1 = potential to absorb as much infrared as 1 CO2 molecule.
Give a few examples of natural sources of GHGs
Volcanic activity & fires
decomposition & digestion
(CO2 aerobic and CH4 anaerobic)
Denitrification (in anaerobic environments)
anthropogenic sources of GHGs?
fossil fuels, agriculture, deforestation, landfills, etc.
What is the keeling curve?
represents CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere since 1958.
Methods of examining CO2 trends and temperature trends over longer periods?
-Changes in composition of foraminifera in fossil records (they prefer specific temps)
-Ice cores have air bubbles that can be analyzed
-one must combine data from a wide variety of biological, chemical, and physical measurements to allow for confidence in these estimates, just know the previously mentioned methods tho
What is the conclusion of historical climate change evidence?
Earth has undergone climate change throughout its history, however now it is rapidly changing (too fast for species to adapt)
2 examples of how positive feedback loops amplify climate change
Decomposition: decomposers produce CO2 and then increase temp, and this increase causes more decomposition
Permafrost melt:
the permafrost melting in tundra encourages anaerobic respiration (CH4) which heats up the environment and encourages further melting
Albedo effect positive feedback loop for climate change
High temps melt ice and snow, dark surfaces are exposed, more heat is absorbed, repeat
Feedback loop for evapotranspiration?
When temp rises so does evaporation, water vapor increases temp since it is a weak GHG, which leads to more temp increase and more evaporation
negative feedback loops and climate change examples:
1. CO2 and photosynthesis
2. CO2 and ocean uptake
- Increased CO2 increases plant growth, plants absorb CO2
- Increased CO2 increases ocean uptake, leading to less CO2 (this acidifies oceans, which can kill reefs and their inhabitants, as well as mollusks)
What is soil composition?
relative amounts of minerals, organic matter, air, and water in soil
Three types of minerals in soil?
Sand: largest, coarsest
Silt: medium
Clay: smallest
what is the soil texture?
proportion of minerals (sand, silt, clay)
Soil organic matter enters soil primarily as _______ and is broken down by ___
detritus
decomposers
OM affects soil by ___ and ___ nutrients and ____ water
providing and retaining
retaining
___, ___, and ___ ____, are found in pockets of empty space within the soil, referred to as pores.
Air, water, and plant roots
____: total amount of pore space in soil
porosity
______: how well water can move through soil
permeability
___ ___ ___: how much water the soil can hold
water holding capacity
to thrive, plant roots need right balance of air and water so most plants prefer a balance of ____ and ____
permeability
water holding capacity
How do we manage soils with high permeability and low water holding capacity?
low permeability and high water holding capacity?
add organic matter.
Organic matter retains water well due to its high SA and negatively charged surgace. It also binds soil together to make pathways for water, increasing its permeability
___: usually largest mineral quantity in soil
___: influences soil properties the most
sand
clay
what three things are evaluted in soil fertility?
- nutrient quantity
- capacity to retain nutrients
- are plants able to access these nutrients well?
a measure of how well soil holds (+) charged nutrients
cation exchange capacity (CEC)
what makes the CEC of clay so high?
Why is Organic Matter’s so much higher?
-Strong (-) charge and high SA
-Exponentially higher SA than other soil particles
To manage soils with a low CEC, add ___ to assist with ___ and ____ nutrients
organic matter
providing
retaining
Soil pH affects ___ of nutrients
accessiblity
optimal pH for most plants
6->8
Earth’s Layers and what they are composed of
Core:
-Solid inner core and a liquid outer core
-Super hot due to radioactive decay which fuels convection cells
Mantle:
-inner mantle has molten rock that circulates as a fluid in convection cells
-asthenosphere is the mantle’s semi-molten edge. This is what tectonic plates float on.
Lithosphere:
-crust
-tectonic plates and rocky sub surface
-soil sits on top of crust
Oceanic crust is ___ and ___ while continental crust is ___ and ___
dense, basaltic
thick, granitic
tectonic motion is driven by ___
Convection cells
convection cells form due to:
hot magma near earth’s core rises, cools in asthenosphere, then sinks in a cycle
tectonic cycle definition
process by which the lithosphere is continuously broken and built
powered by convection
boundary when plates move apart
divergent
When oceanic plates diverge, a ___ ___ ___ forms. When continental plates diverge, a ___ ___ forms.
mid-ocean ridge
Rift valley
Areas where plates collide
convergent plate boundary
subduction is caused by ___ and leads to ___ and ___
convergent plates in situations where one is denser than other
volcanic coastal mountain ranges or chains of volcanic islands (archipelago)
Ocean trenches
When plates of similar densities converge
form a continental mountain range
a volcano is a ___ where ___ rises to the surface as lava
vent
magma
Volcanoes can form at ___ and ___ plate boundaries and even in the ___ of a plate. How?
Divergent: (by definition, however these are not large usually)
Convergent: pressure and steam build up in the subduction zone.
Middle of plate: only way this can happen is a hot spot
