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Issues in Env. Science > Quiz 6 > Flashcards

Quiz 6 Flashcards

1
Q

Climate change

A

overall trend of entire earth’s surface toward a different average state

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2
Q

Hurricane Sandy and global warming

A

Scientists don’t believe it was directly caused by GW but by some contributing factors

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3
Q

As air pressure decreases

A

Air rises, cools, condenses

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4
Q

As air pressure increases

A

air sinks, warm, moisture evaporates

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5
Q

Specific humidity

A

Total amount of water vapor in air

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6
Q

Relative humidity

A

% is measure of how close air is to saturation humidity

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7
Q

Humidity saturation point

A

where vapor condenses

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8
Q

Evaporation and warmer climate

A

Specific humidity will increase but relative humidity will stay about the same

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9
Q

Cyclonic Storms

A

Form from pressure differentials, large low pressure area near earth’s surface. Winds generated by mixing of cold dry air and warm wet air- Release of large amounts of latent heat as moist air is carried upward and condenses

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10
Q

Where do storms form?

A

Hurricanes - Atlantic/E. Pacific Oceans
Typhoons - Form in W. Pacific
Cyclones - S. Hemisphere or Indian Ocean

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11
Q

For cyclones sea surface temps must be

A

Warm enough

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12
Q

El Nino Southern Oscillation Cycle

A

Fluncuations in temp. between the ocean and atmosphere in east-central Equatorial Pacific.

  • 9-12 months, typically
  • Warm phase in S. Am/CA
  • droughts in Indonesia/Australia
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13
Q

ENSO cold phase

A

Unusually cold ocean temps in eastern tropical pacific. Warm water near surface blown to west. Cold water hampers formation of clouds/storms, drought to SW US

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14
Q

Droughts

A

defined by: amount of rainfall, amount of water evaporated, amount stored in soil

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15
Q

____ atmosphere can hold more moisture, existing patterns of moisture transport intensified

A

Warmer

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16
Q

Sahel Region of Africa

A

Transition zone between tropical forest to south and Sahara desert to North.
Jul. to Sept. - Rains move in during W. African monsoon; Semi-nomadic people move herds from North to South during dry oeruid, Permanent settlements in fertile areas

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17
Q

Drought in Sahel

A

Two spikes in severity of droughts from 1960s-1980s, famine killed 100,000, drought occurred simultaneously with other climactic changes
^warming of sea temps

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18
Q

Predicted Future Drying

A

Long term predications of climate change linked to drier conditions in US South, midwest, South Euro-Meditaranian, SE asia, Australia, most of Africa, Brazil, Chile

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19
Q

Effect of aerosols

A

Sunlight necessary for rainfall, heats ocean, water evaporates, falls as rain. Aerosols reduce sunlight

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20
Q

Floods

A

Develop very quickly in response to extremely intensive rainfall,
IPCC - extreme flooding most widespread risk to human settlements from both increased rainfall and sea level rise. River, coastal urban areas affected.
Damages crops, fosters spread of disease, overwhelm water treatment, landslides, erosion

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21
Q

Heat Waves

A

As planet gets warmer there will be more heat waves of greater intensity, associated with semi-stationary domes of high pressure-clear skies, light winds, warm air prolong hot conditions at surface

High pressure associated with heat waves = higher summer nighttime minimums, daytime minimums- predicted to increase as greenhouse gases increase

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22
Q

Effects of heat waves

A

Heat stroke, death, power outages, wildfires, physical damage- roads, water lines, power transformers detonating, agricultural damage

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23
Q

Warming and CO2

A

Warming = increasing release of CO2

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24
Q

Cooling and CO2

A

=increased capture of CO2

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25
Insolation
Incoming solar radiation
26
Relationship of light energy and wavelength
inversely related
27
most energy is in what light range
Visible
28
Function of Ozone
absorbs UV light radiation due to structure
29
Simpler gases and light
O2 and N2 do not reaction with infrared or UV light
30
Why can we see the stars
No atmosphere gases react with visible light
31
Greenhouse gases
manmade, natural, contribute to greenhouse effect, most abundant component = water vapor, interact significantly with infrared heat radiation emitted from Earth's surface- Allows sun's energy to pass through but inhibits escape of heat back into space
32
Greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions
Burning fossil fuels Transportation Industrial processes Land use changes- Deforestation, Agriculture
33
Natural sources of CO2 how many times greater due to human activity
20x
34
Levels increasing about how much per year
.5%
35
Methane
Naturally occurring, produced by bacteria when decamping plant and animal material Human related sources - Agriculture, Livestock, Landfills, Mining, Pipeline leakage
36
Nitrous oxide N2O
Natural sources - soil denitrification, burning organic matter Human sources - use of synthetic and organic fertilizers, production of nitrogen-fixing crops, application of manure, fossil fuel combustion, sewage management
37
CFCs
No natural sources, have more powerful greenhouse gas effect than CO2
38
Global Warming Potential
Measure of how much a gas is estimated to contribute to the greenhouse effect
39
___ accounts for 2/3 of global warming
CO2
40
Positive radioactive forcings
Cause warming of climate
41
Negative radioactive forcings
Cause cooling of climate
42
Climate response to radiative forcings
Changes in global mean near-surface air temps resulting from a sustaining doubling of atmosphere CO2 concentrations
43
Positive feedback - water vapor
Warm air can hold more water vapor than cold, greenhouse gases = warming = increase in vapor concentration, water vapor absorbs radiating heat from surface, increases warming of atmosphere/surface
44
Why are we worried about CO2 concentrations when water vapor has a greater effect on global temps
Water vapor is not a radiative forcing external to system, CO2 is pumped into atmosphere regardless of surface temp, Water vapor highly dependent on air temperature - relative humidity stays constant
45
Polar Amplification
Key role in why arctic is warming faster than rest of Earth, warming melts ice, replaced by dark sea, land = absorbs more energy Solar heat absorbed by oceans in summer in summer more easily transferred to atm. In winter atmospheric layer in arctic is thinner
46
Climate feedback - cloud (pos. and neg.)
Absorb outgoing heat radiation - positive effect Highly reflective - negative effect low thick clouds = cooling effect
47
Carbon Cycle
Cycling of CO2, short term cycles - photosynthesis, respiration, burning, decomposition, ocean uptake and release Long term - sedimentation in oceans, land; volcanic release, weathering
48
Rapid changes to carbon cycle
Burning coal, oil, natural gas- Releases CO2 in atm. much faster than natural release burning of forests
49
Ocean uptake of carbon...
enhances warming
50
increase in CO2 and photosynthesis
increase in CO2=increase in photosynthesis
51
Effects of Aerosols
Natural sources - soil and dust particles, pollen, volcanic eruptions, evaporated sea salt Anthropogenic sourcesL sulfate oxides of nitrogen, black carbon
52
Aerosols- Oxides of nitrogen
Forms when combustion initiates reactions with atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen Produces nitrogen oxide
53
Aerosols - Black carbon
Products of incomplete combustion - soot, charcoal, char, carried in the sky by hot air from combustion, return to earth through rain or settlings as dust Potential climate forcing agent- second largest to CO2
54
Twofold effect of black soot on ice and snow
Dark particles absorb heat energy: Increases melt of snow, soot becomes more concentrated on snow surface Darkens surface and reduce albedo
55
Indirect effects of aerosols
Cloud formation - naturally occurs when water droplets form air borne particulates - pollen, dust Water droplets reflect sunlight back into space = cooling effect
56
Aircraft contrails
Implicated in dimming but could not be tested because of constant air traffic, shutdown of air travel after 9/11 - increase in air temps
57
Reverse of global dimming
Shift from dimming to brightening trend in 1990 due to decrease in air pollution
58
Is it possible to prove climate change is due to anthropogenic greenhouse gases
Many hypotheses can be put forth to explain an observed phenomenon or experimental results. Some are incorrect some are supported. Can only prove a hypothesis is incorrect or inadequate
59
Correct predictions of climate change
Sea levels should rise as ice melts and warmer seawater expands Stratosphere should cool in response to increasing levels of greenhouse gases Warming in arctic = enhanced due to ice melt, energy absorption of exposed seawater
60
Trend skeptics
Deny any trend of global warming
61
How do we know climate change is human caused
Hindcasting - reproduce observed past changes in climate models
62
Attribution skeptics
Warming is occurring but can't attribute to human activities
63
Impact skeptics
Warming is occurring but impact will be mostly positive
64
Pessimistic believer
Believes human connection, may favor GG reductions but also believes action is futile or too expensive
65
Philosophical
not denying but believe issue is overhyped
66
Myth Makers
Tobacco roots, Media giving "equal time" to both sides, carbon lobby

Issues in Env. Science (8 decks)

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