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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
Q

Insolation

A

Incoming solar radiation

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26
Q

Relationship of light energy and wavelength

A

inversely related

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27
Q

most energy is in what light range

A

Visible

28
Q

Function of Ozone

A

absorbs UV light radiation due to structure

29
Q

Simpler gases and light

A

O2 and N2 do not reaction with infrared or UV light

30
Q

Why can we see the stars

A

No atmosphere gases react with visible light

31
Q

Greenhouse gases

A

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
Q

Greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions

A

Burning fossil fuels
Transportation
Industrial processes
Land use changes- Deforestation, Agriculture

33
Q

Natural sources of CO2 how many times greater due to human activity

A

20x

34
Q

Levels increasing about how much per year

A

.5%

35
Q

Methane

A

Naturally occurring, produced by bacteria when decamping plant and animal material

Human related sources - Agriculture, Livestock, Landfills, Mining, Pipeline leakage

36
Q

Nitrous oxide N2O

A

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
Q

CFCs

A

No natural sources, have more powerful greenhouse gas effect than CO2

38
Q

Global Warming Potential

A

Measure of how much a gas is estimated to contribute to the greenhouse effect

39
Q

___ accounts for 2/3 of global warming

A

CO2

40
Q

Positive radioactive forcings

A

Cause warming of climate

41
Q

Negative radioactive forcings

A

Cause cooling of climate

42
Q

Climate response to radiative forcings

A

Changes in global mean near-surface air temps resulting from a sustaining doubling of atmosphere CO2 concentrations

43
Q

Positive feedback - water vapor

A

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
Q

Why are we worried about CO2 concentrations when water vapor has a greater effect on global temps

A

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
Q

Polar Amplification

A

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
Q

Climate feedback - cloud (pos. and neg.)

A

Absorb outgoing heat radiation - positive effect

Highly reflective - negative effect

low thick clouds = cooling effect

47
Q

Carbon Cycle

A

Cycling of CO2, short term cycles - photosynthesis, respiration, burning, decomposition, ocean uptake and release

Long term - sedimentation in oceans, land; volcanic release, weathering

48
Q

Rapid changes to carbon cycle

A

Burning coal, oil, natural gas- Releases CO2 in atm. much faster than natural release

burning of forests

49
Q

Ocean uptake of carbon…

A

enhances warming

50
Q

increase in CO2 and photosynthesis

A

increase in CO2=increase in photosynthesis

51
Q

Effects of Aerosols

A

Natural sources - soil and dust particles, pollen, volcanic eruptions, evaporated sea salt

Anthropogenic sourcesL sulfate oxides of nitrogen, black carbon

52
Q

Aerosols- Oxides of nitrogen

A

Forms when combustion initiates reactions with atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen

Produces nitrogen oxide

53
Q

Aerosols - Black carbon

A

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
Q

Twofold effect of black soot on ice and snow

A

Dark particles absorb heat energy: Increases melt of snow, soot becomes more concentrated on snow surface

Darkens surface and reduce albedo

55
Q

Indirect effects of aerosols

A

Cloud formation - naturally occurs when water droplets form air borne particulates - pollen, dust

Water droplets reflect sunlight back into space = cooling effect

56
Q

Aircraft contrails

A

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
Q

Reverse of global dimming

A

Shift from dimming to brightening trend in 1990 due to decrease in air pollution

58
Q

Is it possible to prove climate change is due to anthropogenic greenhouse gases

A

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
Q

Correct predictions of climate change

A

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
Q

Trend skeptics

A

Deny any trend of global warming

61
Q

How do we know climate change is human caused

A

Hindcasting - reproduce observed past changes in climate models

62
Q

Attribution skeptics

A

Warming is occurring but can’t attribute to human activities

63
Q

Impact skeptics

A

Warming is occurring but impact will be mostly positive

64
Q

Pessimistic believer

A

Believes human connection, may favor GG reductions but also believes action is futile or too expensive

65
Q

Philosophical

A

not denying but believe issue is overhyped

66
Q

Myth Makers

A

Tobacco roots, Media giving “equal time” to both sides, carbon lobby

Issues in Env. Science (8 decks)

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