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Climate Change > Science and Impacts > Flashcards

Science and Impacts Flashcards

1
Q

What is climate?

A

The average weather (its mean and variability) over a specific time period

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2
Q

What is Climate Change?

A

The change in climate with time due to natural variability or human activity (IPCC)

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3
Q

Examples of observed climate variables …

A

Temperature, Precipitation, humidity, cloud cover, snow cover, sea-ice thickness and extend, natural modes (ENSO, NAO)

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4
Q

How are anomalies used?

A

To identify positive and negative excursions from a start/end point or around a long-term trend

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5
Q

Summary of surface temperature changes

A

In the 20th century there has been a consistent large-scale warming of the land and ocean surface

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6
Q

Which time period saw the greatest warming?

A

the last 30-50 years (IPCC, 2013)

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7
Q

When did surface observations of temperature begin?

A

1880 - use of thermometers

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8
Q

What do radiosondes do?

A

Measure variables (e.g. temperature, relative humidity, wind speed) at discrete altitudes, transmits to a computer by radio

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9
Q

How do we measure upper air temperature?

A

Radiosondes and Satellite

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10
Q

What do satellites do?

A

Measures radiation emitted by earth to get temperature and moisture readings

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11
Q

Why are satellites useful?

A

Broad coverage … can make up for northern hemisphere bias of surface readings

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12
Q

Upper air temperature trends, relative to the 1981-2010 mean …

A
  • lower troposphere has warmed globally

- lower stratosphere has cooled

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13
Q

What impact do volcanic eruptions have on the troposphere and stratosphere?

A

Cools the troposphere and heats the stratosphere

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14
Q

How have Arctic temperature trends changed over time?

A

Average arctic temperatures have increased at almost twice the global average in the past 100 years

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15
Q

What happened to sea ice during the global warming ‘hiatus’?

A

Arctic sea ice continued to decrease

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16
Q

How have glaciers changed worldwide? The Alps?

A

Glacier retreat worldwide

-Alps: 500m decrease in length since 1950

17
Q

What is the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)?

A

A mature of circulation patterns in the northern hemisphere

18
Q

What does a positive NAO imply?

A

Warmer European conditions

19
Q

How have positive NAO indices changed?

A

Greater occurrence from 1980s-1990s

20
Q

Climate extremes in the last 50 years …

A
  • more extremely warm days and nights in a year
  • fewer extremely cold days and nights in a year
  • fewer frost days in mid-latitudes
21
Q

What causes sea-level rise?

A
  • Thermal expansion
  • Ice cap melt
  • Isostatic rebound (since ice sheet melt, land recovering, can move up and down)
22
Q

Which is more straight forward to model-temperature or precipitation?

A

Temperature

23
Q

What is the precipitation trend in the higher latitudes?

A

More precipitation falling as rain, rather than snow

24
Q

What different indicators do we have to know the world has warmed?

A

(IPCC AR5)

  • Decrease in … glacier volume, snow cover, sea ice area
  • Increase in … air temperature, water vapour, land temperature, ocean heat content, sea surface temperature
25
Q

When was the European heat wave?

A

2003 … probably the hottest summer in Europe for 500 years

26
Q

When did European tide gauge measurements begin?

A

As early as 1670

27
Q

When did southern hemisphere tide gauge measurements begin?

A

Late 19th century

28
Q

What is the issue with tide gauges?

A

Large gaps in time and geographical spread

29
Q

When did NASA and NOAA start tracking global ocean topography?

A

1992

30
Q

What does satellite altimetry do?

A

Capture variations in sea level across most of the planets oceans every 10 days

31
Q

What is the Argo project?

A

The deployment of floating sensors across the worlds oceans, with 3918 devices present in 2015

32
Q

How do we measure paleo ocean level?

A

Proxy records e.g. dating of uplifted fossils

33
Q

What is the Anthropocene?

A

Different geological, sociological and anthropogenical changes in recent Earth history (Waters et al., 2016)

34
Q

What evidence suggests we could be in the anthropocene?

A

Changes in rock deposits (plastic, “technofossils”), sediment retention behind dams altering delta subsidence, pesticide residue

35
Q

What has happened with nitrate signatures?

A

Nitrate levels in the Greenland ice are higher than at any time during the previous 100,000 years

36
Q

How quickly has Arctic sea ice been receding since 1980?

A

Over 10% reduction per decade

37
Q

Since 1880, about how much has global mean sea level risen by?

A

20cm

38
Q

Who first coined the term ‘Anthropocene’?

A

Paul Krutzen

Climate Change (13 decks)

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