System Earth Ch 06

Question 1

name componenets of the cryosphere

Answer 1

continental ice sheets, ice shelves, mountain glaciers, sea ice, river and lake ice, snow cover, and permafrost. Ice particles in clouds are not considered.

Question 2

in which processes does the cryosphere play a large role?

Answer 2

albedo, distribution of sea ice, bottom water formation, THC, salinity, ocean density, regional ecosystems

Question 3

snow formation

Answer 3

in clouds, usually by form of deposition (gas to solid). Below 273K teh saturation vapor pressure with respect to ice decreases so for ice, the air is supersaturated and water vapour will deposit directly on the ice to grow the ice crystal. Ice crystals grow through deposition. If they come into contact with supercooled water, you no longer have the hexagon but merely a rounded ice grain, graupel

Question 4

supercooled water

Answer 4

water that is below 273K

Question 5

fun albedo ice fact

Answer 5

ice crystals reflect all the possible colours

Question 6

what is the impact of snow on the temperature of the underlying soil

Answer 6

the temperature of the soil is fairly warm because the snow acts as an insulating layer

Question 7

active layer of the permafrost

Answer 7

thaws and forms through the seasons

Question 8

thermokast

Answer 8

depressions and small hills caused by permafrost dynamics

Question 9

how do you create anoxic conditions with permafrost?

Answer 9

near surface melting results in lakes with water logged soil

Question 10

if isotope delta is positive or negative, what does it mean?

Answer 10

positive, enriched with heavy isotope
negative, enriched with light isotope

Question 11

ablation

Answer 11

melting of ice, starts at -10. This happens much faster than accumulation and creates the dependence of the ice on the summer months

Question 12

which season determines the growth of an ice sheet?

Answer 12

summer becuase ablation can go very fast

Question 13

ice elevation feedback

Answer 13

positive until the equilibrium line. accumulates above line until so high that no precipitation is left in the air. If above line, no precipitation is left in the air, so it stops accumulating. The ice also pushes on the ground. The ice sinks to a lower altitude which is warmer, and so it starts to melt. This reduces pressure on bedrock so it rises again, where it decreases in temperature, then passes above the equilibrium line and the cycle starts again.

Question 14

how long does it take for an ice feedback loop?

Answer 14

20,000 years for full bedrock deposition cycle

Question 15

why does teh equilibrium line move?

Answer 15

ice sheet

Question 16

which loop would describe sea ice feedback?

Answer 16

temperature –o ice cover –o ocean heat flux to atmosphere –> temperature

positive feedback loop