Test 2

Question 1

anthropogenic

Answer 1

increasing levels of CO2 and other “greenhouse gases”

Question 2

CO2 is less than

Answer 2

0.5% in atmosphere by volume

Question 3

CO2 has a reside time in atmosphere of

Answer 3

30-95 yrs

Question 4

deforstation

Answer 4

reduced amount of CO2 removed from the atmosphere.. plants either decay or theyre burned-both return CO2 to atmosphere

Question 5

Earths oceans

Answer 5

contain more than 50x more CO2 than does in atmosphere, absorption is relatively slow

Question 6

methane

Answer 6

effective at absorbing LWR than CO2 has believed to increase over past 200 yrs

Question 7

CFC’s

Answer 7

effective at absorbing LWR, believed to account for 25% of enhanced greenhouse phenomenon

Question 8

last glacial max

Answer 8

17,000 yrs ago

Question 9

“global warming hiatus

Answer 9

98-12, possible reasons: unusually strong el nino-warming of pac oceans, data set improvements, natural climate variability isnt well depicted by climate models, radiative forcing was weaker

Question 10

Debate issues

Answer 10

1. how much is natural or human induced? 2. pattern of rate of warming thru future 3. likely impacts now and in future?

Question 11

hydroclimatology

Answer 11

study of occurrence, distribution, movement of water and why

Question 12

earths oceans (saline) %

Answer 12

96.5 <2% fresh water

Question 13

in oceans, groundwater with saline in it %

Answer 13

96.5%, 0.93%

Question 14

freshwater is groundwater, glaciers %

Answer 14

30.1%, 68.7%

Question 15

% water can be used by humans for consumption

Answer 15

<0.77%

Question 16

humidity

Answer 16

generic term for water vapor in atmosphere

Question 17

specific humidity

Answer 17

mass of water vapor in air/mass of total air

Question 18

vapor pressure

Answer 18

measure of amount of total atmospheric pressure thats exerted by water vapor molecules in atmosphere

Question 19

saturation vapor pressure

Answer 19

defines the water vapor capacity of the air

Question 20

relative humidity

Answer 20

describes how “full” atmosphere is

Question 21

RH=

Answer 21

Vapor pressure X100/saturation vapor pressure

Question 22

dew point is an indicator of

Answer 22

atmospheric moisture (SH) high dp=large amounts of water vapor while low dp=small amounts of water vapor in air

Question 23

applied to curve: RH=

Answer 23

dew pt/air temp

Question 24

2 ways to saturate the air

Answer 24

add moisture, cool the air

Question 25

atmospheric cooling

Answer 25

major method of condensation and the formation of liquid droplets is the reduction of the ability of air to hold water vapor

Question 26

4 major methods of upward motion that may produce atmospheric cooling and initiate cloud formation and precip:

Answer 26

convection, topographic ascent

Question 27

convection

Answer 27

air in contact with warmer surface heats, becomes less dense, breaks free, and rises as a thermal, vertical movement IS convection

Question 28

topographic ascent

Answer 28

horizontally moving air must go up and over mtns

Question 29

4 types of precip

Answer 29

rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow

Question 30

whats needed for evaporation to occur?

Answer 30

heat energy available for input into liquid water ANDDDD overlying atmosphere needs to be unsat. so it can absorb water vapor

Question 31

transpiration

Answer 31

evaporation of liquid water from within a plant, also cools plant bc evap is a cooling process

Question 32

evapotranspiration

Answer 32

water loss from plants and associated soil through combined process of transpiration and evap.

Question 33

potential evapotrans. (PE)

Answer 33

soil is always at capacity, this is why atmosphere wants to take from surface, there may not be enough soil moisture to supply this climatic demand

Question 34

actual evapotrans (AE)

Answer 34

what the atmosphere gets from the surface-if soil isnt filled to capacity with moisture then water held more tightly in soil

Question 35

climatic water budget

Answer 35

accounting of water in root zone of soil, compares P and PE

Question 36

Forms of drought

Answer 36

meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, socioeconomic

Question 37

% normal precip

Answer 37

total precip X100/30 yr avg precip

Question 38

percentiles of precip

Answer 38

represent the position of the precip total within the ordered distribution of historical data

Question 39

standardized precip index SPI

Answer 39

index based on probability of precip for any time scale-where its positioned within normal distribution of the data

Question 40

palmer drought severity index (pdsi)

Answer 40

first comprehensive drought index (1965), use this to trigger drought relief programs, calculates PE, AE, D, and S

Question 41

US drought monitor

Answer 41

produces the drought monitor-blend of science, reports and expertise and art