the carbon budget and enhanced greenhouse effect

Question 1

what is the carbon budget?

Answer 1

describes the balance between fluxes (transfers) and stores

Question 2

what classifies as a “sink”?

Answer 2

land, ocean, atmosphere

Question 3

give 3 points about the land

Answer 3

1) dry, water stressed plants are more susceptible to fire and insects when growing seasons become longer
2) the warming caused by rising greenhouse gases may “bake” the soil, accelerating the rate at which carbon may seep out
3) plants on land have taken up approximately 25% of carbon dioxide that humans have put into the atmosphere

Question 4

give 3 points about the ocean

Answer 4

1) the more acidic ocean water becomes, the better it dissolves calcium carbonate. this will dissolve the carbonate shells of marine organisms, making them weaker
2) about 30% of the co2 that people have put in the atmosphere has diffused into the ocean
3) warmer oceans could decrease the abundance of phytoplankton, which grow better in cool waters. this could limit the ocean’s ability to take co2 from the atmosphere

Question 5

give 3 points about the atmosphere

Answer 5

1) warmer temperatures evaporate more water from the oceans leading to higher humidity. cooling causes water vapour to condense and fall as rain, sleet or snow
2) co2 causes about 20% of the earth’s greenhouse effect; water vapour 50%, clouds 25%, the rest caused by aerosols and gases like methane
3) whilst greenhouse gases have been increasing, average global temperatures have risen 0.8 degrees since 1880

Question 6

what happens during the greenhouse effect?

Answer 6

gases absorb long wave radiation from earth (natural)

Question 7

what is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 7

where human activities increase concentration of greenhouse gases leading to radiative forcing

Question 8

what is radiative forcing?

Answer 8

where the balance between incoming solar radiation and output of heat is upset. current level of radiative forcing 1.6 watts