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IB GEOGRAPHY REVISION > The causes of global climate change Details > Flashcards

The causes of global climate change Details Flashcards

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1
Q

Constituents of the atmosphere

A

-Nitrogen
-Oxygen
-Argon
-Other trace gases(e.g. carbon dioxide, helium, ozone, etc.)
-Water vapour
-Solids(in the form of aerosols) like dust, ash and soot

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2
Q

Percentage of nitrogen in the atmosphere

A

78%

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3
Q

Percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere

A

21%

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4
Q

Percentage of water vapour in the atmosphere

A

0%-4%(depending on time and place)

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5
Q

Region in which most “weather” occurs

A

The troposphere(the lowest 16-17km)

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6
Q

Most water vapour is contained in…

A

the lowest 15km of the atmosphere(above this, the atmosphere is too cold to hold water vapour)

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7
Q

Where ozone is most concentrated

A

25-35km up the atmosphere(Stratosphere)

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8
Q

Components of the atmosphere(in descending order, according to altitude)

A

-Thermosphere
-Mesopause(boundary between thermosphere and mesosphere)
-Mesosphere
-Stratopause(boundary between mesosphere and stratosphere)
-Stratosphere(this is where the ozone layer is)
-Tropopause(boundary between stratosphere and troposphere)
-Troposphere

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9
Q

Features of the thermosphere

A

-A virtual vacuum
-Rise in absorbed energy due to energised short-wave radiation

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10
Q

Features of the mesosphere

A

Temperatures decrease(because decreasing density prevents the absorption of energy)

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11
Q

Features of the stratosphere

A

-Increase in temperature with height is due to absorption of solar radiation
-Stable and thin
-Lacks dust and water

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12
Q

Features of the troposphere

A

-Site of most weather processes
-Fall in temeperature and height as temperature thins

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13
Q

What happens to the short-wave radiation emitted by the Sun?

A

It is absorbed by the Earth’s surface and atmosphere and re-radiated at long wavelength(i.e. long-wave radiation) by the Earth

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13
Q

What happens to the solar energy that enters the atmosphere?

A

-46% is absorbed by the Earth
-22% drives the hydrological cycle(latent heat transfer in the form of evaporation and condensation)
-1% powers the wind and ocean currents
-31% is reflected to space

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14
Q

Type of radiation emitted by hot bodies(e.g. Sun)

A

Short-wave radiation

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15
Q

Type of radiation emitted by cold bodies(e.g. Earth)

A

Long-wave radiation

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16
Q

How the greenhouse effect occurs

A

It happens when most of the incoming short-wave radiation is let through the atmosphere, but greenhouse gases trap the long-wave radiation, heating the atmosphere

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17
Q

Features of incoming (short-wave) solar radiation

A

-Main energy input
-Varies according to latitude, season and cloud cover
-Mostly in the visible wavelengths(these kinds are not absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere, but instead heat the Earth)

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18
Q

The amount of insolation received varies with…

A

the angle of the Sun and with cloud type

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19
Q

The less cloud cover there is, and/or the higher the cloud,…

A

the more short-wave solar radiation(insolation) reaches the Earth’s surface

20
Q

With long-wave radiation, the amount of energy loss is dependent on…

A

cloud cover(the less clouds there are, the more energy is lost at night)

21
Q

The greenhouse effect is essential for life on Earth(T/F)

A

True

22
Q

Examples of greenhouse gases

A

-Carbon dioxide
-Methane
-Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)
-Water vapour
-Nitrous oxide
-Ozone

23
Q

Features of water vapour

A

-The most common greenhouse gas
-Accounts for 95% of greenhouse gases by volume
-Accounts for 50% of the natural greenhouse effect

24
Q

Features of carbon dioxide

A

-Has significantly increased throughout the years(increase mainly due to human activities)
-Accounts for 20% of the natural greenhouse effect

25
Q

Features of methane

A

-Second-largest contributor to climate change
-Presence in the atmosphere increasing at 1% per annum

26
Q

Features of chlorofluorocarbons

A

-Destroy ozone
-Far more efficient at trapping heat than CO₂(up to 10,000 times more)
-Increasing at a rate of 6% per annum

27
Q

Causes of carbon dioxide

A

-Burning of fossil fuels
-Deforestation
-Natural processes(e.g. volcanic eruptions)

28
Q

Causes of methane

A

-Decompoition of livestock manure
-Burning of fossil fuels
-Decay of waste

29
Q

Causes of chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)

A

-Aerosols
-Refrigerators
-Air conditioners

30
Q

Causes of nitrous oxide

A

-Animal waste
-Fertilized soil
-Burning of fossil fuels

31
Q

Causes of ozone

A

-Chemical plants
-Power plants
-Emissions from vehicles

32
Q

Longetivity of carbon dioxide

A

50-200 years

33
Q

Longetivity of methane

A

7-12 years

34
Q

Longetivity of chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)

A

40-150 years

35
Q

Longetivity of water vapour

A

9 days

36
Q

Longetivity of nitrous oxide

A

114 years

37
Q

Longetivity of ozone

A

6-27 days

38
Q

Factors affecting climate change

A

-Latitude
-Altitude
-Greenhouse gases
-Ocean zones
-Position of Earth’s axis
-Ocean salinity
-Vegetation
-Human acitivity

39
Q

What do Milankovitch cycles indicate?

A

Variations in the Earth’s orbit affect the seasonal and latitudinal distribution of solar radiation(and are responsible for creating ice ages)

40
Q

What can affect the amount of insolation received(on a shorter-timescale)?

A

Changes in atmospheric composition

41
Q

General planetary albedo of Earth

A

7%

42
Q

How air pollution causes global dimming

A

-Polluted air contains far more sites for water to bind to(since it contains more particles of ash, soot and carbon dioxide)
-The droplets in polluted clouds tend to be much smaller than those in naturally occuring clouds(so polluted clouds have a lot of these smaller droplets)
-Polluted clouds reflect far more light back into space(as many smaller water droplets reflect more sunlight than fewer larger droplets)
-Hence, less insolation reaches the Earth’s surface

43
Q

Types of feedback mechanisms/loops

A

-Positive feedback loops
-Negative feedback loops

44
Q

Examples of positive feedback loops

A

-Melting ice reducing Earth’s planetary albedo
-Temperature rising causing carbon dioxide and methane to be released into the atmosphere(due to the permafrost thawing)

45
Q

Examples of negative feedback loops

A

-Global dimming leading to the atmosphere cooling
-Increased evaporation in tropical and temperate latitudes leading to increased snowfalls in polar areas

46
Q

The increase in greenhouse gases is linked to…

A

-Industrialization
-Trade
-Globalisation

47
Q

Are HICs, LICs, or NICs the most responsible for the increase in greenhouse gases?

A

HICs

IB GEOGRAPHY REVISION (12 decks)

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