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

The causes of global climate change Details Flashcards

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)

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
Features of carbon dioxide
-Has significantly increased throughout the years(increase mainly due to human activities) -Accounts for 20% of the natural greenhouse effect
25
Features of methane
-Second-largest contributor to climate change -Presence in the atmosphere increasing at 1% per annum
26
Features of chlorofluorocarbons
-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
Causes of carbon dioxide
-Burning of fossil fuels -Deforestation -Natural processes(e.g. volcanic eruptions)
28
Causes of methane
-Decompoition of livestock manure -Burning of fossil fuels -Decay of waste
29
Causes of chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)
-Aerosols -Refrigerators -Air conditioners
30
Causes of nitrous oxide
-Animal waste -Fertilized soil -Burning of fossil fuels
31
Causes of ozone
-Chemical plants -Power plants -Emissions from vehicles
32
Longetivity of carbon dioxide
50-200 years
33
Longetivity of methane
7-12 years
34
Longetivity of chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)
40-150 years
35
Longetivity of water vapour
9 days
36
Longetivity of nitrous oxide
114 years
37
Longetivity of ozone
6-27 days
38
Factors affecting climate change
-Latitude -Altitude -Greenhouse gases -Ocean zones -Position of Earth's axis -Ocean salinity -Vegetation -Human acitivity
39
What do Milankovitch cycles indicate?
Variations in the Earth's orbit affect the seasonal and latitudinal distribution of solar radiation(and are responsible for creating ice ages)
40
What can affect the amount of insolation received(on a shorter-timescale)?
Changes in atmospheric composition
41
General planetary albedo of Earth
7%
42
How air pollution causes global dimming
-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
Types of feedback mechanisms/loops
-Positive feedback loops -Negative feedback loops
44
Examples of positive feedback loops
-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
Examples of negative feedback loops
-Global dimming leading to the atmosphere cooling -Increased evaporation in tropical and temperate latitudes leading to increased snowfalls in polar areas
46
The increase in greenhouse gases is linked to...
-Industrialization -Trade -Globalisation
47
Are HICs, LICs, or NICs the most responsible for the increase in greenhouse gases?
HICs

IB GEOGRAPHY REVISION (12 decks)

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