The Greenhouse Effect

Question 1

Greenhouse Effect

Answer 1

• It is an energy trapping process
• It is a natural process
• Heat comes down reflects back up then down etc.

Question 2

Greenhouse Gases

Answer 2

• Are any gas in the atmosphere that absorb energy
• The most important are CO2 and H2O
• Less significant are methane (CH4), tropospheric ozone and nitrous oxide (NO2)
• CO2, H2O, O3, CH4, NO2

Question 3

Carbon “sink”

Answer 3

• a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Question 4

Carbon “footprint”

Answer 4

• the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person, group, etc.

Question 5

Carbon Dioxide

Answer 5

• Makes up 0.0385% (400 ppm) of the atmosphere but caused up to a quarter of the natural greenhouse effect!
• Natural carbon sources: volcanic eruption, burning of organic matter and cellular respiration
• Human sources: burning of fuel (same as burning organic matter), land use (deforestation)

Question 6

Methane (CH4)

Answer 6

• 1 molecule of methane can absorb way more thermal energy than CO2
• Methane is about 23x more powerful as a GHG than CO2
• Comes from both natural (animal digestion & decomposition) and human sources (mining landfills)

Question 7

Nitrous Oxide (NO2)

Answer 7

• Is more than 300x more effective than CO2!
• Is a byproduct of combustion reactions
• Is found naturally in soil (produced by bacteria) and in manure

Question 8

Effects of Climate change

Answer 8

• Global warming
• Deforestation
• Flooding, droughts
• Glaciers and polar ice are melting
• Rising sea levels

Question 9

Proxy Record

Answer 9

• Indirect record

- Where someone gathers or measures data without actually being at the site

Question 10

Feedback Loop

Answer 10

• Involves an acceleration of deceleration in a warming trend
• There are positive and negative feedback loops

Question 11

Mountain Pine Beetle

Answer 11

• A type of beetle that contributes to global warming
• They hurt trees, and causes forest fires
• They contribute to a feedback loop

Question 12

Ice core

Answer 12

• Helps give information to a scientist
• To find out how much carbon dioxide before scientists can use ice cores to look at their air bubbles and see the composition of the atmosphere at that time

Question 13

Anthropogenic

Answer 13

• (chiefly of environmental pollution and pollutants) originating in human activity.