U2L6 Climate Systems

Question 1

What is the atmosphere?

Answer 1

Layers of gases

Question 2

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 2

Solid, liquid, and gaseous water

Question 3

What is the geosphere?

Answer 3

Rock and soil

Question 4

What is the biosphere?

Answer 4

Living things

Question 5

Earth is often described as a complex system composed of four smaller systems, called _______.

Answer 5

Spheres

Question 6

What are the 4 spheres?

Answer 6

1. Geosphere
2. Hydrosphere
3. Atmosphere
4. Biosphere

Question 7

How do Earth’s systems interact?

Answer 7

By exchanging energy and matter

Question 8

The ______ of one system becomes the ______ of another.

Answer 8

Output; input

Could also be visa versa but this is just a sentence from the lesson

Question 9

The flow of energy and matter between systems produce changes in Earth’s ________.

Answer 9

climate

Question 10

What type of change is a large volcanic eruption?

Answer 10

short-term

occurs within a relatively short period of time

Question 11

What spheres does a large volcanic eruption interact with?

Answer 11

the geosphere and the atmosphere

Question 12

How does a large volcanic eruption affect Earth’s climate?

Answer 12

The eruption releases large amounts of gases and dust into the atmosphere. Wind particles around the globe where the gases reflect sunlight back into space and dust cools Earth by blocking sunlight.

Question 13

What type of change is ocean currents?

Answer 13

short term

Question 14

What spheres do ocean currents interact with?

Answer 14

Hydrosphere and the atmosphere

Question 15

How do ocean currents interact with the hydrosphere and atmosphere?

Answer 15

Surface currents and deep currents transfer heat to different areas. The warmer water produces warmer temperatures in a region and increases evaporation of surface water. This warming alters the temperature and precipitation patterns in land areas on both sides of the Pacific.

Question 16

How does the El Niño affect climate?

Answer 16

The El Niño cycle of changing the location of warm surface waters in the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean.

(do more research by yourself (you’re probably not gonna do that ;-;))

Question 17

What is a long term change in climate (meaning it takes a long time for it to build up and effect the climate) cause by humans?

Answer 17

The increase of fossil fuels

Question 18

What do fossil fuels negatively interact with?

Answer 18

These changes alter climate by increasing the retention of thermal energy in the atmosphere. Both natural events and human actions produce long-term changes in ocean currents. These changes have dramatic effects on climate by altering regional temperature and precipitation patterns.

Question 19

What type of change is solar energy?

Answer 19

Long term

Question 20

How does solar energy affect earth’s climate?

Answer 20

Scientists have recorded an 11-year pattern of increasing and decreasing solar output. The number of sunspots is an indication of this solar output. This cycle causes atmospheric changes that alter Earth’s global winds and ocean currents. Climate effects include variations in storms, winds, and temperatures on Earth’s surface.

Question 21

What are the three cycles that make up the Milankovitch cycles?

Answer 21

Cycles in eccentricity, obliquity, and precession

You probably don’t know what those words mean so… I made flash cards about them ;-;

Question 22

What is the definition of eccentricity?

Answer 22

How circular an orbit is. Eccentricity closer to 0 is more circular and an orbit closer to 1 is move oval. Eccentricity = e

Question 23

What is the definition of obliquity?

Answer 23

How tilted the axis is

Question 24

What is the definition of precession?

Answer 24

the slow movement of the axis of a spinning body around another axis due to a torque (such as gravitational influence) acting to change the direction of the first axis. It is seen in the circle slowly traced out by the pole of a spinning gyroscope.

Question 25

What happened to Earth’s eccentricity over time?

Answer 25

Over time, the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit cycles from almost circular to slightly elliptical

Question 26

What is Earth’s obliquity?

Answer 26

Earth’s obliquity cycles between a tilt of about 24.5° to 22.5°

Question 27

Where does earth experiences a precession?

Answer 27

Around its axis

Question 28

What does measurements of ice core samples from the Antarctic reveal?

Answer 28

That these cycles correlate with cycles of temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels extending tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand years. These cycles affect climate by altering the duration of seasons and temperature extremes between summer and winter

Question 29

What type of change is energy flowing into and out of Earth’s systems?

Answer 29

VERY long term change in climate

as in “VERY long” I mean millions of years long

Question 30

True of False.

The slow changes in positions and sizes of land masses on Earth surface dramatically alter ocean currents and weather patterns

Answer 30

True

Question 31

What is an example for tectonic plates changing climate?

Answer 31

Antarctica, for example, once had a mild climate and was covered by forests. Its movement south caused a large decrease in temperature and the formation of ice sheets. As the Indian subcontinent slowly moved northward, collisions with Eurasia produced the Himalayan Mountains, which altered the climate of the subcontinent by blocking cold air from the north.

Question 32

Which is a way the hydrosphere transfers energy to the atmosphere?

Answer 32

evaporation

Question 33

El Niño is primarily the interaction of which two systems?

Answer 33

Atmosphere and hydrosphere

Question 34

How are rising sea levels and rising ocean temperatures connected?

Answer 34

At higher temperatures, the ocean melts ice caps faster.

Question 35

The reflection of light off a glacier is the interaction of which two systems?

Answer 35

hydrosphere and atmosphere

Question 36

What change happens when ocean currents cause warmer water to enter a region?

Answer 36

Evaporation of surface water increases.

Question 37

How have rising ocean temperatures affected coral communities?

Answer 37

Corals become bleached as they expel algae with increased temperatures.

Question 38

Ocean currents have a direct effect on climate primarily by an interaction of which systems?

Answer 38

hydrosphere and atmosphere