Unit 16 Flashcards
is the fluctuations of the atmosphere over a short period of time.
Weather
is the average weather conditions over a certain area and time frame of at least 30 years
Climate
main elements of climate
temperature and precipitation
sun’s thermal energy
main factor that dictates climate
tropics are sometimes referred to as
latitudes of seasonless climate
The largest seasonal changes also occur in
mid-latitudes or temperate regions
mid-latitudes or temperate regions
polar regions or frigid zones
uneven distribution of thermal energy triggers atmospheric circulation in the form of
prevailing winds: trade winds and westerlies
are formed when the warm air around the equator rises and flows toward the north pole
Trade winds
As it rises, it is deflected to the right by the Coriolis effect. It begins to cool and descend at 30° North latitude and travels back toward the equator. This also occurs in the southern hemisphere, where winds start to blow from the southeast. Then, continue to move toward the northwest direction once they descend near 30° South latitude.
journey of trade winds
Winds that do not descend at 30° latitude continue to travel towards the poles which form
westerlies
usually occur between 30 to 60° latitudes with a general west-to-east flow, sometimes interrupted by migrating cyclones and anticyclones
westerlies
increase air temperature because they absorb the outgoing radiation from the surface that would have otherwise escaped into space, and re-emit them into the atmosphere
Greenhouse gases
represents all water on Earth in any state, whether liquid, ice, or water vapor
hydrosphere
It has a major impact on climate since water can store and transport vast amounts of energy.
hydrosphere
refers to the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of a substance to one degree
Specific heat
Water, in general, has a __ specific heat
very high
Water moves through the different subsystems via the __ , which is the basis for climate’s precipitation, humidity, and weather systems such as storms
water cycle
influences climate through an area’s geography and land cover
Geosphere
measure of the reflectivity of a surface
albedo
Different materials either absorb or reflect sunlight. Light-colored land cover such as sand and snow reflect solar energy back into the atmosphere and outer space, while dark, moist soils absorb energy.
This reflected solar radiation affects how the climate would be.
This process enables cloud formation which then creates a cooler climate characterized by abundant precipitation on the windward side of the mountain range.
Moist winds coming from a large body of water rise into the mountain, which causes them to expand and cool.
Moist winds coming from a large body of water rise into the mountain, which causes them to expand and cool.
On the other side, however, the air descends without or with less amount of moisture. It is dry, heats up rapidly, and has low relative humidity which results in less precipitation.
represents all life on Earth
biosphere
influences climate by absorbing solar energy and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, releasing oxygen, and releasing water vapor
Vegetation
releasing water vapor through
evapotranspiration
Also, thick vegetation controls the temperature by preventing the warm air from escaping during the night and maintaining the cool temperature at daytime.
random
_ have always influenced climate.
Organisms
They co-evolved with the three other subsystems and play a pivotal part in some of the major climatic changes in Earth’s history.
Organisms
The first photosynthetic cyanobacteria oxygenated the atmosphere in the ___. This particular event caused the extinction of most of the anaerobic inhabitants on Earth that time.
Great Oxygenation Event
the oldest and longest ice age humans have known about
Huronian Glaciation
It occurred at a time when only unicellular life existed on Earth
Huronian Glaciation
Huronian Glaciation followed the
Great Oxygenation Event
_ and human activity create a great impact on global climate. As the population grows, the consumption of resources increases. This directly affects the earth system where we obtain our resources, and thus affects climate.
Humanity
Construction of infrastructure paves dirt with concrete, excavates rock layers that have existed for millions of years, and disrupts rivers and tides.
Landscape modification
Resource extraction such as mining and oil production moves millions of tons of rock, drills through kilometers of a substrate, and leaves great scars upon the landscape.
Landscape modification
Overgrazing can turn once lush grasslands into dusty deserts.
Environmental degradation
Deforestation for lumber and infrastructure threatens the remaining forest areas of the world, especially tropical rain forests which are disappearing at a rate of 1.8% per year.
Environmental degradation
Most human activities release CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to global warming.
Pollution
leads to consumption of resources at a rate which the earth system cannot sustain.
Overpopulation
offer glimpses into their origin, and what caused them to eventually change
Paleoclimates
Paleoclimate always leaves traces which are recorded in various mediums. Like:
stratigraphic record, Paleontological evidence, Oxygen-isotope ratios, Growth rings
product of geological system
stratigraphic record
is composed of unconsolidated sediments which are eroded and incorporated by a moving glacier
glacial till
remains and traces of organisms that once existed or existing
Paleontological evidence
method for estimating past ocean temperatures
Oxygen-isotope ratios analysis
indicate the age of a tree or shells
Growth rings
broad rings,narrow rings,offcenter rings
l
Extreme warm periods
greenhouse or hothouse periods
extreme cold periods
icehouse periods
factors of long-term climate change
Positions of continents Volcanism Uplift Life evolution Mass-extinction events
short term climate change
Holocene maximum
Medieval Warm Period
Little Ice Age
factors of short-term climate change
Solar fluctuations Milankovitch Cycles Plinian eruptions Ocean currents Albedo
consolidates and
summarizes studies on climate change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
are used to study climate in detail. These
models take present-day factors such as atmosphere composition, ocean
currents, global orbit, topography, etc., and calculate how they affect the
climate.
Global Climate Models (GCMs)
Large ice shelves in Antarctica and Canada are observed to be breaking apart. Greenland’s ice sheet is melting quickly.
Arctic sea ice has been retreating every year. In addition, mountain glaciers worldwide have been rapidly retreating.
Organisms such as maple trees are also beginning to respond to the warming climate. Warmer weather lessens the sugar content of the maple tree’s sap.
Permafrost has been observed disappearing. Permafrost is the ground layer that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years, which is usually found in high latitude areas.
Evidences and effects of global warming
Models predict that by 2150, global temperatures will have risen by 5 to 11 °C. Certain phenomena as a result of this are more likely to occur. These include a shift in climate belts, rise of the snow line in mountains, stronger storms, rising sea levels, increased wildfires, and a change in ocean currents.
random
symbolizes the five major climates
A,B,C,D,E
symbolizes the seasonal temperature and precipitation.
f,m,s,w
Some subdivisions are for extremely specific climates that are not widespread
S, W, T, F
_ letter is related to temperature variations and allows complete description of climate types B, C, and D
third
are formed by converging trade winds around the equator, leading to tropical air masses
Low-latitude climates
examples of low-latitude climates
Tropical Moist Climates (Af)
Wet-Dry Tropical Climates (Aw)
Dry Tropical Climate (BW)
examples of biomes that are inhabited by Group I climates
rainforest
savanna
arid desert
are formed by converging tropical and polar air
masses
mid-latitide climates
Group II climates
Dry Mid-latitude Climates (BS)
Mediterranean Climate (Cs)
Dry Mid-latitude Climates (Bs)
Moist Continental Climate (Cf)
biomes that are inhibited by group II climates
steppe
chaparral
grasslands or praire
dedicous forest
Group III climates
Boreal forest climate (Dfc) Tundra Climate (E) Highland Climate (designated H)
Group III biomes
Taiga
Tundra
Alpine
five major climates
Moist
Tropical Climates, Dry Climates, Humid Middle Latitude Climates,
Continental Climates, and Cold Climates
the change
in Earth’s climate over a span of
years
Climate change
branch
of science that deals with
climates prevalent at particular
times in the geological past
paleoclimatology
- The Earth’s atmosphere formed initially from volcanic gases
and comet impacts during the planet’s early years. - CO2 and water vapor dominated the earliest composition.
- When much of Earth cooled down, the water condensed as
rain, forming early oceans. CO2 is soluble in water, and its
atmospheric concentration decreased, leaving behind
mostly nitrogen gas.
Evolution of the Atmosphere and Oceans
are the first
oxygen-producing
organisms.
cyanobacteria
Loss of carbon dioxide after photosynthetic organisms evolved led to “\_\_” conditions in the Huronian glaciation.
snowball earth
dictate ocean current
patterns and change the
latitude of landmasses.
Positions of continents
and continental drift
increases the concentration of the atmosphere’s greenhouse gases over time, causing global warming.
Volcanism
exposes certain elements
to weathering
Uplift
refers to the extinction or appearance of certain organisms which led to great climate upheavals as discussed earlier.
Life evolution
(large numbers of species die in a short time period) can indicate a sudden and violent change in climate, with long-lasting effects.
Mass-extinction events
exhibited
warmer global temperatures which caused ancient
civilizations to thrive.`
Holocene maximum (Holocene Optimum)
unusual warmth which happened 700 to 1,200 years ago,
resulted in larger amounts of harvest which directly affected
the prosperity of human civilization.
Medieval Warm Period (Medieval Climatic Optimum),
was
a cooling period which
occurred 200 to 600
years ago.
Little Ice Age
affect the amount of energy Earth receives. Sunspots appear on the sun every 9 to 11 years, releasing large amounts of radiation.
Solar fluctuations
refer to changes
in the tilt of Earth’s axis, the precession
cycle, and the eccentricity of the orbit.
Milankovitch Cycles
