Unit 3 - Climate Change

Question 1

Albedo:

Answer 1

The proportion of radiation reflected by a surface

High albedo- ice, snow, clouds
Low albedo- water, vegetation, sand

Question 2

Climate:

Answer 2

Set of environmental conditions averaged over many years

Question 3

Weather:

Answer 3

Set of environmental conditions encountered from day to day

Question 4

Convection:

Answer 4

Cold air sinks, warm air rises, causing convection. Therefore the transfer of energy by the movement of particles of a fluid (gas or liquid) due to density differences. Since warmer fluids are less dense than cold ones, they rise above the cold fluids. This movement causes convection currents.

Question 5

Name all of the Earth’s tropics from North to South:

Answer 5

Arctic circle, Tropic of Cancer, equator, Tropic of Capricorn, Antarctic circle

Question 6

Explain the relationship between the tilt of Earth’s axis, seasons and distribution and concentration of sunlight on its surface:

Answer 6

The reason for seasons is all because of the Earth’s tilt. The earth travels in a loop around the sun each year. Summer happens in the hemisphere tilted towards the sun, therefore the light rays are hitting that location directly. Winter happens in the hemisphere tilted away from the sun, as the light rays have longer to travel and more time to scatter.

Question 7

Describe the distribution of the suns energy that is absorbed and reflected and factors that affect it:

Answer 7

Energy affecting climate comes from the sun. 30% is reflected and 70% is absorbed. When energy is absorbed it is converted from visible light to heat. Little amounts radiate back into space, but most is trapped by the atmosphere by greenhouse gases including CO2, methane, water, ozone and nitrous oxide. Therefore the factors that affect absorption of energy are the greenhouse gases.

Question 8

Greenhouse effect:

Answer 8

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon has been around for millions of years. It keeps the earth from experiencing extreme temperature fluctuations and keeps average temperature higher than it would be without the effect. Greenhouse gases include: CO2, methane, water, ozone and nitrous oxide.

Question 9

Describe the global convection currents and explain how they give rise to global winds:

Answer 9

Cold air sinks and warm air rises, causing convection. Air always flows from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure which is experienced on the surface as wind.

Question 10

What causes high pressure, and what weather is associated with it?

Answer 10

High pressure is caused from air sinking, and there will be fair weather.

Question 11

What causes low pressure, and what weather is associated with it?

Answer 11

Low pressure is caused from air rising. As water vapour rises in the atmosphere this causes cloud formation and precipitation

Question 12

Phyosynthesis:

Answer 12

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to convert food into carbon dioxide and water. (Sink) Energy + Carbon dioxide (CO2) + water > sugars + oxygen

Question 13

Respiration:

Answer 13

Burning of fuels, (source) done by decomposers

Question 14

Source:

Answer 14

Processes that add CO2 to the atmosphere eg. Respiration, combustion, decomposition, volcanic eruptions

Question 15

Sink:

Answer 15

Processes that remove CO2 out of the atmosphere or out of circulation eg. Photosynthesis, solution, mineralization

Question 16

Combustion:

Answer 16

Burning of fuels (source)

Question 17

Solution:

Answer 17

(Sink) a mixture of two or more substances

Question 18

Dissolution:

Answer 18

When one substance dissolves in another substance.

Question 19

Eccentricity: (Milankovitch cycle)

Answer 19

The shape of earths orbit around the sun. Th duration of this process lasts 100,000 years long.

Question 20

Tilt: (Milankovitch cycle)

Answer 20

The earth tilts back-and-forth on its axis, the angle increases as seasons change. The duration of this process is 41,000 years long.

Question 21

Precession of tilt (wobble): (Milankovitch cycle)

Answer 21

The earth spins on its axis, it slowly wobbles and the angle stays about the same. This process lasts 26,000 years.

Question 22

Continental drift:

Answer 22

The theory explaining the slow movement of the large plates of earths crust. It affects the climate because it changes the distribution of land around the globe. It exists in all time frames.

Question 23

Volcanic eruptions:

Answer 23

The sudden occurrence of a violent discharge of steam and volcanic material. The timeframe of this process is very short.

Question 24

When all three Milankovitch cycles are combined, how many years are used up with in the cycles altogether?

Answer 24

Together these three cycles combine to cause 100,000 year cycles in Earth’s climate.

Question 25

Positive feedback loop:

Answer 25

The effect increases the original cause

Question 26

Negative Feedback loop:

Answer 26

The effect decreases the original cause

Question 27

Describe and explain the predicted consequences of climate change and the current evidence of climate change:

Answer 27

Currently evidence of climate change:

• Sea level rise
• average global and ocean temperature rising
• changes in ecosystems and precipitation patterns
• increasing incidence of severe weather events such as hurricanes, floods and heat waves

Expected changes:

• rising sea level
• Changed precipitation patterns which will impact agriculture
• ecosystem disruptions
• some islands disappearing and low-lying countries such as Netherlands and Bangladesh

Question 28

Thermohaline circulation:

Answer 28

The process in which water distributes energy around the world by ocean currents. Important driving force in this process is the sinking of salty water in polar regions.

1. Warm water cools and begins to freeze
2. As it freezes, it excludes the salt from the ice making surrounding water more salty ( ice has little to no salt in it)
3. The more dense salty water stinks
4. Warm water from the tropics moves into take its place

Consequences: water circulates around the world in a specific pattern of currents (surface and deep underwater) and energy is distributed along with the water

Question 29

Visible light:

Answer 29

Visible light is a form of the electromagnetic spectrum , and the light rays coming from the sun are 100% visible light.