Unit 4.3 Flashcards
What is climate?
Climate is the long term pattern of weather and precipitation.
About how long does it take to determine climate?
30 years.
What are some things that effect climate?
Sunlight, amount of energy emitted, tilt of earth’s axis, earth’s rotation, latitude
What are some greenhouse gas particles?
Methane, Carbon Dioxide, Water, Photons, and Infrared photons
What is the element name for water?
H2O
What is the element name for Methane?
CH4
What is the element name for Carbon Dioxide?
CO2
If I increase the number of greenhouse gasses, what will some of the effects be?
Increased temperature, less energy will be released, more Infrared photons get stuck in the atmosphere, CO2 levels go up.
If there is less greenhouse gasses, what will happen to the infrared photons?
They will go right back into space and won’t bounce around as much.
What are the two types of feedback loops?
Positive and Negative
What is a positive feedback loop?
When the original reaction is applified or increased. So when A produces B, which creates more A
What is a negative feedback loop?
When the original reaction is reverted or gone against. So when A produces B, which reduces the amount of A.
What is the short term carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis to cellular respiration, decomposition and land use change.
What is the long term carbon cycle?
This is when carbon is stored beneath earth’s surface and is slowly released upward.
What is the ocean cycle for the carbon cycle?
This is where the atmosphere and ocean exchange carbon and then distribute it by conveyors.
What is the human contribution of the carbon cycle?
We add carbon by burning fossil fuels, which then increases the amount of CO2, throwing off the system.
What do ice cores tell us about the patterns of CO2 and temperature for the past 800,000 years
We can analize the air trapped in the ice to see how much carbon dioxide was in the air. We can also look at how thick each layer is to see how much precipitation there was.
