week 5 Flashcards

1
Q

what is the atmosphere

A

a mixture of gas and suspended particles combined with falling precipitation. it facilitates energy and mass between other spheres

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2
Q

why is the atmosph important

A

-protective layer from UV/ space objects
-green house effect for stable temps
-weather
-our atmos has the chemistry that allows us to breathe

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3
Q

what are the main comps of air

A

N =78.08%, O=20.95%, H2O=1-4%,

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4
Q

what are the components of air that play a large role

A

CO2, CH4, O3, NO2

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5
Q

H2O gas

A

able to vary in the atmos. depending on the region and cloud density. has the ability to absorb outgoing radiation = pos feedback

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6
Q

CO2 gas

A

a trace gas (400ppm) which absorbes outgoing solar radiation
sourced from: respiration, volcanoes, decomposition, anthropogenic combustion, deforestation…

though it is commonly stored in sinks (soil, forests and oceans)

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7
Q

O3

A

trace gas with a max of up to 15ppm that absorbs UV rad. very fragile which in the presence of CFC

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8
Q

CH4

A

a very potent gas (21x more powerful than CO2), though very scares in the atmos
commonly from agricultural (cows) and permafrost thaw (pos feedback)

since 1750= 150% inc

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9
Q

aerosols

A

fine solid or liquid particulate matter that is suspended in the air

it can be sourced from natural events like volcanic eruptions or from anthropogenic activities

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10
Q

climate vs weather

A

the climate is the long-term average of the weather recorded over a number of years. generally, the climate is associated with a larger region.

weather is the short-term environmental (atoms) conditions that commonly happen to a local region.

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11
Q

what causes weather/clmaite

A

changes in the energy stored in the atmos. all dependent on the input vs the output. lager/ rapid increases in trace components of the atmos can alter the typical patterns, inducing unpredicted effects

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12
Q

how does volcanism affect the atmos

A

1) short-term cooling due to the release of aerosols. aresol refect/ block radiation (insolation)
2) longer-term waring do to the high release of GHG

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13
Q

how dod GHG work- where do we get our energy from

A

GHG effectively traps solar radiation (wavelengths) and heat emitted from the plant’s surface. In turn the gases warm as radiate energy back down to the plants surface

note that all GHG trap heat differently and have longer residence times of the heat

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14
Q

Heat vs temp

A

Heat is energy. temp is a measurement of energy within a system

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15
Q

how is heat dispersed across the earth

A

the temp of the earth is a complementary relationship with the latitude of the region of interest. polar regions received the same energy as the equatorial regions, though its spread across a greater SA

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16
Q

what impacts temp

A

alteration of day (sunexposure)/ weather

angle of axis in relation to sun

albedo of SA

wether is it a coastal region or not

17
Q

how much solar rad reaches the earth surface

A

50 reaches the surface but:

approx 30 is reflect by the almost and clouds

20 is abourbed by clouds and atmos

18
Q

what is the Keeling curve

A

a graphical representation of the avg increase of CO2 conc with respect to seasonal CO2

19
Q

why does our climate change

A

1) fluctuation is solar rad (sun flares)

2) Milankovitch cycles
3)atmospheric composition changes

20
Q

Milankovitch cycles

A

Variation in Earths climate (ice age cycles releasing CO2 due to alterations in earth’s orbit about the sun)
-not perfectly circle
-obliquity = earth’s tilt changes btwn 22-24.5
-precession= wobbling of the rotational axis

21
Q

what cuases atmospheric composition changes

A

anthropogenic forces

natural causes (volcanoes)

feedback loops (permafrost melting)

22
Q

what are the three classic climate zones

A

frigid

temperate

torrid

23
Q

what are feedbacks

A

cyclic responses to an initial force that will amplify or reduce the effect.

24
Q

albedo

A

1+ prefect reflector (very bright)

0= perfecte absorber

25
Q

what is permafrost

A

ground that remain sub-0 for more than 2years. commonly permafrost contains a mass amount of CO2 and CH4, and the melting of this causes a strong feed back loop of global warming.

26
Q

What is eccentricity

A

The shape of the earths orbit around the sun