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16 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Weather VS. Climate
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'Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get"
- Weather- short term over a few weeks, or months - Climate is long term, observable, patterns, average, changes result in a change of average conditions around which weather varies |
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Which parts of the earth system are involved with the climate system? (4)
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Solid earth- lithosphere
Atmosphere- solar energy Biosphere- living things Hydrosphere- oceans, lakes |
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What is the primary energy sourse for the climate system
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Solar Energy
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Solar energy can be absorbed/reflected by...
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atmosphere
clouds and particals land and oceans |
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What influence does the ocean have on climate of nearby continents?
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-Warm current from tropics
-Prevailing winds bring warm, moist air to land -Absorb heat and warm land masses -Give off infared energy |
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Where do rainforests tend to be located on earth?
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-occur in the tropics
-associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) -The location of the ITCZ brings low pressure and immense rainfall |
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Polar deserts:
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form where cold, dry air prevails; any available moisture is frozen form most of the year (Dry Valleys of the Antarctica is an example)
North russia |
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Rain shadow deserts:
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where moist air rises over mountains, it rains; as the air descends on the downwind side, it dries
example: southern tip south america |
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Coastal deserts:
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cold, upwelling ocean currents cool the air and decrease its ability to hold moisture
example: west south america |
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Subtropical deserts:
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general atmospheric circulation brings dry air into the subtropics
example : west coast america & north africa |
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Continental deserts:
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form in the interior of some continents, far from sources of moisture (Gobi Desert is an example)
example middle east |
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How can plate tectonics affect climate?
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Mountains:intercept wind and water vapor, causing rain shadows, Tectonic uplift exposes land to chemical weathering, which removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Seafloor spreading: rapid spreading displaces water from the ocean basins; such flooding changes local climates Volcanoes: releases carbon dioxide and water vapor, which warms atmosphere |
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How does climate influence tectonics?
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Rate of erosion- C. collisions produce high mountains, which force wind belts to flow around & over them.
Uplift leads to erosion, which acts to lower the range, again affecting climate Episode of imbalance Solar heating on the Tibetan Plateau causes heated air to rise, drawing in monsoon moisture toward the mountains, causing intense rainfall |
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3 components of solar orbital variations that generate much of climate change
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Orbital variation:from more elliptical to more circular over time periods of ~100,000 years
Solar radiance: Sun varies in solar output over short and long time periods Greenhouse gases influence how much heat is trapped |
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What is the significance of methane and carbon dioxide in the climate system?
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Climate follows the same pattern as methane and carbon dioxide, when levels are higher, so is temperature
CO2 concentrations are racing upwards now because of human activities, and the planet is warming more than it “should” as a result |
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What are climate proxies and how do they help us extend the instrumental record?
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devices that suggest the climate patterns of the past, even before those patterns were archived by humans
Examples of proxies include ice cores, tree rings, boreholes, corals, and lake and ocean sediments. |
