Marine Environment Test 4 Pt 1

Front 1

What are greenhouse gases and list two of them

Back 1

carbon dioxide and methane

they are atmospheric gases that absorb long-wavelength (infrared) radiation

Front 2

What are the sources of the two greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane?

Back 2

fossil fuel combustion and livestock

Front 3

list two climatic anomalies (and their location) that occur during El Nino years

Back 3

1. Increased rainfall in Chile
2. Failure of monsoons in Indonesia

Front 4

The driving force for thermohaline circulation is...

Back 4

density

Front 5

Milankovitch hypothesized that periodic variations in the earth's ____ and ____ are responsible for global-scale changes in climate.

Back 5

tilt and eccentricity

Front 6

Half of the CO2 emitted from fossil fuel combustion currently resides in atmosphere. Where is the rest of it?

Back 6

ocean

Front 7

During the last 100 years, the mean temperature of the earth has increased by....?

Back 7

.7 degrees celcius

Front 8

Projections show that by 2100, global mean temperature will increase by an additional.....

Back 8

1 to 5 Celsius or 2 to 10 Fahrenheit

Front 9

Two impacts associated with elevated concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and increases in global mean temperature

Back 9

1. rise in sea level
2. ocean acidification

Front 10

What % of global demand for energy comes from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas?

Back 10

75-95%

Front 11

Biological Pump

Back 11

The process whereby phytoplankton convert dissolved CO2 into particulate organic matter via photosynthesis. The zooplankton graze on the phytoplankton and “repackage” the organic matter into relatively large fecal pellets that sink from the surface layer. This process effectively pumps CO2 from the atmosphere into deep ocean waters, where it is isolated from the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years.

Front 12

Greenhouse effect

Back 12

Incoming visible solar radiation is absorbed by Earth’s surface. This causes the Earth’s surface to warm and emit long wavelength (infrared) radiation. Some of this infrared radiation is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere (the so-called “greenhouse” gases such as H2O, CO2, and CH4) causing the atmosphere to warm.

Front 13

Possible causes of a rise in sea level

Back 13

Eustatic and isostatic changes

Front 14

Eustatic Changes

Back 14

increase in the volume of water in the ocean. This can be caused by melting of glaciers and continental ice sheets or thermal expansion of the ocean water as it warms.

Front 15

Isostatic Changes

Back 15

subsidence of the land associated with post ice-age isostatic rebound, tectonic displacement, or extraction of groundwater or oil.

Front 16

Four possible strategies for dealing with global warming

Back 16

1. Abatement (reducing amnt of CO2 that is produced)
2. Mitigation (reducing the amnt of CO@ that ends up in the atmosphere)
3. Adaptation (adjusting to altered climate)
4. Geoengineering (modifying the environment to counteract global warming)

Front 17

Example of Abatement

Back 17

Using alternative energy sources that produce less, or no CO2 such as wind or solar power...or use the least harmful of all fossil fuels: natural gas

Front 18

Example of Mitigation

Back 18

Converting CO2 emissions into liquid form and put it at the bottom of the ocean where it is less harmful

Front 19

Example of Adaptation

Back 19

Building more dikes to prevent hazards associated with the rising sea level

Front 20

Example of Geoengineering

Back 20

Fertilizing iron limited areas of the ocean with more iron which would produce more phytoplankton and consequently reduce CO2 levels.

Front 21

Why is the explanation for Earth's seasons?

Back 21

The reason the Earth has seasons is that the planet’s axis of rotation is tilted relative to the plane defined by the Earth’s path around the sun. The intensity of sunlight depends on the angle of incidence. Summer corresponds to the period when the hemisphere is pointed closest to the sun and the sun is relatively high in the sky; winter occurs when the hemisphere is pointed away from the sun. It is possible for winter to occur when the Earth is at perihelion (closest to the sun) and summer can occur when the Earth is at aphelion (furthest from the sun). When this occurs, winters and summers will tend to be mild (i.e., relatively warm winters and relatively cool summers). Hence, proximity to the sun does have a subtle effect on seasonality.

Front 22

What is the current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere?

Back 22

380-388 ppm

Front 23

What is a plausible range of CO2 concentrations by the year 2100?

Back 23

450-1000 ppm