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19 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is the definition of climate?
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The average conditions of the atmosphere in a region over 30 years or more.
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What is a biogeoclimatic zone?
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A region with a certain type of plant life, soil, geography, and climate.
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What does a paleoclimatologist do?
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Studies fossils and sediments and gathers information about glaciers to help them understand climatic change. For eg: they examine ice cores to find out what types of gases existed when the ice was formed; then they can understand about the climate at that time.
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Climate is affected by greenhouse gases? Why?
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Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb and emit radiation as thermal energy and increase the temperature of earth's atmosphere.
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Climate is affected by earth's tilt, the axis of rotation, and its orbit around the sun. Explain why this is?
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The earth's tilt creates seasons and there can be seasonal changes when the earth's tilt is the greatest (from 22.1 - 24.5 degrees). The axis of rotation and the earth's wobble both affect the angle of incidence from the sun's rays. The orbit around the sun can change a bit in its shape.
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Climate is affected by the earth's water cycle. Why?
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The amount of evaporation increases when the temp. of the earth increases in the form of water vapour which is the most abundant greenhouse gas. Water vapour traps thermal energy & causes the temp to rise & glaciers to melt, & the sea level to rise.
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Climate is also affected by ocean currents. Why is this?
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The sinking and rising of ocean water transports thermal energy around the earth. The El Nino event is caused by weak W. winds allowing warm water in the Pacific to move east. The La Nina event causes cooler weather by strong W. winds allowing cool water to come to the surface & cause cool weather.
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Climate is also affected by the carbon cycle. How?
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Weathering and decaying vegetation add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and cause a warming of temp. because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.
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How do catastrophic events affect climate?
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Catastrophic events are large scale disasters like volcanic eruptions and meteor impacts which add dust, debris and gases high in the atmosphere. These then reflect and absorb solar radiation, causing the atmosphere below to cool.
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How much does water vapour account for in a % of the greenhouse gases?
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Water vapour is approx. 65% of the total greenhouse gases. Next is carbon dioxide at 25% and others at 10% such as Methane, Nitrous Oxide, CFCs.
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What is the Global Warming Potential (GWP)?
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The global warming potential is the ability of a substance to warm the atmosphere by absorbing and emitting thermal energy.
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What human activity causes the greatest carbon source in the air?
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The burning of fossil fuels which produces too much carbon dioxide in the air.
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What greenhouse gas has the greatest GWP or global warming potential? From what human activity is this caused by?
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Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. The use of liquid coolants, refrigeration, and air conditioners.
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How could you change to slow climate change?
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1. use less fertilizers
2. use less energy by turning off lights, wearing a sweater, walk or bicycle instead of drive. 3. use energy efficient appliances |
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Nitrous Oxide has the second highest GWP. How is this produced?
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Nitrous Oxide is made when chemical fertilizers are produced, when we burn waste, and in other industrial processes.
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Which greenhouse gas is thought to cause the depletion in the earth's protective ozone layer? Why is the ozone layer important?
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Cholorofluorocarbons or CFCs. The ozone layer absorbs much of the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
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What has the Canadian government done to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in Canada?
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The have reduced allowable emissions from cars and trucks, required some industries to reduce emissions, increased availability of energy efficient products,
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What is the Precautionary Principle?
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The UN states that a lack of scientific certainty about climate change does not postpone effective measures to prevent serious environmental damage to our earth.
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God made the Greenhouse Effect, but what is the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect? How is it different?
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The enhanced greenhouse effect is the increase in the amount of thermal energy on the earth by greenhouse gas increasing by human activity (industry and usage of fossil fuels, coolants, clear-cutting of forests b/c trees take in carbon dioxide)
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