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30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Water has an important quality that it can hold large amounts of energy this means that compared to other substances |
It takes large amounts of energy to heat it up It releases large amounts of energy as it cools down
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Consequences |
Places near large amounts of water tend to be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter compared to those in land |
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Water is distributed around the world by ocean currents. An important driving force in this process is the sinking of salty water in polar regions Thermalnaline Circulation |
Water cools and begins to freeze As it freezes it excludes the salt from the ice, making its surrounding water more salty The more dense water that is salty sinks Warm water from the tropics moves in to take its place This process is called thermalnaline circulation |
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Give two consequences of what you think might happen if Thermalnaline Circulation stopped |
Massive weather disasters We would have a very difficult time removing fresh water from the ocean |
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If air is rising |
Pressure will be low As water vapour rises in the atmosphere it cools causing cloud formation generally precipitation is associated with low pressure |
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If air is sinking |
Pressure will be high generally fair weather is associated with high pressure |
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Equatorial regions |
Usually low pressure due to air rising |
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30 degrees N or S |
Generally high pressure Many deserts are here |
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Equatorial regions |
Usually low pressure due to air rising causing high precipitation Many rainforests are here |
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45-65 degrees N or S |
Generally low pressure as the 2 convection currents meet/crash here causing a fair bit of precipitation The spot where 2 convection currents meet is marked by the jet stream |
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The poles |
Generally high pressure due to air sinking Resulting in low precipitation (cold deserts) |
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Eccentricity of the earth’s orbit |
The shape of earth going from more circular two more elliptical Caused by Jupiter’s and Saturn’s gravities |
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Tilt of earth’s axis |
The angle of the earth shifts from 22.1 to 24.5 which affects the seasons on our planet Over a cycle of about 41,000 years |
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Percision of tilt |
The earth wobbles slowly as it spins, we are currently facing Polaris (the North Star) A cycle of about 26,000 years |
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What percentage of the sun’s rays is absorbed by the surface? |
About 23 percent of incoming solar energy is absorbed in the atmosphere by water vapor, dust, and ozone, and 48 percent passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. Thus, about 71 percent of the total incoming solar energy is absorbed by the Earth system. |
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The greenhouse gases |
The greenhouse gases |
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Water |
About 2/3 of earth’s natural greenhouse effect Warmer air can hold more water than cold air In a positive feedback loop with temperature : the warmer it is the more water vapour there is, which causes it to be warmer |
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Ozone |
Naturally occurs in the stratosphere Acts as a greenhouse gas lower in the atmosphere Formed by reaction of various air pollutants |
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Nitrous oxide |
Produced naturally by bacteria Produced by combustion in air |
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Methane |
Very low concentration More powerful than carbon dioxide Produced by natural decomposition in swamps Agriculture Organic material decomposition in landfills Coal and gas extraction Large amounts are currently frozen in the arctic per permafrost |
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Four pieces of evidence our climate is changing |
1. Global temperature rise 2. Warming oceans 3. Sea level rise 4. Shrinking ice sheets |
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How does the greenhouse effect work? |
Gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide do what the roof of a greenhouse does. During the day, the Sun shines through the atmosphere. Earth's surface warms up in the sunlight. At night, Earth's surface cools, releasing the heat back into the air. |
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Other influences that can change climate |
Continental drift- plates moving underneath the earth Volcanic eruptions- spew rocks, dust and gases high into the atmosphere Volcanic eruptions cause it’s area to cool down |
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Tree rings |
Tree rings create one growth per year Tree rings are thickest in years with wet, warm weather where as a cold dry year will produce a thin ring |
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Ocean floor cores |
Plankton die-> turn into sediment-> tiny shells of little plankton lay on the ocean to be analyzed by scientists Sometimes scientists find fossils of marine plants and animals that lived warmer water than the location where they are found today |
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Ice cores |
Year after year ice records what the temperature on earth is Pockets in ice sheets are trapped and can show what the temperature was like These sheets are in the Antarctic Air bubbles show the ancient atmosphere Sometimes volcanic ash can show these bubbles, or even pollen |
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Climate |
The average of the weather in a region over a long period of time |
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Weather |
Atmospheric conditions including, temperature, precipitation, wind and humidity, in a particular location over a short period of time |
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How much radiation is absorbed by land and oceans? |
51% |
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Atmosphere |
Layers of gases surrounding earth |
