Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Environmental Science > Atmosphere > Flashcards

Atmosphere Flashcards

(52 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is the composition % of the atmosphere

A

Nitrogen - 78
Oxygen - 21
CO2 - 0.04
Rare gases - 1
Ozone - 0.000007

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How is solar wind prevented from harming us

A

Various forms of oxygen in the stratosphere (upper atmosphere)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the three oxygen types and what do they create

A

One atom - monotomic
Two atoms - diatomic
Three atoms - triatomic
Form the ozone layer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How does infra red re emit and why does this raise temps

A

Visible light absorbs, converts to heat and re emits from the earth as IR

Raises temps by:
1. Warm atmosphere emits IR which is absorbed by earth surface
2. Warm atmosphere reduces heat loss by conduction from land and oceans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is thermohaline circulation

A

Winds blowing over currents carry warm water to higher colder latitudes
Can also distribute dissolved nutrients

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the order of the atmospheres structure from bottom to top

A

Troposphere, tropopause, stratosphere, stratopause, mesosphere, mesopause, thermosphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is a greenhouse gas and what are the important ones

A

Any gases that are better at absorbing IR than the average for the atmosphere
Carbon dioxide and water vapour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is global climate change

A

Involves changes to the composition of the atmosphere that alter energy processes, the climate and the physical and biological processes they control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide

A

Fossil fuels, soil ploughing, marsh drainage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Anthropogenic sources of methane

A

Anaerobic respiration in rice padis by microbes, land fills, ventilation of coal mines

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Anthropogenic sources of oxides of nitrogen

A

Vehicle engines and power stations at high temps, released in exhaust fumes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Anthropogenic sources of CFCs

A

Aerosol propellants, fire extinguishers, fridges, solvents

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Anthropogenic sources of tropospheric ozone

A

Photochemical breakdown of NO2 and the reactions with oxygen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Ecological effects of climate change

A

Plants grow faster - toxins can build up earlier killing caterpillars
Precipitation changes - increase/decrease in wetland habitats
Dormouse hibernation affected by warmer winters - cause starvation
Change of flowering, migration, nesting etc. - survival of interdependant species reduced

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How does colonisation of new areas happen

A

Using biological corridors to link areas
Many plants and slow animals unable to colonise

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are risks of isolation of small populations

A

Divided into smaller genepools - increased chance of inbreeding
Unable to repopulate certain areas where the local population has died out

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are jet streams and how does climate change affect them

A

Strong winds meandering in the upper troposphere
Don’t blow from high to low pressure because earth rotation creates Coriolis force
Control movement of air bodies that create rain like cyclonic storms

Climate change:
Streams move nearer to North Pole and meander more
Waves created by this meandering path are Rossby waves and carry cold air southwards
Slower movement can cause longer, more intense weathers like droughts or floods

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Changes of CC on rainfall

A

Increased temps lead to more evaporation causing more precipitation
In higher temps air has to move further towards cold areas before it can rain causing changes in rainfall patterns

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

How does CC affect the cryosphere

A

Can cause ice to directly melt
Can allow precipitation to reach very cold areas though due to warmer temps

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How does CC affect duration of snow cover

A

Warmer temps reduce snow cover which reduces albedo
More sunlight absorbed, heating the earth which is a positive feedback loop

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

How does CC affect ice shelves

Study These Flashcards
A

Sea level rise means land ice doesn’t need to move far before floating off to sea
Grounded ice sheets on the seabed may float and break up earlier

22
Q

How does CC affect ice lakes

Study These Flashcards
A

As glaciers melt more rapidly ice lakes may flood down valleys
This threatens people in places like the Himalayas

23
Q

What two factors cause sea level rise

Study These Flashcards
A
  1. Thermal expansion of sea water - warm temps heat up and expand surface seawater
  2. Melting land ice - ice on land flowing into the sea adds to water volume
24
Q

What is the North Atlantic conveyer

Study These Flashcards
A

The movement of layers of surface/deep water in the North Atlantic Ocean which distribute heat energy and control the climate
Warm water from tropical Atlantic Ocean travels towards north west Europe
Caused by:
Prevailing winds over the surface causes water to flow north east
Water in north east Atlantic sinks and becomes denser as it cools, drawing water to replace it

UK is warmed by this causing warmer temps

25
How does CC affect north Atlantic conveyer
Higher temps cause Greenland land ice to melt into the sea Dilutes seawater reducing salt concentrations meaning it’s less dense and doesn’t sink Reduces flow rate of water currents causing NW Europe to be colder
26
What is El Niño
Winds blow westward across Pacific Ocean near equator moving surface currents in the same direction Causes deep cold water to be drawn up near the coast of South America This water is rich in nutrients and causes algal blooms near the surface giving food sources to food webs Eventually ends up at Australia as a warm current Affects rainfall as cold currents condense rain on coast and warm currents allow vapour to go further to fall on land
27
What is La Niña
When winds blow more strongly Currents speed up and temp differences between east and west increase
28
What impacts can CC have on human society
Health - people with existing conditions more vulnerable to temp extremes, disease vectors change distribution Water supply - changes in evaporation, precipitation can cause floods/droughts Food supply - changes in temp and water can change crop species able to be grown and a higher need for irrigation Infrastructure - road heat stress melting tar, track expanding and buckling causing damage, need for drainage as possible flood risks, heavy rain causing landslides, bridge damage from high river flow
29
CC data collection - historic data
Collected in the past on atmospheric composition Usually unreliable due to a lack of equipment
30
CC data collection - proxy data
Making an estimate about one factor that can’t be measured by using a related factor which can be measured/estimated Dendrochronology - width of tree rings indicate growth rate and possible temps Pollen grains preserved in lake sediments - indicates climate that was present when they were produced
31
CC data collection - ice core data
Used to measure the historical atmosphere Data up to 800k years old has been collected Air bubbles give data of atmosphere composition at the time it was trapped
32
CC data collection - satellite data
Satellite carried sensors measure wind velocity, currents, temp, wave height etc. Low earth orbits can give detailed info abt the earths surface
33
How can ocean currents be monitored
Through satellites or buoys on the surface Argo floats can be used to measure deep currents by being programmed to sink to a specific depth to gather data like temp and salinity
34
What is a negative feedback loop and examples of it
Reduces the size of original change E.g. increased low level cloud, increased photosynthesis
35
What is a positive feedback loop and examples
Increases the size of original change E.g. soil decomposition, melting permafrost, ocean acidification, ice and snow melting, increased forest and peat fires, increased water vapour
36
What is tipping points
Human actions causing changes in natural processes that cause climate change so when human action is removed climate change still increases with those natural processes
37
How to control co2 levels
Reduced fossil fuel use Carbon sequestration
38
How to control methane levels
Reduce landfill wastes e.g. increased recycling Reduced livestock production Improved recovery of gas from coal mines
39
How to control oxides of nitrogen levels
Reduced use of internal combustion engines Catalytic converters in vehicle exhausts Addition of urea to power station effluents/diesel engines to reduce NOx concentrations
40
How to control CFC levels
Use of alternative manufacturing materials E.g. butane/propane in aerosol cans, HFCs in fridges, alcohol as solvents for cleaning electronic equipment Use of alternative operational processes E.g. trigger and pump action spray cleaners not aerosol, stick and roll on deodorants not aerosol
41
What is geoengineering and examples
Largely untried technologies that might control natural processes to reduce the anthropogenic greenhouse effect E.g. Painting roofs white to increase albedo levels Adding nutrients to the sea to stimulate plankton growth Putting solar shades in orbit to reduce sunlight reaching the earth
42
What is flood control to adapt to CC
Building higher riverbanks/coastal defences Pump overflowed rainwater to the river/sea
43
What is coastal erosion control to adapt to CC
Using sea walls and wave screens to protect coast
44
What is permeable urban surfaces to adapt to CC
Replacing impermeable surfaces like control with permeable ones reduces flood risk Helps to reduce extremes in river flow Sustainable urban drainage systems
45
What is river flow management to adapt to CC
Retaining the water in the tributary helps to reduce flooding around main river
46
What type of wavelength is UV
Short wavelength electromagnetic energy
47
Characteristics of UVa
Not absorbed by ozone or diatomic oxygen
48
Characteristics of UVb
Almost fully absorbed by ozone
49
Characteristics of UVc
Completely absorbed by ozone and diatomic oxygen
50
Effect of UVb on living organisms
Converts to chemical energy when absorbed causing skin damage/cancer, DNA damage, reduced photosynthesis etc.
51
What is the Rowland-Molina hypothesis
Persistent so remain in atmosphere long enough to reach the stratosphere Releases chlorine in stratosphere as they are dissociated with UV Chlorine and monatomic oxygen reacts preventing ozone formation
52

Environmental Science (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions