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atmosphere Flashcards

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1
Q

what is the atmosphere

A

turbulent, thin envelop of gases surrounding the planet, which consits of several layers

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2
Q

what layer do we live in

A

troposphere

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3
Q

how much gas does the troposphere have

A

80% in the atmosphere

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4
Q

how much gas does the stratosphere have

A

99.9% in atmosphere

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5
Q

which layers of the atmosphere are affected by human activities

A

troposphere and stratosphere

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6
Q

what happens when gases are compressed

A

they get warmer

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7
Q

what is in the composition of the atmosphere

A

nitrogen - 78%<br></br>oxygen - 21%<br></br>carbon dioxide - 0.04%<br></br>methane, carbon dioxide, noble gases - 1%<br></br>water vapour

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8
Q

how much water vapour is in the atmosphere

A

different depending on the place, depends in the sources of water distribution and temperature

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9
Q

what does hot air mean in relevance to water vapour

A

more water vapour

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10
Q

how is a cloud formed

A

when the air cools down, the amound of water vapour decreases, which will eventually form a cloud

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11
Q

what are the conditions of the stratosphere

A

dry, no weather<br></br>home to ozone layer<br></br>dark blue / black sky

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12
Q

what did kittinger find out through his experiment (jumping out of the hot air balloon 31km up)

A

stratosphere - could not feel anything - and was silent<br></br>troposhphere could feel air

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13
Q

what are the order of the atmosphere formation

A

earth -> troposphere -> stratesphere -> mesosphere -> thermosphere

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14
Q

why does the temperature drop the higher up you go

A

less pressure, meaning that the temperature decreases

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15
Q

how does the temperature increase the higher you go up

A

pressure increases, causing the temperature to increase as well

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16
Q

why does the stratosphere temperature increase

A

due to the uv

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17
Q

what does the structure of the atmosphere look like

A

<img></img>

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18
Q

what are the temperture inversions in the structure of the atmosphere and which layers are they between

A

mesopause (between thermosphere and mesosphere)<br></br>stratopause (between mesosphere and stratosphere)<br></br>tropopause (between stratosphere and troposphere)

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19
Q

what was ionosphere used for

A

to bounce off radio waves (which has now been replaced by satelites)

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20
Q

where is ionosphere located

A

either side of mesopause

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21
Q

what is aurora boreali

A

the northen lights

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22
Q

how is the troposphere heated

A

short wavelength solar radiation passes through the atmosphere<br></br>radiation is absourbed by the ground and it heats up<br></br>the ground heats the air next to it through conduction<br></br>the air rises and cools<br></br>hense, the troposphere is warmer at the bottom<br></br>the air in the troposphere is turbulent (unstable) due to the air moving around (this is why we have weather)

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23
Q

how is the stratosphere heated

A

<div>the stratosphere is stable (cold air, then warm air), meaning that there are no weather conditions<br></br></div>

<div>the stratosphere is heated from within, due to the chemical reactions from the ozone layer</div>

<div>as the stratosphere is heated from within, the temperature is more disrupted (hense the curve of temperature on the structure of the atmosphere graph)</div>

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24
Q

how does the atmosphere support life thorugh ocean currents 

A

the wind that blows over the ocean creates currents, moving warm water from hotter areas to higher latitudes, which will distribute dissolved nutrients

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25
how does the atmosphere support life through the transport of water vapour
winds transport water vapour to areas that get little or no rain
26
how does the atomosphere support life through heat distribution
most of the energy is absorbed in the tropical regions at the earth’s surface. the warm surface will heat the atmosphere above and this is transported to higher latitudes by the warm winds
27
how does the atmosphere support life through gases for natural processes
the atmosphere contains c, o2, h and n2, which are extracted from the atmosphere. these are extracted as n2^1, o2^1, co2 and h2o. these are needed to make molecules by living organisms
28
how does the atomosphere support life through absourbtion of electromagnetic radiation from the sun
biologically damaging radiation in ‘solar wind’ is prevented from reaching earth by the upper atmosphere. most of the uv light is present in 3 forms - with one, two or three atoms. one (monatomic), two (diatomic) and three (triatomic) all of oxygen atoms. they form a disbursed layer in the stratosphere called the ozone layer. gases will absorb uv light, which will produce a dynamic equilibrium of chemical reactions, which form and destroy the ozone layer
29
how does the atmosphere support life through deleaying the escape of infa-red energy
lots of incoming visible light is absorbed, converted to heat and then re-emitted as infa-red radiation. atmospheric gases will absorb this and convert it to heat, which will increase the temperature. the warm atmosphere will emit infa-red energy and this is absorbed by the earth’s surface. the warm atmosphere will also reduce heat loss by conduction by land and oceans.
30
how does the concerntration of co2 change over time
31
what is the natural greenhouse effect
short wave solar radiation passes through the atmosphere
absorbed by the ground and it heats up
heat from the ground is re-emitted as long wave radiation
the infa-red radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
global warming
32
what is the anthropogenic (enhanced) greenhouse effect (humans)
short wave solar radiation passes through the atmosphere
absorbed by the ground and it heats up
heat from the ground is re-emitted as long wave radiation
the infa-red radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
global warming
human activity, such as burning fossil fuels has increased the concerntration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, therefore more infa-red radiation is absourbed, increasing the warming
33
what is the order of the normal situation
trade winds blow a surface current east to west across the pacific. the surface current warms and pools (as it comes across land mass) in the western pacific
cold oxygen rich and nutrient rich water upwells leading to cold sea / surface temperatures off the west of south america
34
what is the order of el nino
trade winds weaken (slacken)
surface current weaker becomes, so cannot hold warm water in the western pacific, so it moves across to the western pacific
warm surface water cuts off cold upwelling
35
what is a less extreme version of the normal situation
la nina
36
the normal situation
  1. trade winds blow a surface current east to west across the pacific. the surface current warms and pools (as it comes across land mass) in the western pacific
  2. cold oxygen rich and nutrient rich water upwells leading to cold sea / surface temperatures off the west of south america
37
el nino
  1. trade winds weaken (slacken)
  2. surface current weaker becomes, so cannot hold warm water in the western pacific, so it moves across to the western pacific
  3. warm surface water cuts off cold upwelling
38
what is a feedback mechanism and a tipping point
a change in one environmental factor may cause other features to change. this may have an effect on original change (such as global temperature, carbon dioxide concerntration and methane concerntration), which could possibly increase or decrease it
39
negetive feedback
situation where initial change causes a reaction that decreases original change. it will re-establish the dynamic equilibrium of gases / concerntrations and will push the system towards its original state
40
positive feedback
situation where intial change causes a reaction that increases original change. either temperature or greenhouse gases. these are the ones which which scientists are worries about, due to the gact that they are all linked to climate tipping points
41
the principles of negetive feedback
initial change in process a -> change in process a causes change in processs b -> change in process b counteracts for the change in process a (original change is reduced) -> the cycle continues
42
the principle of positive feedback
inital change in process a -> change in process a, which causes a change in process b -> change in process b, which increases the change in process a (original change is increases) -> the cycle continues
43
example of negetive feedback mechanisms
- increased low levels of cloud: increased temperatures, increased evaporation and increased condensation
- increased phtotsynthesis: increased temperature, increased rate of photosynthesis, meaning that there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (is co2 is stored in woody tissue, then the co2 levels in the atmosphere rise less and global warming is reduced
- however, is this realistic due to the huge amount of deforestation?
44
examples of positive feedback mechanisms
- melting permafrost: land areas in the arctic and antarctica may have soil that is waterlogged but permanently frozen. this frozen soil includes dead organic matter that has decomposed slowly under anaerobic conditions, releasing methane gas which was trapped by the permafrost. the warming causes frozen soil to defrost, releasing the methane gas, which is a powerful greenhouse gas and causes global warming. it is estimated that if all the carbon in the tundra was to decompose, 150 tonnes of carbon would be added to the atmosphere and a majority of it would be methane

- ice and snow melting: ice and snow have a high albedo, so most of the incoming sunlight is reflected and not absorbed. if the warming reduces and area of snow or ice, then more sunlight may be absorbed, which causes further warming. ice has a high albedo and the ground has a low albedo. the melting starts earlier and the freezing starts later. the volume of ice has been decreased by 75% in the last 40 years and ice will reflect 80 - 90% if incoming radiation. the earth will absorb 95% of incoming radiation and if the planet absorbs more radiation, then it will warm up

- increased water vapour: warmer temperatures, caused by carbon dioxide and other anthropogenic greenhouse gases will increase the rate of evaporation. although there will be an increase in the rate of precipitation, warmer air can hold more water vapour and high levels of this greenhouse gas an cause further warming

- ocean acidification: nearly half of the carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution has dissolved in the oceans, which produces carbonic acid and makes the oceans more acidic. it reduces coral survival and therefore will reduce carbon sequestration as less co2 is stored in calcium carbonate in coral
45
distribution
the range of species is the geological areas within species can be found
46
habitat fragmentation
refers to the process where a large, continuous habitat is divided into smaller iscolated fragments due to human activites like roads
47
abiotic factors
non-living factors (eg: light intensity and temperature)
48
biotic factors
living factors (eg: predation and pollution)
49
range of tolerance
indicated the maximum and minimus abiotic limits a species can withstand
50
colonization
is the spread and development of organisms in a new area or habitat
51
biological corridors
a habitat that links to other habitats so that animals can move between them
52
gene pool
refers to the combination of all the genes present into a reproducing population of a species
53
how might temperature increase result in an increase in herbivores (eg: caterpillars)
it may cause plants to grow faster
54
how might precipitation impact wetlands
they may enlarge or shrink
55
how might temperautre changes influence the doormouse hibernation
disruption in warmer winters -> they may need to use up stored fat and it may starve before spring
56
the timings of which biological events may change due to climate change
flowering, migration and nesting
57
how might interdependance be affected by climate change
all the species will not be able to move at the same speed
58
what are three ways in which global climate change will have a negetive impact impact on species distribution
suitable new areas may not be available, human land may block movement, may colonise new areas than they dissapear from their old range (trees will grown slowly)
59
which species will be most impacted the most by global climate change
sundews and frogs
60
two consequences of habitat fragmentation
the gene pool will be divided into several smaller gene pools, which makes interbreeding more likely
may not be possible for surpless individuals from other areas to repopulate an area where a surpless population to die out
61
two ways in which global temperatures may cause populations to become iscolated
sea levels rise and create islands
temperatures rise and iscolated populations would retreat upwards to cooler mountain areas
62
jet stream
fast moving thin air moving in the atmosphere
63
features of the jet stream
ribbon of fast-moving thin air, driven by temperature differences at the top of the troposphere
the jet stream drive weather conditions beneath them (from west to east)
a change in the position of the jet stream due to global warming results in the weather systems moving as well
impacts may include: jet stream moving north -> will result in drier, colder winters and drier, hotter summers (in the uk)
64
what does the jet stream look like
65
what is the difficulties in prediciting climate change
- there is a lack of historical data -> atmosphere composition, temperature and weather patterns
- limited reliability of proxy data -> dendrochronology, icce cores and pollen
66
what is the difficulties of using dendrochronology to predict climate change
the further apart the tree rings, the wetter the year
limitations: trees don't live forever
67
what is the difficulties of using ice cores (or ocean sediments) to predict climate change
atmospheric composition (carbon dioxide concerntration) -> bubbles of air inside ice cores (eg: the vostoc ice core is 400,000 years old)
limitation: the further you go back in time, the harder it is to date as the ice will compress
the sea is made up of h2o16 and h2o18 (h2o18 has a greater mass, so more energy is needed to evapourate it)
during warmer periods: more h2o18 is evapourated
during colder periods: more h2o16 is evapourated
this can be seen because of ratio of o16 : o18
both ice core techniques map each other perfectly
68
what is the difficulties of using pollen to predict climate change
fossilized polllen is an indicator of a span of geological time
no trees in some places (such as fawkland island - there used to be forests there and it was discovered in the peat)
all tree species can be identified by the surface of the / this can find out the climate
69
how is carbon dioxide controlled
through carbon sequestration (eg: planting more trees / storage of co2 from power stations in underground geological structures
70
how is methane controlled
reduction in landfill waste (eg: increased recycling)
reduction in livestock production
improved recovery of gas from coal mines and gas and oil facilities
71
how are oxides of nitrogen controlled
catalytic consequences in vehicle exhausts so that harmful gases are removed and converted into nitrogen and oxygen
addition of urea to power station effluents / diesel engine exhausts to reduce nox concerntration
72
how are chloroflourcarbons controlled
osc of alternate manufacturing and applience opperation
butane / propane in aerosol cans
hfls and hcfcs in fridges
73
how is tropospheric ozone controlled
controls and processes which reducde nox emissions and also reduce the formation of ozone in the troposphere
tropospheric ozone is a seconday pollutant (it isn't emitted directly by humans) and it is formed when primary pollutants interact. these primary pollutants include volatile organic compounds (voc's), carbon dioxisw (co), oxides of nitrogen (nox) and methane (ch4). these interact to produce ozone in the presence of uv light. because these primary pollutants must form before tropospheric ozone forms, they are sometimes called ozone precursers

impacts: exacerbates respiratory issues (eg: asthma)
74
how does carbon sequestration reduce carbon
plant more trees -> cabon is fixed into the biomass by photosynthesis
problem: space, urban growth, bigger population, trees die and decomposed carbon ends up in the atmosphere

develop artificial trees -> co2 is stored underground and co2 is absourbed onto special plastic, same way of releasing co2
problem: energy problem loss
75
how does carbon capture and storage reduce carbon
stored co2 released by power stations and other large, stationary emitters of carbon underground

advantages:
cost - effective
huge amounts of storage
proven technology

disadvantages:
can only be used for point - source pollutants
76
how does geoengineering reduce carbon
painting roofs white to increase albedo and reflect more sunlight
adding nutrients to the sea to stimulate plant growth
putting solar shades in the orbit to reduce sunlight reaching earth (disadvsntage: super expensive)
stopping solar engineering (gradually eind it down over decades, otherwise it could be catastrophic (disadvantage: who controls it? contries could become conflicting, takes away motivation to reduce emissions))

environmental science (7 decks)

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