Atmosphere Flashcards
(35 cards)
What percentages do Nitrogen, Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide make up of our atmosphere?
Nitrogen: 78%
Oxygen: 21%
Carbon Dioxide 0.04%
What is dynamic equilibrium?
Where processes are in a state of balance so composition can only change over long periods of time
Name 3 ways the atmosphere supports life
- Contains gases necessary for natural processes like photosynthesis
- The ozone layer absorbs UV light
- Greenhouse effect
- Winds create ocean currents that distribute heat and nutrients
- Wind transports water vapour to otherwise dry areas
Why is atmospheric pressure important?
It controls how easy it is for water molecules to evaporate, therefore maintaining liquid water
What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere? What happens to the temperature in each layer?
Troposphere: temp falls as you reach the top
Stratosphere: temp rises as you reach the top
Mesosphere: temp falls as you reach the top
Thermosphere: temp rises as you reach the top
What 3 wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation arrive in the atmosphere?
UV, visible and near infrared
What wavelength of electromagnetic radiation leaves the atmosphere?
Long wavelength infrared
What is the natural greenhouse effect?
The process that warms the troposphere by having gases absorb infrared emitted by the earth’s surface
What is the enhanced Greenhouse effect?
Where human activities have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases increasing the amount of IR absorbed and therefore increasing temperatures
What human activities release Carbon Dioxide?
Combustion of fossil fuels, ploughing of soils and draining marshes
What human activities release Methane?
Anaerobic respiration in padi fields, landfill, livestock, ventilation of coal mines
What human activities release Oxides of Nitrogen?
Vehicle engines, power stations, fertilisers
What human activities release CFCs?
Aerosol propellants, refrigerator solvents/refrigerants
How can animals be affected by climate change?
- Cannot live in certain temps
- Hibernation disturbed
- Change in distribution as conditions change
- Stormier weather can affect flight
- Changes in or disprupted migration
How can plants be affected by climate change?
- Higher temps may make plants grow faster
- Shallow root plants may lose access to water
- Seasonal events may be disrupted
- Change in distribution as species change
- Changes in plant toxicity as earlier growth allows toxins to build up for longer
How can abiotic features be affected by climate change?
- Precipitation may increase or decreases
- Temperature increase
- Change in wind patterns due to weaker jetstreams
- Snow and ice may melt
- Decrease in sea salinity
- Sea level rise
- Changes in ocean current
How can human society be affected by climate change?
- Health issues for individuals in already warm climates
- Worsening of heart or respiratory conditions
- Faster pathogen growth
- Decreased or Increased water supply
- Loss of certain crops species
- Landslides
- Building structure buckling
- Road heat stress
What are jet streams?
Strong winds blowing East to West due to density differences between hot and cold air
What is the North Atlantic Conveyor?
The movement of water from warmer areas in the tropical Atlantic to North West Europe thanks to friction with winds
When does El Nino happen and what is it?
El Nino ocurrs every 2 to 7 years as the westward blowing trade winds from south america to australia that usually cause cold water to be pulled up on the coast of south america which pulls nutrients to the surface change directions and causes the ecosystem fuelled by the usual upwelling to collapse.
What is La Nina?
The westward blowing trade winds from south america to australia that usually cause cold water to be pulled up on the coast of south america which pulls nutrients to the surface increases, causing a boom in the south american coast ecosystem
Why is it difficult to monitor climate change?
- Changes can occur over different timescales
- Changes can occur over varying spatial scales
- We do not fully understand the processes and systems that cause it
- Time delay between cause and effect
- Natural climate change VS Human-caused climate change
Why can historic data be unreliable?
- Lack of sophisticated equipment
- Lack of global data as most measurements would only be local
What ways do we have of collecting proxy data?
- Dendrochronology, studying tree rings to indicate growth rate and therefore conditions
- Pollen analysis from grains preserved in lake sediment or in peat cores
- Ice core sampling, checking oxygen isotopes and carbon dioxide levels
- Computer models to simulate past and future conditions
