C4-The Atmosphere Flashcards
(117 cards)
1
Q
What is the atmosphere composed of (%)
A
78% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.04% CO2, 1% rare gases combined, 0.000007% ozone
2
Q
What is the term for when natural processes are in a state of balance that maintain the average composition of the atmosphere so that it only changes over a very long time scale
A
Dynamic equilibrium
3
Q
Give two examples of dynamic equilibrium
A
Aerobic respiration and photosynthesis
4
Q
Which elements are needed my biological molecules and in what forms?
A
Carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen in the forms H2O, CO2, N2,O2, carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.
5
Q
What does the upper atmosphere prevent from reaching the Earth?
A
The biologically damaging radiation in the solar wind ( ultraviolet )
6
Q
What are the three forms of oxygen found in the atmosphere?
A
O,O2 and O3, monatomic, diatomic, and triatomic oxygen.
7
Q
Where are O,O2,O3 found
A
Stratosphere (create ozone layer)
8
Q
What does the ozone layer absorb and what does it therefore do?
A
Absorb UV light, producing dynamic equilibrium of chemical reactions which form and destroy ozone
9
Q
Where is most of the energy from the sun absorbed and where does the heated atmosphere go?
A
Absorbed in tropical regions.Warm surface heats the atmosphere above then heat is distributed to higher latitudes by warm winds
10
Q
State two ways the temperature of the earth can increase
A
Warm atmosphere emits infrared energy which is absorbed by Earth surface
Warm atmosphere reduces heat loss by conduction from land and oceans
11
Q
How can dissolved nutrients be transported
A
Winds blowing over the ocean currents that also distribute heat by carrying warm water from tropical areas to high latitudes
12
Q
How and why is water vapour transported
A
By wind, the wind transport water vapour to areas that would get little to no precipitation
13
Q
State the layers of the atmosphere, starting from lowest to highest.
A
Troposphere,stratosphere,mesosphere
,thermosphere
14
Q
State the pauses from lowest to highest
A
Tropopause, stratopause, mesopause
15
Q
Does atmospheric pressure increase or decrease going up the atmosphere?
A
Decreases - 1,1/2,1/10,1/100,1/1000,1/10000,
1/100000
16
Q
What does atmospheric pressure do to water molecules
A
It controls the ease with which water molecules can evaporate and escape from the water surface
17
Q
What would happen to water if there was not enough atmospheric pressure?
A
There would be no liquid water
18
Q
What is the wavelength that enter and leave Earth
A
Enter: short wavelength radiation
Leave: long wavelength radiation
19
Q
Temperature patterns in atmosphere sections (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere)
A
Troposphere decreases (from roughly 18 to -55)
Stratosphere increases (-55 to 0)
Mesosphere decreases(0 to -80)
Thermosphere increases (-80 to -20)
20
Q
How much of the incoming solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere ?
A
20%
21
Q
How much of the incoming social radiation is reflected by clouds,dust,atmosphere
A
25%
22
Q
How much incoming solar radiation is reflected my earths surface
A
5%
23
Q
How much incoming radiation if absorbed by earths surface
A
50%
24
Q
What is the total of the 100% if the incoming solar radiation reflected
A
30% in total (5+25%)
25
What is the natural greenhouse affect
Visible light lapped through the atmosphere.It is absorbed by Earth surface.This warms up Earth.The warm Earth surface emits infrared radiation .
26
Why can visible light pass through the atmosphere easier than infrared?
Because the infrared is absorbed by the greenhouse gases
27
What is the term for changes resulting from human activity
Anthropogenic changes
28
What are human activities doing
Increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases.
These then absorb infrared radiation and warm the atmosphere
29
Human activities: what is produced by:
Combustion of fossil fuels and wood,ploughing of soils, drainage of marshes and bogs
CO2
30
What is produced my : anaerobic respiration by microbes in paid fields,landfill sites, and intestines of livestock.Also produced during formation of fossil fuels and released by ventilation of coal mines,leaks from natural gas fields and pipelines.And agriculture.
Methane
31
Gas produced by air reacting at high temperatures in location such as vehicle engines and power stations which are then released into the atmosphere in exhaust gases.Feetiliers can increase the gas emissions.
Oxides of nitrogen
32
Aerosol propellants,fire extinguishers,refrigerators,solvents, and in expanded foam plastics
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS)
33
Produced by the photochemical breakdown of No2 and subsequent reactions with oxygen
Tropospheric ozone
34
State 2 ecological changes caused by climate change
-Species may be affected by temperature, by changes to other species they rely on, or changes to natural processes
-Temperature rise=plants grow faster=more food provided.But more toxins produced by plants= kill species that try to eat them (caterpillars )
-precipitation changes = wetland habitats will shrink or enlarge
-oak trees have deep roots=survive drought compared to beech trees with shallow roots.
-dormouse hibernation disturbed my warmer winters=use up stored fat= may starve before spring
-timing of ecological events may change (flowering, migration,nesting)
-distribution of species may change as conditions have changed - not able to survive so migrate to areas with better conditions
35
Why might some species not be able to migrate?
-colonise new areas more slowly than Ty disappear from their old range.
-suitable new areas may not be available
- human land use may block movement
-all species may not be able to move at the same speed
36
Which species are most likely to be affected by climate change
Those that are closest to the edge of their range of tolerance
37
How might climate change affect bats in the UK?
— warmer,shorter winters=increase survival during hibernation,increase populations of food species.
-wetter stormier weather = reduce time for which bats can feed = reduce survival chance.
38
What kind of animals can colonise easier compared to others?
Flying insects and birds compared to less mobile animals
39
The population of a species may decline in one area=local extinction but survival can improve other areas.How?
Leads to colonisation of new areas and increase in its range.The colonisation can happen if new suitable areas exist and there is a biological corridor linking the areas
40
What may happen to small populations after conditions for survival have changed?
They can become more isolated from the rest of the population
41
What will happen is there is little or no population movement between isolated populations?
-Gene pool will be divided into smaller gene pools= inbreeding more likely
-Not viable ( capable of surviving)
-not possible for surplus individuals from other areas to repopulate an area where the local population has died out
42
What are Jet Streams?
Strong winds that blow from west to east along a meandering path in the upper troposphere
43
What are jet streams caused by?
Difference in temperature and density between two air masses such as the warm air in mid latitudes (30-60’ N or S)
and the cold air in polar regions
44
Why do winds blow
To equalise the pressure difference (high to low)
45
Why do winds not blow in a straight line?
Because the rotation of the Earth creates a Corolla force that causes wind to blow in a spiral fashion
46
What controls the movement of air bodies that create rain such as the cyclonic storms that are carried across the Atlantic to the UK
Jet streams
47
Jet streams in the northern hemisphere are moving nearer to the pole,are moving slowly and are following a more meandering path .What are the waves called that are caused by the meandering path?
Rossby waves
48
What do Rossby waves do
Carry unusually cold air southwards or warm air northwards.
49
What can the slower movement of waves cause
Weather systems to remain over an area,crating longer more intense weather
50
Changes in rainfall- what does a higher temperature cause?
More evaporation=more precipitation.
51
Changes in rainfall: what do higher temperatures also do
Air may have to move further towards colder areas before the water vapour cools enough to condense and fall as rain or snow
52
How can wind direction and velocity affect precipitation?
Carrying humid air to new steam causing increased rainfall in one area but reduced rainfall in another
53
What is the cryosphere
The ice part of earth
54
Why might areas that are extremely cold have low snowfall?
Because precipitation falls before it gets there - higher temperatures may allow more precipitation to reach such areas
55
What does less snow or ice cover do to albedo?
It reduced the albedo of the earths surface so less sunlight is reflected away and more is absorbed, causing further heating
56
Snow that falls on land may collect, become compacted into ice which then flows gradually downhill when the mass has built up sufficiently, forming a what?
Glacier
57
Ice ice sheets reach lower latitudes, or warms up and melts.If it reaches the sea before melting, what can be produced
Icebergs as the glacier breaks up
58
Warmer temperatures may cause the front end of the glacier to melts faster than it is moving forward so…
So the ice front retreats up the valley
59
What does meltwater from the surface of glaciers do when it flows down cracks in the ice?
Goes to the bottom of the glacier where it lubricates the ice = move more quickly
60
Ice formations: ice sheet and the two only exampmes
Ice covering over 50,000km^2 ( Greenland and Antarctica)
61
Ice formations: ice cap
Ice covering less than 50,000km^2 of area. It is thick enough to have its own topography
62
Ice field
Ice covering less than 50,000km^2 of area.The topography of the ice follows the underlying land
63
Glacier
Large body of dense ice moving over the land under its own weight
64
Ice shelf
Floating mass of ice attached to ice on land.Formed when glacial ice flows off the land onto the sea
65
Iceberg
Large piece of ice floating in the sea that broke off a glacier or ice shelf
66
Sea ice
Thin ice that forms in the sea as water freezes.
67
State the changes in the cryosphere
-Reductions in the amount and duration of snow cover
-changes in the extent and speed of the movement of land ice
-loss of ice shelves
-changes in ice thickness and area
-ice lakes increase (negative impact)
-ice and snow-fed rivers increase
-sea level rise
-changes in ocean currents
68
What is the North Atlantic conveyor ( the Gulf Stream)?
It involves the movement of layers of surface and deep water in the North Atlantic Ocean which distributes heat energy and control the climate
69
In the Gulf Stream, where diesel the warm water from the tropical Atlantic Ocean travel? And what causes this movement?
Travels north-eastwards towards the north west of Europe
Caused my friction with prevailing winds blowing over the ocean surface from the south west to the north east
Caused by water in the north east Atlantic sinking as it cools and becomes denser, drawing water in to replace it
70
How is the UK warmed by the Gulf Stream?
The Gulf Stream brings water from tropical regions which prevents the cold weather going in regions of the same latitude
71
Changes in the North Atlantic converter caused by global climate change - give two examples caused
El Niño and La Niña
72
Higher atmospheric temperatures cause land ice in Greenland to —— and flow into the sea.It ———- seawater making the salt concentration decrease.this is less ——- than normal seawater so it is less likely to ——.This reduced the flow rate of the water current which could cause NW Europe to become ———
Melt,dilutes,dense,sink,colder
73
El Niño is the name given to a sequence of events which occur naturally, typically every - to - years, but it seems to be happening for frequently.
2 to 7
74
In normal conditions, trade winds blow ————- across the Pacific Ocean near the equator which moves a surface ocean current in the same direction.Thsi causes —— and —— water to be drawn upwards near the coast of ——- ———-.
This water is rich of ———— . It eventually moves south along the east coast of Australia as a warm current
Westwards, deep and cold, South America , nutrients,
75
In normal year, trade winds block westwards, there is a strong current, the cold current from east goes to west as a warm current, this is because water warms up and is carried west.What happens in an El Niño year?
The wind direction reversed, so has the current,cold water from west goes as warm water to south (from Australia to South America)
76
What are the global impacts of El Niño events
-droughts in NE Africa, South Africa, and china.
-fewer hurricanes in North Atlantic
-fewer tropical cyclones in Japan
77
When does La Niña occur
When winds blow more strongly in the normal direction so water currents speed up and temperature differences between the westerns and eastern pacific are increased
78
What are the impacts of climate change on human health?
-health (tolerance of heat, heatwaves, people with existing health problems are less vulnerable, disease vectors may change distribution, food positioning more common as pathogens grow more rapidly in unrefrigerated food)
79
What are the impacts of climate change on human society?
-water supply ( changes in evaporation, precipitation, and river flow)
-food supplies ( crop species/irrigation, warmer winters=more peat insects to survive=more pest damage)
-infrastructure (road heat stress, track buckling (train rail track expand and buckle), drainage(flood risks),landslides(caused by lubricating soil and rock particles), bridge damage (pressure))
80
Difficulties in monitoring and predicting climate change
Natural fluctuations, time delay between cause and effect, spatial scales, time scales, interconnected systems
81
Data collection methods
Proxy data ( estimate), historic data,tipping points
82
Proxy data examples
Dendrochronology (width of tree rings show growth rate and indicate temperature
Pollen grains preserved - using radio-carbon dating of organic material
Coral species produce coral heads with annual growth rings which can be used to estimate sea temperatures in the sea
83
More data that can be used to determine climate change
Soil decomposition, melting permafrost, ocean acidification, ice and snow melting, release of methane hydrate, increased forest and peat fires, increased water vapour
84
What is ocean acidification?
The carbon dioxide dissolved in the oceans which reduced coral surviving
85
What is release of methane hydrate
Dead organic matter in deep sea sediments decomposing producing methane ( under high pressures and low temperatures it forms solid methane hydrate which can then melt if sea temperature increases)
86
What is the tipping point?
The point where stopping original human activity will not stop climate change.
Human actions that cause climate change may cause changes in the natural processes that themselves cause climate change to the extent that original human actions are no longer needed for climate change to continue increasing.
87
What are some examples of processes that may become unstoppable is temperatures rise too much?
Faster soil decomposition, release of CO2 increased in forest and peat fires, snow on land melting ( caused by reduced albedo)
88
Control CO2
Reduce use of fossil fuels
Use energy resources with low carbon emissions
Carbon sequestration (planting more trees or storage of carbon)
89
Control methane
Reduce landfill waste
Reduce livestock production
Improved recovery of gas from coal mines and gas and oil facilities
90
Control oxides of nitrogen
Reduce use of internal combustion engines
Catalytic converters in vehicle exhausts so harmful gases are removed and converted into nitrogen and oxygen
91
Control of CFCs
Use of alternative materials in manufacturing and in appliance operation
92
Control tropospheric ozone
Controls and processes which reduce NOX emissions also reduce formation of ozone in the troposphere
93
Carbon storage
Carbon sequestration, carbon capture and storage (CCS) which is a developmental technology that removes co2 produced by industrial processes.
Geo engineering (technology that control natural processes to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse effect)
94
What are the three stages of CCS
Capture CO2 or removal of carbon from the fuel.
Transport by road tanker,ship, or pipeline.
CO2 storage in gas fields, aquifers, or its use in secondary recovery
95
Geoengineering examples
Painting roofs white to increase albedo and reflect more sunlight
Adding nutrients to the sea to simulate plankton growth (the shells of the dead animals take carbon to sea bed)
Putting solar shaded in orbit to reduce sunlight reaching the earth
96
Adapting to climate change examples
Flood control , coastal erosion control, managed retreat, unban drainage control
97
Flood control
Building higher river banks or coastal defences
98
Coastal erosion control
Sea walls and wave screens are used to protect coasts
99
Urban drainage controls
Permeable urban surfaces(reduces flooding)
River flow management
Raised builds
Floating houses
100
What are and where are the three forms of often?
O,O2,O3 in the stratosphere in dynamic equilibrium
101
What is the dynamic equilibrium of the oxygens caused by?
The chemical reactions caused by the absorption of UV light
102
Stratospheric ozone importance
Prevents most of the high energy uv solar radiation form reaching Earth surface
103
How many kilometers is ozone from earths surface?
12-24
104
Types of uv and how much is absorbed by ozone
UV A - 320-400nm wavelength - not absorbed
UV B - 280-320nm wavelength - most absorbed
UV C - <280nm wavelength - all absorbed
105
Formation of ozone
1. UV light splits a molecule of diatomic ozone
2. Two monoatomic oxygen atoms are released
3. These then react with a diatomic oxygen molecule to form a triatomic molecule of oxygen (ozone)
106
Destruction of ozone
UV light splits an ozone molecule
A stable diatomic molecule and a reactive monoatomic molecule is released
107
Chlorofluorocarbons - use in air conditioning units, refrigerators , aerosol propellants, and as solvents. What else can they do/ properties?
Dissolve Greece and oils , not flammable , non-toxic
108
What is the Rolland melina hypothesis?
Two scientists suggested that the chemical properties of CFCs could lead to ozone depletion in the stratosphere
109
CFCs are chemically stable so they remain in the atmosphere long enough tot be carried in the stratosphere where they are exposed to higher levels of what?
UV
110
What happens when CFCs absorb the UV
Breaks down carbon to chloride bonds and release chlorine free radicals
111
Reaction between chlorine and oxygen
Chlorine reacts with monoatomic oxygens, therefore preventing its reaction with O2 to form O3.
112
The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone layer 1985
Reduced an agreement between every country in the UN to protect the ozone layers
113
The Montreal protocol
Manufacture and use of CFCs was banned
Use of HCFCs will be phased out by 2030
A fund is available to help countries implement the Montreal protocol
114
What alternative processes can be used instead of CFCs
Pump action sprays
Stick or roll-on deodorants
115
What alternative materials have been used instead of CFCs
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons , hydrofluorocarbons (no chlorine for ozone) , hydrocarbons, hydrofluoroalkanes, alcohols
116
How do you safely dispose of waste CFCs?
Drained and incinerated - broken down into co2 and acidic gases that can be neutralised
117
Key principles of whole chapter : the atmosphere plays important roles in many natural processes that are important for life on Earth
Troposphere and stratosphere have different eg roles in supporting life
Reduced anthropogenic releases requires major lifestyle changes
