Chapter 11 (Final) Flashcards
what are the layers of the atmosphere?
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
what does the troposphere contain (4)?
nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, air pollutants
what does the stratosphere contain?
the ozone layer
what does the ozone layer do?
absorbs 95% of UV radiation
pollutants in the ozone layer
supersonic transports, aerosol sprays, and nuclear weapons
what does the mesosphere do/temperature
protection zone against incoming small meteors/cold
what does the thermosphere do/temp
absorbs both X-rays and UV radiation from the sun/hot, home to ISS
exosphere
outermost layer of atmosphere
ozone
A gas (O3) located within the troposphere and stratosphere. It contributes to smog in the troposphere and absorbs 95 percent of ultraviolet radiation coming into the stratosphere
what gases maintain the earth’s temperature?
carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), water (H2O), and ozone (O3)
albedo
reflectivity on a surface on a scale of 0 to 1, the higher the albedo score, the greater the reflectivity
weather vs. climate
daily vs. long term
meteorology
study of the atmosphere
how weather cells work
https://resized-images.flatworldknowledge.com/shostell_1-31754/1600/shostell_1-31754-fig706.png
Coriolis effect
Movement of the air in large convection cells is deflected due to the force of the Earth’s spinning from west to east: wind belts
trade winds
air moving towards the equator
hurricanes
violent circulating windstorms; also known as a tropical cyclones.
El Niño
northeast trade winds weaken and the warm waters of the Pacific swash back to South America (warm)
Milankovitch cycles
Periodic wobbling of the Earth and a change in its axis tilt, in predictable incidences every 41,000 or 100,000 years.
anthropogenic GHG emissions….
magnify warming effect b/c surpass natural emissions
Greenhouse effect
traps greenhouse gases in atmosphere and keep from escaping into space, positive feedback cycle
GHGs released by society
CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, carbon dioxide is most
origins of GHGs released by society
fossil fuels, fertilizers, manufacturing, consumer purchases
CO2 emissions from
Emissions from burning of fossil fuels in transportation, electricity, industry, residences
methane originates from
second most common/more warming potential: originates from landfills, agriculture (rice), livestock, natural gas