Chapter 18-Global Climate Change

Question 0

The layer closest to the surface of the Earth. This layer extends from the Earth’s surface to 5-10 miles high (8-16 km). This layer contains practically all of the water vapor and clouds in the atmosphere and is the site and source of our weather. Temperature decreases as you go up in this layer

Answer 0

Troposphere

Question 1

Caps the troposphere

Answer 1

Tropopause

Question 2

Layer that extends from the top of the troposphere to about 40 miles high. This layer contains ozone (O3) which is a form of oxygen that absorbs high-energy radiation emitted by the sun. The temperature increases as you go up in this layer.

Answer 2

Stratosphere

Question 3

The day-to-day variations in temperature, air pressure, wind, humidity, and precipitation

Answer 3

Weather

Question 4

The long-term weather patterns in an area

Answer 4

Climate

Question 5

The study of weather and climate

Answer 5

Meteorology

Question 6

This brings us the day-to-day changes in our weather as it moves in a general pattern from west to east. Vertical air currents caused by warmer air from the surface rising, expanding, cooling, and then sinking again

Answer 6

Convection currents

Question 7

Rivers of air high in the troposphere that flow eastward at speeds of more than 300 mph

Answer 7

Jet streams

Question 8

Air masses of different temperatures and pressures meet at boundaries; regions of rapid weather change

Answer 8

Fronts

Question 9

Major seasonal airflows which often represent a reversal of previous wind patterns; created by major differences in cooling and heating between oceans and continents

Answer 9

Monsoons

Question 10

Established in 1988, by the United Nations Environment Program and the World Meteorological Society; this panel, which consists of more than 2,000 unpaid workers from a hundred countries, gathers and examines scientific data in an attempt to gain a better understanding of whether humans are inducing climate change

Answer 10

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Question 11

Climate shifts due to variations in Earth’s orbit

Answer 11

Milankovitch cycles

Question 12

The effects that temperature and salinity have on the density of seawater

Answer 12

Thermohaline

Question 13

System that acts as a giant belt, moving water masses from the surface to deep oceans and back again, according to the density of the mass

Answer 13

Conveyor system

Question 14

A phenomenon of one of the most impressive demonstrations of the oceans’ impact on climate

Answer 14

El Niño/La Niña Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

Question 15

Occurs when a major shift in atmospheric pressure over the central equatorial Pacific Ocean leads to a reversal of the trade winds that normally blow from an easterly direction. Warm water spreads to the east, the jet streams strengthen and shift from their normal courses, patterns in precipitation and evaporation are affected, and the system is usually sustained for more than a year

Answer 15

El Niño

Question 16

The easterly trade winds are reestablished with even greater intensity, upwelling of colder ocean water in the eastern Pacific from the depths replaces the surface water blown westward, the jet streams are weakened, and weather patterns are again affected; encourages cooling

Answer 16

La Niña

Question 17

The influence a particular factor has on the energy balance of the atmosphere- ocean-land system

Answer 17

Radioactive forcing

Question 18

Contribute to atmospheric warming; include water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases in the atmosphere

Answer 18

Greenhouse gases

Question 19

Contributes to global cooling; clouds reflect 23% of solar radiation back to space before it ever reaches the planet. Low-lying, fluffy clouds have a negative forcing effect, while High-lying clouds have a positive forcing effect. Snow and ice (the cryosphere) also reflect sunlight. Soot originating from anthropogenic sources darkens the snow and ice. Therefore, the soot promotes the absorption of radiant energy rather than reflection

Answer 19

Planetary albedo

Question 20

Contribute to global cooling. Particles and aerosols enter into the atmosphere and spread around the world, causing solar radiation to be reflected back to space

Answer 20

Volcanoes

Question 21

From pollution can cause a haze to form in the atmosphere which reflects and scatters some sunlight and also contributes to the formation of clouds

Answer 21

Aerosols

Question 22

(From fires) has an overall warming effect

Answer 22

Sooty aerosols

Question 23

Oceans are experiencing a decrease in pH

Answer 23

Ocean acidification

Question 24

Where most of the ice on earth can be found

Answer 24

Antarctic

Question 25

Burning of fossil fuels and the burning of forest trees (deforestation)

Answer 25

Anthropogenic sources

Question 26

Carbon emissions are removed annually

Answer 26

Carbon sinks

Question 27

Absorbs infrared energy and is the most abundant greenhouse gas

Answer 27

Water vapor

Question 28

As temperatures rise, water vapor in the atmosphere increases and warming accelerates; one of the more disturbing features of future warming

Answer 28

Positive feedback

Question 29

The third-most important greenhouse gas; product of microbial fermentative reactions; its main natural source are wetlands and green plants

Answer 29

Methane

Question 30

Levels have increased some 19% during the last 200 years. Sources of the gas include agriculture, the oceans, and the burning of biomass; lesser quantities come from fossil-fuel burning and industry. Produced in agriculture via anaerobic denitrification processes, which occur wherever nitrogen is highly available in soils. This gas accelerates warming in the troposphere and also contributes to depletion of the ozone in the stratosphere. Has a long residence time of 114 years in the atmosphere

Answer 30

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Question 31

A potent greenhouse gas which forms in the stratosphere and descends into the troposphere. Major sources contributing to increasing levels of ozone are automotive traffic, burning forests, and agricultural wastes

Answer 31

Ozone (O3)

Question 32

Entirely anthropogenic; long lived and contribute to both global warming in the troposphere and ozone destruction in the stratosphere. Used as refrigerants, solvents, and fire retardants, have a much greater capacity (10,000 times) for absorbing infrared radiation than does CO2

Answer 32

CFCs and other halocarbons

Question 33

Now called the Global Change Research Program (GCPR) places emphasis on the government’s approach to climate research; the focus of the plan is to address a number of issues in climate science especially climate change

Answer 33

Climate Change Science Program (CCSP)

Question 34

Refers to actions designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Answer 34

Mitigation

Question 35

Agreement to stabilize greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere to 1990 levels by the year 2000 which ended up failing

Answer 35

Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC)

Question 36

In 1997, nations met in Kyoto, Japan and agreed on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; agreement is to reduce six types of greenhouse gas emissions to 5.2% below 1990 levels by 2012

Answer 36

Kyoto Protocol

Question 37

Reached an agreement on two principles once the Kyoto process expires in 2012. First, there would be future meetings aimed at producing a new, tougher set of binding limits on GHG emissions that would take effect after 2012. Second, there would be broader dialogues towards reaching nonbinding accords addressing global climate change

Answer 37

U.N. Climate Control Conference

Question 38

Accepting that climate change is happening and taking action to lessen the impact of this change

Answer 38

Adaptation