Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

geo f3 > Climate > Flashcards

Climate Flashcards

(62 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is global warming?

A

-The long-term increase in the temperature of the Earth’s surface.

-can be natural or human-caused.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is climate change?

A

-The long term changes in typical weather patterns (rain, wind, temperatures)

-can be natural or human caused.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is weather?

A

The atmospheric conditions over minutes/day/minutes.
It is short term.

Ex: Like a drought in Africa.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is climate:

A

Average weather conditions over 30 years or more.

It is long-term.

Includes changes in rainfall, temperature, etc.

Ex: 40 years of rising global temperatures.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are Greenhouse Gases (GHG)?

A

Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that absorb heat and let light pass through.

Because they absorb heat, they trap heat on earth and keep earth warm and habitable.

Ex: Water vapour, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxides.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the natural greenhouse effect?

A

A natural process that keeps the earth warm and habitable.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What would earth’s temperature be without the greenhouse effect?

A

Without it, the earth’s average temperature would be -18 degrees Celsius.

With it, the average temperature is 15 degrees Celsius.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Explain Greenhouse effect:

A

1) The sun sends heat and light to the Earth.

2) Heat is absorbed by the greenhouse gases, trapping the heat in the atmosphere and keeping the earth warm.

3) Around 30% of light radiation is reflected back to space by ice and clouds.

4) 70% of light radiation is absorbed by oceans, land, and atmospheres.
This causes the Earth to heat up.

5) The earth releases light as heat radiation to the atmosphere.

6) Heat is absorbed by the greenhouse gases, trapping the heat in the atmosphere and keeping the earth warm.

7) A small amount of heat radiation which is not absorbed by greenhouse gases go to space. Most of the heat is in the atmosphere.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q
A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What gases let heat pass through?

A

Nitrogen and Oxygen.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is Albedo?

A

The amount of light radiation reflected by a surface.

Measured in percentage or decimal value:
EX: 1 / 100% means all solar radiation is reflected.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What kind of objects have a high and low albedo effect?

A

Light coloured objects (snow, ice, clouds): high albedo.

Darker coloured objects (sea, land, soil): lower albedo.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How does building design take albedo into account:

A

Light coloured roofs on building can keep the building cool.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is Human-enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

The current-increased heating of the earth, which is caused by the additional greenhouse gases released by HUMAN ACTIVITIES.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Ways human activity is releasing so much greenhouse gases:

A

Burning Fossil Fuels for electricity and heating released carbon stored in them, reacting in the air to form Carbon Dioxide.

Deforestation Trees absorb CO2, but because of deforestation, less trees absorb CO2, and the CO2 in the atmosphere has risen.

Livestock farming Livestock release Methane as a byproduct.

Agriculture use of fertiliser increases Nitrous Oxides, a greenhouse gas.

Population growth and Increasing consumption levels
results in increased greenhouse gas emissions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are fossil fuels?

A

Materials from plants and animals that have died and degenerated over thousands of years.

Used by humans to provide electricity, transport, and materials like plastics.

Ex: Oil, Natural gas, Coal.

Burning fossil fuels release CO2 (GHG), and account for most of the increase in Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What does Anthropogenic mean?

A

originating from human activity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What has the recent geological time period been named?

A

Anthropocene because humans have been the dominating effect on climate and the environment.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are evidence of climate change?

A

Rise in global temperature

Melting sea ice and glaciers

Rising sea levels

Changes in extreme weather events

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are rising sea levels caused by?

A

Thermal expansion: expansion of water due to rising temperatures (main reason)

Meltwater from glaciers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are the natural causes of climate change?

A

Changes in solar radiation;

Volcanic Eruptions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

How do changes in solar radiation affect climate change?

A

The sun emits varying amounts of solar radiation to the earth. This is natural.

When there is more sunlight, there is more heat and light radiation emitted to the earth. So more radiation is absorbed by the natural greenhouse effect.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

How do volcanic eruptions cause climate change?

A

Volcanoes emit greenhouse gases when they erupt. More greenhouse gases means that more heat radiation is absorbed.
This causes the earth to heat up.

HOWEVER,
Volcanoes emit a cloud of ash and sulfuric acid, which reflects sunlight back into space as it is light coloured.
This reduces the greenhouse effect, and the most significant way volcanoes affect the climate.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are the renewable energy sources?

A

Solar
Wind Farms
Nuclear,
Biomass
Hydroelectric power

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What are pros and cons of solar energy?
-sustainable -not expensive to maintain -relying on natural processes, so nothing new. -take up a lot of space (so need deforestation) -expensive to establish -can't be used throughout the year + geographical limitations
26
What are pros and cons of wind farms?
-sustainable -not expensive to maintain -relying on natural processes, so nothing new. -depends on amount of wind -need a lot of wind to make small amount of energy
27
What are pros and cons of nuclear?
-sustainable -not expensive to maintain -relying on natural processes, so nothing new. -Very dangerous (liable to explode) -hard for developing countries to establish
28
What are pros and cons of biomass?
-good for developing countries (agriculture-based) -sustainable -not expensive to maintain -relying on natural processes, so nothing new. -creates lot of greenhouse gases
29
What are the pros and cons of HEP?
-sustainable -not expensive to maintain -relying on natural processes, so nothing new. -geographical limits
30
What is geo-engineering?
Humans deliberately attempting to alter the natural greenhouse effect in order to reduce the effects of climate change.
31
What are the 2 types of geo-engineering?
Solar-radiation management (SRM) Net Emissions Technology (NET)
32
What is SRM?
Solar-Radiation Management: affecting the amount of solar radiation in the earth's atmosphere through **shading the earth from incoming heat and light radiation**; and **reflecting more light radiation away from the earth**.
33
What is NET?
reducing the overall amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere using technology.
34
Example of SRM?
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
35
Example of NET?
Direct Air Capture.
36
What is Stratospheric Aerosol Injection?
Aerosols are tiny particles that can reflect light. They are injected into the atmosphere, and Light and Heat Radiation are reflected off these particles, and away from Earth.
37
What are advantages of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection?
-Occurs Naturally (Volcanoes) -Relatively cheap -Easy to Implement
38
What are disadvantages of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection?
-CAN CAUSE ACID RAIN -Need to keep sending them up into space (dont last forever) -damage the ozone layer
39
What is Direct Air Capture?
Directly absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. It can be done naturally through reforestation or manmade structures.
40
What are advantages of Direct Air Capture?
-More plants and trees are reforested in the process, contributing to rehabilitating earth's ecosystems. -enhanced oil recovery: CO2 can be sold to oil companies, creating a profit in the process as well (Incentive). -Creates carbon-neutral fuel
41
What are disadvantages of Direct Air Capture?
-Handles dangerous toxic substances (like chlorine gas) , can cause a risk to environment if not handled properly -Very expensive *almost 50 times most climate solutions* -Needs investors.
42
What does the Malthusian View State?
This is the view that as world population increases, the resources (such as food, clean air, and energy) will run out, to the point where humans will no longer survive.
43
What does the Cornucopian View state?
This is the view that humans will build technology to create new resources and to make their current resources more efficient. This view states that humans will be able to survive as a species, even if the population rises over time.
44
What is carbon offsetting?
Instead of reducing your carbon emissions, you compensate for the amount of carbon dioxide you're making (carbon footprint) by preventing the same amount of pollution from happening somewhere else.
45
Example of carbon offsetting
Instead of reducing your carbon emissions, you support a tree-planting program so your carbon emission can be removed by trees.
46
What is additionality in carbon offsetting?
Carbon offsetting projects need to make an additional difference in the world: without this carbon offsetting project, this additional difference would not have happened.
47
Advantages of carbon-offsetting:
Reduces carbon emissions overall on the planet; helps developing countries to shift to renewable energy; anyone can give money to a carbon-offsetting program, hence it is easy to implement and accessible.
48
Disadvantages of carbon-offsetting?
Does not encourage people to reduce their own emissions, and thus does not solve the cause of climate change -Ideally, this should be done in addition to reducing carbon emissions. -Funding projects for renewable energy should be happening anyway Reforestation: trees take time to absorb CO2, and this normally isn't calculated in carbon offsetting projects.
49
What is greenwash?
A superficial/insincere concern show for the environment by an organisation.
50
What are some opportunities for Carbon Offsetting:
Aviation industry and businesses willing to endore and promote carbon offsetting. Gained popularity after Kyoto Protocol - more carbon-offsetting projects
51
Threat to carbon-offsetting?
-May not last (trees may catch fire bc of wildfire) -different to enfore
52
What was the Earth Summit (1992)?
Countries came together and decided that global warming was a problem; no other action was taken.
53
Kyoto Protocol:
Created in 1997, but only established in 2005. United States dropped out bc they thought it would hurt their economy. Only developed countries were given targets to meet. They were unable to chose, the UN assigned these to them. Countries did not reach their goals, and treaty failed.
54
Paris agreement:
-2015 -All countries agreed to limit global warming "well below 2 degrees Celcius and pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 Celcius by 2500." -All countries had to submit a plan and goals to reduce emissions. -Countries could voluntarily agree to this agreement and could chose how much their emissions would reduce by. The UN would take momentary checks on these. -Countries agreed to make a CLIMATE ACTION FUND of 100 billion dollars per year. -Countries meet once a year, in a Conference of the Parties (COP). COP 29 will take place this year.
55
Tragedy of the commons:
This theory states that individuals acting based off their own self-interest will deplete a shared resource. In climate agreements, it would be good for the earth if all countries agreed to reduce carbon emissions. However, each country prioritizes what they want and their own self interests over what the earth needs.
56
Differences between Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement:
Only developed countries had to reduce emissions/ All countries had to reduce their emissions, developed countries were encouraged to help developing countries. Countries were given targets by the UN/ Countries set their own targets, and the UN checked with these targets every 5 years. Focus on mitigation and reducing emissions/ focus on adaptation and mitigation: 100 billion dollar fund set up.
57
Montreal Protocol 1987
Countries came together, and decided to reduce chloroflurocarbons (CFCs), which were destroying the ozone layer. The agreement was a success, and the ozone layer is healing today Developed agreed to start reducing first, then emerging, then developing. A chlorofluorocarbon alternative was found. The most powerful leaders (PM of UK and Pres of US) lead the thing.
58
What are tipping points?
Tipping points are points in a system, where the tiniest change on a point could cause the entire system to collapse into an irreversible, new state.
59
the 6 tipping points:
1) Melting of Arctic sea ice 2)Melting of greenland sea ice 3) Melting of west antarctic sea ice 4) Melting of East Antarctic sea ice 5) Loss of Boreal Forests 6) Loss of Amazon Rainforest
60
Explain how ice melts as a tipping point affects the rate of climate change?
When Ice melts, less light radiation is reflected and sent back into space. This means more light radiation is converted to heat radiation and absorbed by greenhouse gases, and causes temperatures to rise. This cause more ice to melt, and this cycle continues.
61
How does reduction of trees as a tipping point increase the rate of climate change?
This means less carbon dioxide absorbed by the trees, which means more present in the air. More heat is trapped by these gases, exacerbating the rate of temperature, which causes wildfires, and the cycle continues.
62
Business as Usual
Continuing as usual with no change.

geo f3 (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions