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LPC 2021 EAE2111 - Climate science > EAE2111 - Exam Preparation - 1 > Flashcards

EAE2111 - Exam Preparation - 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

<p><strong><span>How easily does visible light pass through the atmosphere?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>The atmosphere is largely transparent to visible light.<br></br>(i.e. easily)</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4aa</span></p>

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2
Q

<p><strong><span>What are dominant absorbers of longwave radiation?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Water vapour and CO₂</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ab</span></p>

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3
Q

<p><strong><span>What determines the solar radiation at a given time and location?</span></strong></p>

A

<ul>Time of year<li>Time of day</li><li>Transparency of atmoshpere</li></ul>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ac</span></p>

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4
Q

<p><strong><span>What is the largest control of spatial variability of atmospheric emissivity?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Moisture</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ad</span></p>

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5
Q

<p><strong><span>Amount of energy at the surface is always partitioned into?</span></strong></p>

<p>3 points.</p>

A

<ul> <li>Latent heat(LE)</li> <li>Sensible heat(H)</li> <li>Soil heat flux(G)</li></ul>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ae</span></p>

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6
Q

<p><strong><span>Where is there consistently an energy deficit and energy surplus on earth?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Equator (surplus)<br></br>Poles (deficit)</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4af</span></p>

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7
Q

<p><strong><span>When does condensation occur?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>At saturation</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ag</span></p>

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8
Q

<p><strong><span>What is the Bowen ratio?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Measure of how much energy goes into sensible vs latent heat.<br></br>B=H/LE</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ah</span></p>

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9
Q

<p><strong><span>What does a Bowen ratio of <1 mean?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Most of the energy is going into latent heat so it will be cooler and mistier than if the ratio was>1</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ai</span></p>

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10
Q

<p><strong><span>What does a Bowen ratio> 1 mean?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>It will be dryer and warmer than if it was less than one.</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4aj</span></p>

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11
Q

<p><strong><span>What is convection?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>The transfer of energy by mass motions within a fluid or gas, resulting in actual transport of energy.</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ak</span></p>

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12
Q

<p><strong><span>What is conduction?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>The transfer of energy in a substance by means of molecular excitation without any net external motion</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4al</span></p>

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13
Q

<p><strong><span>What is radiation?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Electromagnetic waves propagated through space.</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4am</span></p>

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14
Q

<p><strong><span>What is a black body?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>A body that emits the maximum radiation for its temperature i.e. it emits all that it absorbs</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4an</span></p>

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15
Q

<p><strong><span>What is shortwave radiation?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Radiation emitted by the sun</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ao</span></p>

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16
Q

<p><strong><span>What is Planks law?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Total energy emitted and the spectral (wavelength) composition depends on temperature</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ap</span></p>

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17
Q

<p><strong><span>What does Wien's Displacement law state?</span></strong></p>

<p>2 points.</p>

A

<div>In general, states that:</div>

<ul> <li>The higher the black body temperature, the higher proportion of shorter wavelengths in the emitted radiation</li> <li>The lower the black body temperature, the lower the proportion of shorter wavelengths in the emitted radiation</li></ul>

<div></div>

<p><span>EAE2111 4aq</span></p>

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18
Q

<p><strong><span>Which wavelengths of light is the atmosphere most transparent to?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Visible light</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ar</span></p>

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19
Q

<p><strong><span>For a given location and time what does shortwave radiation depend on?</span></strong></p>

A

<ul>Time of year<li>Time of day</li><li>‘Transparency’ of the atmosphere</li></ul>

<p><span>EAE2111 4as</span></p>

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20
Q

<p><strong><span>What is the largest control of local atmospheric emissivity?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Moisture</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4at</span></p>

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21
Q

<p><strong><span>When are radiative fluxes positive?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>When they represent a gain to the surface</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4au</span></p>

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22
Q

<p><strong><span>When are non-radiative fluxes positive?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>Positive when directed away from the surface (the usual daytime situation), and negative when directed toward the surface</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4av</span></p>

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23
Q

<p><strong><span>How is a Net surplus of energy transferred to the atmosphere?</span></strong></p>

<p>2 points.</p>

A

<p><span>Via convective fluxes</span></p>

<div>e.g</div>

<ul> <li>Sensible heat flux (H)</li> <li>Latent heat flux (LE)</li></ul>

<p><span>EAE2111 4aw</span></p>

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24
Q

<p><strong><span>What is sensible heat flux?</span></strong></p>

A

<p><span>(H):the heat we feel</span></p>

<p><span>EAE2111 4ax</span></p>

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25

What is latent heat flux?

(LE):energy transferred through a phase change of water

EAE2111 4ay

26

What effects energy transfer in soil?

    Pore space
  • Moisture content
  • Soil composition
  • Texture
  • With moisture availability being most important

EAE2111 4az

27

What leads to larger eddy diffusivities?

Large mean wind speed

EAE2111 4ba

28

What is the (PGF)?

Pressure gradient force= air moving from high to low pressure

EAE2111 4bb

29

How does Air density relate to surface pressure and temperature?

.

Air density is directly related to surface pressure and inversely related to temperature.
In reality, this means that an increase in temperature often leads to a decrease in air density and pressure

EAE2111 4bc

30

What does high temperature mean for air pressure at the surface and aloft?

Low pressure at the surface
High pressure aloft

EAE2111 4bd

31

What are geostrophic winds?

Ideal winds that occur at 90 degrees to the coriolis force and PGF

EAE2111 4be

32

Where are winds closest to being geostrophic?

Away from the surface where friction is not a factor

EAE2111 4bf

33

What is mechanical turbulence?

Turbulence created when wind collides with objects in its path?

EAE2111 4bg

34

Thermal turbulence?

Created by warm air parcels rising

EAE2111 4bh

35

What are the five states of atmospheric stability?

4 points.

    Absolutely stable
  • Saturated neutral
  • Conditionally unstable
  • Dry neutral
  • Absolutely unstable

EAE2111 4bi

36

Why doesn't the hadley circulation reach the poles?

The earth's rotation and resultings coriolis force

EAE2111 4bj

37

What are the three main circulating cells?

3 points.

  • Hadley cell
  • Feral cell
  • Polar cell

EAE2111 4bk

38

What are the general climate zones?

Polar-Cold, dry, easterly winds
Mid-latitude-Cool, wet, fronts, westerly winds, windy
Sub-tropical-Dry year-round, hot, light winds, high pressure
Tropical-Precipitation year-round, warm, humid, convective, ITCZ, easterly winds

EAE2111 4bl

39

Ekman transport direction?

At right angles to the surface winds.

To the left in Sothern Hemisphere
To the right in the Northern Hemisphere.

EAE2111 4bm

40

How is the flow in the upper ocean characterised?

Flow in the upper ocean, off the equator, is largely geostrophic
(a balance between PGF and coriolis force).

EAE2111 4bn

41

What does heated air do?

Heated air expand vertically

EAE2111 4bo

42

What causes differences in sensible heating?

  • Moisture availability including soil moisture (may influence Rₙ and/or H)
  • Albedo (may influence Rₙ)
  • Vegetation (may influence Rₙ and/or H)
  • Topography (influence Rₙ)

EAE2111 4bp

43

What causes thermally induced circulation?

Large differences in Rₙ or H

EAE2111 4bq

44

What are the earth’s boundary conditions:

    Land surface structure
  • Atmospheric composition
  • Astronomical parameters

EAE2111 4br

45

What is climate variability?

How much the atmosphere varies around a typical value, given fixed boundary conditions

EAE2111 4bs

46

What is climate change?

How the atmosphere varies due to changing boundary conditions

EAE2111 4bt

47

What are the causes surface temperature gradients?

    Existence of land masses, location and composition.
  • Land surface type and topography
  • Oceanic conditions

EAE2111 4bu

48

What is a mode of variability?

A recurring pattern with similar features in time and space, that we have an understanding of the physical processes underlying.

EAE2111 4bv

49

What are the major modes of variability?

    Northern Annular Mode (AO/NAM)
  • North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)
  • Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)
  • El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
  • Pacific – South America pattern (PSA)
  • Southern Annular Mode (SAM)
  • Indian Ocean Dipole 0(IOD)

EAE2111 4bw

50

What causes El Nino-southern oscillation?

During some years, upwelling along the South American coast is enhanced or suppressed. Which causes, Changes patterns of sea surface temperatures and pressure – changing Walker Circulation causing an Oscillatory east-west movement
When movement is very large, this is called El Niño and La Niña

EAE2111 4bx

51

How do La Nina and El Nino compare?

La Niña enhances normal conditions
El Niño evens out, or reverses, normal conditions

EAE2111 4by

52

What is a Teleconnection?

Knock on or downstream effects of a mode of variability.

EAE2111 4bz

53

Uncertainties in climate models stem from?

    Parameterizations (P)
  • Initial conditions (I)
  • Forcings (important for projections!!)

EAE2111 4ca

54

10 indicators of a warming world?

  • Decreasing glacier volume
  • Increasing temperature over land
  • Decreasing snow cover
  • Increasing sea level
  • Increasing ocean heat content
  • Increasing sea surface temperature
  • Increasing marine air temperature
  • Decreasing sea ice area
  • Increasing water vapour
  • Increasing air temperature

EAE2111 4cb

55

10 indicators of a human fingerprint on climate change?

    Less heat escaping to space
  • Cooling stratosphere
  • More fossil fuel carbon in the air
  • More heat returning to Earth
  • Less oxygen in the air
  • 30 billion tonnes of CO2 per year
  • Nights warming faster than days
  • More fossil fuel carbon in coral
  • Rising tropopause
  • Shrinking thermosphere

EAE2111 4cc

56

What are the types of climate simulations?

  • Control simulations
  • Transient simulations
  • Sensitivity experiments
  • Projections

EAE2111 4cd

57

What are control simulations?

Simulations with Boundary parameters kept constant (e.g. GHG concentrations, position of continents)

EAE2111 4ce

58

What are Transient simulations?

    Boundary conditions become variable i.e. observed changes to greenhouse gases and aerosols now included
  • Natural perturbations included (e.g. volcanoes, solar cycles)

EAE2111 4cf

59

What are sensitivity experiments?

Boundary parameters kept constant (e.g. GHG concentrations, position of continents) Equilibrium temperature response for double CO2

EAE2111 4cg

60

What are Projections?

Assumes future changes in emissions and associated response in radiative forcing

(i.e. additional energy to the climate system)

EAE2111 4ch

61

What is a prediction?

Prediction uses the past state of information to determine the future state e.g. a weather model

(i.e. based on initial conditions)

EAE2111 4ci

62

What is a Projection?

Projection determines a possible future state based on possibilities of future information e.g. a climate model

(i.e. based on possible future boundary conditions)

EAE2111 4cj

63

What does CO₂ having a long residence time mean?

Even if emission is stopped tomorrow, warming will not stop immediately.

EAE2111 4ck

64

What are the fundamental policy strategies to deal with climate change?

    Adaptation
  • Mitigation
  • Geoengineering

EAE2111 4cl

65

What does the Adaptation strategy to deal with climate change involve?

Defined by the IPCC as "adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities."  

Issues of adaptive capacity and adaptive governance.

EAE2111 4cm

66

What does the Mitigation strategy to deal with climate change involve?

Defined by the IPCC as “an intervention to reduce human-caused net emissions of greenhouse gases.”

Issues of the common interest

EAE2111 4cn

67

What is involved in the Geoengineering strategy to deal with climate change?

Defined by the IPCC as “Methods that aim to deliberately alter the climate system to counter climate change .”

Issues of technology and ethics

EAE2111 4co

LPC 2021 EAE2111 - Climate science (4 decks)

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