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Energy & Climate Change Flashcards

(69 cards)

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1
Q

1st Law of thermodynamics

2nd Law of thermodynamics

A

1) energy cannot be created not destroyed

2) energy transactions tend to increase disorder, chaos, or entropy

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2
Q

Energy

A

The capacity to do work

  • move an object
  • heat energy
  • light/electromagnetic radiation
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3
Q

Potential

A

Stored energy—> energy that needs to be released

Chemical, nuclear

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4
Q

Kinetic energy

A

Energy of motion—> immediately available for work

Heat, electromagnetic radiation, electrical

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5
Q

Electromagnetic radiation

A

Light energy: photons- particles that have no mass and behave like waves
-most energy the surface receives is in the visible light spectrum
KINETIC

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6
Q

Heat energy

A

Kinetic energy of molecules and atoms, faster moving the warmer the temps
Conduction: direct transfer of heat
Convection: stirring/larger motions that help conduct heat
KINETIC

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7
Q

Chemical energy

A

Energy stored within chemical bonds
Organic chemicals - store a lot of energy (sugar, proteins, fats), almost all products of photosynthesis
POTENTIAL

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8
Q

Nuclear energy

A

Energy of matter, splitting atoms (fission) or putting atoms together (fusion)
POTENTIAL

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9
Q

Electrical energy

A

Movement of charged particles (electrons) along a conductor

KINETIC

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10
Q

Humans have unique relationships with energy bc we use energy to do

A

External work

Transportation, residential, commercial, industrial

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11
Q

What forces of energy did humans use before fossil fuels

A

Wood, animal-based oils/fats, hydro power, wind, animal labor, slave labor

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12
Q

Non-renewable energy resources

A

Are finite and cannot be replenished within the same time frame in which they are consumes
Coal, oil, natural gas (fossil fuels)
Nuclear

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13
Q

Renewable energy resources

A

Can be replenished or are continuous

Solar, wind, hydro, tidal/wave, wood, biofuels

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14
Q

ERoI

A

Energy return on investment = energy of fuel extracted / energy input to extract fuel
Ideally ERoI&raquo_space;» 1, in most cases ERoI>10

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15
Q

Proven resources

A

Known resources available for use based on economic/technological feasibility and geologic assurance

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16
Q

Electricity

A

Is the flow of electrons along a conductor and is generated in a power plant or by batteries/fuel cells

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17
Q

Power plant generation of energy

A

Coal—>combustion—>heat energy—>conduction—>steam—>turbine—>generator—> produces the electricity

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18
Q

Wind

A

Wind—>turbine—>generator—>energy

Individual power source for farms or power plant of wind farms

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19
Q 
Solar:
Passive solar heat-
Active solar heat- 
Concentrated heat-
Photovoltaic cells (pv)-
A

PSH- green building design, materials, windows
ASH- solar collectors use sunlight to warm water and pump throughout building to distribute heat
CSH- sunlight captured/reflected on a small collector to heat water to crest steam to turn turbine
PVC- sunlight excited electrons to conduct electricity

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20
Q

Biomass

A

Combustion of recently living/organic matter to produce heat

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21
Q

Biofuels

A

Extract sugar/oil to convert into fuel to use for transportation

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22
Q

Hydro electric

A

Water flows to turn turbine to spin generator to produce kinetic electricity

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23
Q

Wave energy

A

Use motion of waves to move turbine etc

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24
Q

Tidal energy

A

Water flow as sea level rises/drops to turn turbine etc

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25
Geothermal energy
Only possible best active fault lines to create steam from heating water etc
26
Renewable energy resources are....
Abundant but difficult to harness
27
Challenged to renewable energy use:
- Cost (r&d) - Mostly kinetic forms (which are harder to move/transport) - variability (time of day/season could impact) - infrastructure (to develop and utilize) - familiarity/social acceptance
28
How is renewable energy “cleaner”
- less CO2 in the atmosphere - no oil spills - no major mining operations - less air pollutions - no hazardous waste
29
What technologies are essential to advancing the use of renewables?
Energy storage & grid integration
30
Atmosphere
The air from the surface up
31
Photosynthetic organisms
Take in CO2 and release O2
32
Most sunlight that reaches surface of earth is_____
Visible light
33
Four layers of earth’s atmosphere
1) thermosphere- temp inc. w/ height (highest temps) 2) mesosphere- temps dec. w/ height (coldest temps) 3) stratosphere- temps inc. w/ height, location of ozone layer that keeps UV rays away 4) troposphere- temp dec. w/ height, where we live w/ all our weather patterns, where climate change occurs
34
Albedo
Reflectivity of the surface of earth due to the fraction or percentage of visible light that gets reflected back into outer space - high: surfaces are light colored/white—> cooler - low: surfaces are dark/black—> warmer
35
More IR radiation gets absorbed when we have more _____ in our atmosphere
Green House Gases (GHG) including CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, water vapor
36
Tropical climate forms from
Sunlight directly hitting the equator to cause water to evaporate which cools, condenses, and falls
37
Coriolis effect
As Esther rotates it influences wind cells to generate jet streams Wind causes ocean currents to be cold/warmer
38
Cold ocean currents
Are denser and more nutrient rich
39
Warm ocean currents
Are less dense and nutrient poor
40
Upwelling
Occurs where cold waters rise into warm ocean currents to stimulate primary productivity
41
Earth’s climate shifts between ______ and ______ periods of ______ years
Glacial, interglacial, 100,000
42
Milankovitch cycles
“Axis wobble” the reason why we shift b/t two periods
43
Geologic records | -isotope ratios
Ice cores from Antarctic or Arctic where ice coverage has been consistent for millions of years -IR in H2O molecules indicate atmospheric temps to corroborate milankovitch’s theory
44
Isotopes
Atoms of the same element with different mass | Very strong correlation between concentrations of CO2 levels and temp
45
Positive feedback loops
Enhance climate change | Are destabilizing/accelerate change
46
Snow cover
Albedo loop: Cooling = more snow = higher albedo = less light absorbed by surface = cooling & vise versa
47
Ocean photosynthesis loop
Cooling = more cold currents = more nutrients in water = more photo. = less CO2 in air = less heat absorbed = cooling & vise versa
48
H2O evaporation loop
Warming = more evaporation of H2O = more GHG in atmosphere = more IR radiation absorbed by GHG = warning & vise versa
49
Recent climate change cannot be explained by
Natural occurrences alone
50
Natural causes of climate change:
``` Milankovitch cycles Positive feedback loops Volcanos Change in solar irradiation Geographic variation (El Niño ENSO) ```
51
Biogeochemical cycling
All the processes that exchange and transfer a material through the four environmental compartments (atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere)
52
Carbon flux - photosynthesis - respiration - dissolution of CO2
Frequent exchanges between departments - P: biological process that absorbs CO2 from atmosphere into biosphere as organic carbon - R: releases CO2 from biosphere into atmosphere - D: from atmosphere into ocean
53
Humans disruptions to biogeochemical carbon cycles
Combust fossil fuels (releasing C) | Deforestation (rid of things that absorb C)
54
Models that include ______ contributions are _____ at predicting climate change
Anthropogenic, better
55
CO2
Highest they have ever been Use if fossil fuels inc. rapidly CO2 has been accumulating in atmosphere
56
Methane
Global warming potential 20x that of CO2 | Comes from: natural gas and petroleum, animals digestive tracts, landfills, manure, and coal mining
57
Nitrous Oxide
Have global warming potential of 78x that of CO2 | From agricultural soil management
58
Halogens
Cl, F, Br Synthetic gases used in industrial processed & in Home products Global warming potential up to 22,000
59
Gone from calling it _____ —> ______ | & definitions
Global warming —> climate change GW: inc in global average temp CC: the changes in prevailing temp, precipitation, and wind that associate with GW
60
Diff b/t climate and weather
C: long term, prevailing weather conditions W: changes day to day
61
Intensification of current weather patterns ex.
Massive rainstorms in Midwest Coastal flooding Drought in Hawaii Inc drought in NWest & Cali leading to erosions, forest fires, etc Overall dryer places getting dryer, wetter places are receiving more rainfall
62
Intensification of storms
Intensity of hurricanes, expanding to impact inland
63
Decreased crop productivity
Drought, fire, floods, hotter hot days impacting corn production
64
Impacts to human health
Inc water temp can lead to toxic algae blooms More forest fires = respiratory issues Worsening air pollution Flooding helps spread diseases
65
Loss of biodiversity
Grow the invasive species ability to invade | Reduce the ability of current species to exist in their range of tolerance
66
Sea levels rising
Beaches are disappearing
67
Ocean acidification
Carbon dioxide + H2O = carbonic acid that dissolved shells and decreases PH levels, throwing off animals range of tolerance who have very narrow RofT
68
Climate change mitigation
Strategies to stop or reduce activities that contribute to global warming -focus on how to limit GHG emissions
69
Climate change adaptations
The strategies used to deal with climate change impacts | -developing emergency response plans

Environmental Science (3 decks)

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