Exam 1 Part 3 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Hurricanes are different from thunderstorms…
Not only in size and time but also an organization
Size of hurricane
Can reach 2000 km
lifetime: a few days
winds: (>50 m/s)
Developing area: tropic oceans (tropic cyclones)
Hurricane has well organized…
Circular structure with eyes. Actually they are low-pressure systems (tropical cyclone)
Hurricanes have strong…
Destroying ability (strong winds and heavy rain)
Hurricanes mechanism:
Interaction between sea and atmosphere provides energy. After landing it will be weakened quickly
Global climate change…
Changes in Earth’s climate, including temperature, precipitation, and other variables
Global warming…
An increase in Earth’s average surface temperature (still an open question)
What changes climate?
Solar activity (energy source and variable with time)
Earths orbit (determine how much solar energy to earth)
Atmosphere (absorb, reflect, and reradiates energy, also I just climate by circulation dynamics)
Surface (oceans, volcanoes, and biosphere)
Solar radiation (energy) is concentrated in visible band, and the thermal radiation (energy) from earth…
is concentrated in Inferrera the band with a relatively low temperature
A greenhouse originally means a…
Glasshouse with transparent to solar radiation but black the thermal radiation from ground (keep warm in winter)
In the same way, atmosphere with some greenhouse gases is like a greenhouse. These greenhouse gases are…
Transparent to the solar radiation but blot part of the thermal radiation from earth surface (warm up the surface)
Greenhouse gases are these trace gases trapping/blocking the outgoing thermal radiation (energy) from Earth’s surface but relative transparent to the…
Incoming solar radiation (energy), which can help warm up the surface of Earth
Greenhouse gases…
CO2
H2O
CH4
N2O
Two of the most important greenhouse gases are…
Carbon dioxide and water vapor
Different increasing rates of CO2 will result in different warming magnitudes from…
1.5° to 4°
It should be emphasized that the model simulations have…
Very large uncertainties
Most of climate models predict…
Temperature increase since the IPCC 2001 reports
