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Weather & Climate > Exam 5 > Flashcards

Exam 5 Flashcards

1
Q

Climate records w/ averages require

A

30 years of data

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2
Q

Climate determines what?

A

The species (plant/animal) communities in an area

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3
Q

Who keeps official climate records?

A

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

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4
Q

What is the main source of climate data for the Western U.S.?

A

WRCC (Western Regional Climate Center)

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5
Q

Factors that control climate include…

A

Latitude, continentality, mountains

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6
Q

Climate Zone A

A

Tropics

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7
Q

Climate Zone B

A

Dry

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8
Q

Climate Zone C

A

Mild Mid Latitude

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9
Q

Climate Zone D

A

Severe Mid Latitude

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10
Q

Climate Zone E

A

Polar

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11
Q

Climate Zone H

A

Highland

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12
Q

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)

A

global temps were app. 8C warmer than now, sea level was app. 100m higher than now (no ice caps)

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13
Q

Methods for measuring past climates

A

Ice caps, fossils, ocean cores

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14
Q

Pleistocene

A

2.6 million years ago, ice caps began to grow, oscillations between glacial and interglacial periods begins

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15
Q

Holocene

A

the last 12,000 years, warm, post LGM, modern humans and ecosystems developed

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16
Q

Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)

A

15-20 thousand years ago, global temps 5-7C colder, sea level much lower, ice sheets deflected jet stream

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17
Q

What are interglacial cycles controlled by?

A

orbit cycles: periodic and predictable changes in earth’s orbit with respect to the sun

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18
Q

Milankovitch cycles

A

eccentricity, obliquity, precession

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19
Q

Eccentricity

A

the shape of orbit- circular or elipse

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20
Q

Obliquity

A

the angle of earth’s tilt relative to its axis

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21
Q

Precession

A

the “wobble” changing the time of year each hemisphere faces the sun

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22
Q

Long time scale factors contributing to climate change are

A

changes in orbit, changes in arrangements of continents, major changes in ocean circulation, greenhouse gases/atmospheric chemistry changes

23
Q

short time scale factors contributing to climate change are

A

volcanic eruptions, changes in land use, minor changes in ocean temps/circulation patterns (El Nino), greenhouse gas concentration changes

24
Q

Volcanic eruptions

A

inject aerosols into the stratosphere, blocks sunlight to cause net cooling

25
Q

Changes in ocean temp/circulation

A

reserve of energy that drives global weather systems

26
Q

El Nino

A

temporary warming of sea surface temps in Eastern Tropical Pacific, colder, wetter winters in southern U.S., warmer in north

27
Q

Where is the most rapid warming due to the GHG concentration rising?

A

the Arctic

28
Q

Major impacts of rising GHG concentrations

A

rising temps, shifts in precipitation, rising sea level, stronger storms (more extreme warm and cold snaps), habitat changes

29
Q

Projected temps by 2100

A

best scenario: 1.5 C warmer, worst scenario: 4.8 C

30
Q

Warmer temps will cause

A

hotter summers/warmer winters, shrinking glaciers, upward/poleward expansion, sea level impacts, ocean acidification

31
Q

Ocean acidification

A

increased CO2 concentration makes ocean water acidic, small shelled creatures are the base of the food chain and shells dissolve in acidic water

32
Q

Precipitation

A

more water vapor, stronger storms, deserts expand

33
Q

How much have humans warmed the earth compared to pre-industrial averages (1850-1900)?

A

+1.2 C

34
Q

How much has the global mean sea level increase between 1901 and 2018?

A

0.2 m (20cm, 200mm)

35
Q

What is the recent rate of sea level rise?

A

3.7mm/year

36
Q

How far back do you have to go to find CO2 concentrations as high as they were as of 2019?

A

2 million years

37
Q

What % of the heating of the climate system is accounted for by the warming of oceans?

A

90%

38
Q

Contributors to sea level rise include

A

22%: ice loss from glaciers, 20%: ice loss from ice sheets, 8% changes in land water storage, 50% thermal expansion from warming oceans

39
Q

SSP1- 1.9

A

Best case, emissions reach net zero by 2050

40
Q

SSP1-2.6

A

good, emissions reach net zero by 2075

41
Q

SSP2-4.5

A

intermediate emissions

42
Q

SSP3-7.0

A

high emissions w/ some mitigation

43
Q

SSP5-8.5

A

worst case scenario, business as usual w/ no mitigation

44
Q

Under the worst scenario, what are global temps likely to be by 2100?

A

4.4 C warmer

45
Q

Under the best scenario, what are global temps likely to be by 2100?

A

1.4 C warmer

46
Q

If global temps increase by 4 C, rainfall will likely increase where?

A

the Arctic, Northern Africa, Middle East, Equatorial Pacific

47
Q

Under the best scenario, what should sea level be by 2100?

A

0.6 m higher

48
Q

Positive Feedbacks

A

amplifies climate change, change that causes more of that same change, potential runaway effect

49
Q

Example of positive feedbacks

A

when a fruit ripens, it leads to other fruits that were exposed to it ripening too

50
Q

Negative Feedbacks

A

change in some direction that causes other changes that ultimately slow the original direction of change, helps maintain equilibrium

51
Q

Example of negative feedbacks

A

homeostasis, shivering to stay warm

52
Q

Positive Feedbacks in Climate

A

ice albedo, ocean CO2, permafrost melts

53
Q

Limiting GHGs

A

deployment of low emission energy sources, improve energy efficiency in buildings, reduce installation of fossil fuel infrastructure

54
Q

GHG Sources

A

25%: electricity production, 24%: agriculture/land use, 21%: industry, 14%: transportation, 6%: buildings, 10%: other

Weather & Climate (3 decks)

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