Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Global Climate Change > Final Exam Review > Flashcards

Final Exam Review Flashcards

(40 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Climate vs Weather

A

Climate: long term atmospheric patterns
Weather: day to day atmospheric patterns

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

Climate Components

A

atmosphere, land surface, ocean, vegetation, ice

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

Response Time

A

time it takes to get to half of equilibrium
Fast: atmosphere, land, ocean surface, vegetation
Slow: sea ice, mountain glaciers, deep ocean, ice sheets

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

Forcing and Response

A

Slow forcing: veg responding to tectonic changes
Fast forcing: antarctic ice sheets responding to El Nino
Cycling Forcing: seasonal temperatures, mountain glaciers to ENSO

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

Feedback Loops

A

Positive: amplifies changes already underway. Negative: suppresses changes underway
Water Vapor
Cloud-Radiative
Snow/Ice-Albedo

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

Steady State Equilibrium

A

input = output

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

Albedo of Earth

A

proportion of short wave energy scattered away by a surface. Earth’s albedo is .3. This means it reflects 30% of the incoming radiation. Land absorbs 50% and clouds absorb 20%

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

Greenhouse Gases

A

transmit short wave radiation, but absorb longwave, change vibrational into kinetic energy
CO2, CH4, N20, CFCs
Responsible for 30 degrees of warming of Earth. Earth’s avg temperature is 15 C, would be -15 C without GHGs

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

Blackbody

A

object that absorbs incoming radiation and emits it all at full efficiency

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

Latitudinal Regions of the Earth

A 
Equatorial: 0-10
Tropical: 10-25
Subtropical: 25-35
Midlatitude: 35-55
Subarctic: 55-60
Arctic: 60-75
Polar: 75-90
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Stefan-Boltzmann Law

A

hotter objects radiate more energy

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

Wein’s Law

A

hotter objects radiate more shortwave energy

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

Energy Balance of Earth

A

Solar constant: 1365/4 = 340 W/m2. Only 240 absorbed after albedo.
Incoming: short wave
Back: long wave

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

Climate Sensitivity

A

atmospheric response to a doubling of CO2 past pre-industrial levels

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

Global Energy Distribution

A

Surplus received between 40 degree lines, deficit elsewhere.

Heat flows from the equator poleward

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

Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

A

Cancer: 23.5 N. Declination point at Summer solstice
Capricorn: 23.5 S. Declination point at Winter solstice

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

Subsolar Point and Declination

Study These Flashcards
A

Subsolar Point: where solar rays hit the Earth at 90 degrees. Declination: latitude of the subsolar point
During equinoxes, declination is on equator

18
Q

Revolution, Tilt, and Polarity and what they influence

Study These Flashcards
A

Revolution: length of seasons
Tilt: daylength
Polarity: when the seasons occur

19
Q

Beam Spreading

Study These Flashcards
A

when the rays come at a low angle, there’s a larger surface area for them to hit, which means the sun is less potent

20
Q

Beam Depletion

Study These Flashcards
A

At low angles the sun has to go thru more atmosphere and less gets to Earth

21
Q

Radiative Forcing

Forcing based on human activity (W/m2)

Study These Flashcards
A

Radiative Forcing: effect of atmospheric gases in trapping (+) or blocking (-) radiation
up to 1.5 W/m2

22
Q

Temperature and Heat definitions

Study These Flashcards
A

Temperature: kinetic energy of molecules
Heat: flow of internal energy from one susbtance to another

23
Q

Sensible and Latent Heat

Study These Flashcards
A

Sensible Heat: heated air flowing in convection process

Latent Heat: heat stored in water vapor released during condensation and precipitation

24
Q

Dew Point

Study These Flashcards
A

when the air is full of water vapor and condensation happens

25
Areas of low and high thermal inertia
Continental interiors have low thermal inertia: heat and cool quickly Upper ocean has a high thermal inertia: takes a long time to heat and cool
26
Heat capacity
Density x Specific Heat. water has very high heat capacity water:ice:air:land 60:5:2:1 the number of heat units needed to raise the temperature of a body by one degree.
27
Specific Heat
calories absorbed as 1 g of material increases by 1 degree C
28
Evaporation and Precipitation Zones by latitude
Higher evaporation: subtropics | Higher precipitation: tropics, fronts
29
Atmospheric Circulation Process
hot air rises, it expands in lower pressure elevation, loses heat, stops rising at density match point. Evaporation: air density decreases, air rises, cools to saturation point, condensation, latent heat released, air rises
30
Hadley Cell
main heat circulation process on Earth. transfer of heat from low to high latitudes 0-30 degrees - begins on equator, where it's warm and rainy and air rises with lots of vapor - the air sinks in the subtropics, becomes drier, not much condensation - dry air moves towards ITCZ in trade winds, picking up water from oceans - trade winds meet at the ITCZ doldrums, release lots of rain Low pressure zone --> high pressure zone --> low pressure zone
31
ITCZ
Intertropical Convergence Zone, where the trade winds meet. Moves north in N hemisphere summer, South in N hemisphere winter - expanding due to climate change
32
High and Low Pressure
High Pressure: -cold, low precipitation, close to surface Low Pressure: - warm, high precipitation, high altitude
33
Horizontal and Vertical Circulation
Horizontal: due to pressure differences at surface. air moves from high to low pressure zones Vertical: mechanical (fronts, orographic mountains) or Density (warm air rising)
34
Coriolis Effect
air goes clockwise coming out of high pressure, counterclockwise going into low pressure to the left in S hemisphere, to the right in N hemisphere
35
Day and Night breezes
Day: valley breeze. mountains heated, air rises, low pressure zone draws in air from valley Night: mountain breeze. hills chilled, cool air moves toward valley
36
Summer and Winter Monsoons
Summer monsoon: sun heats land, the air rises and flows to the ocean, picks up water and flows back to land and precipitates. Land heats faster than ocean Winter monsoon: cold air from high pressure land goes to the sea, gets heated and picks up water, precipitates water over low pressure ocean, dry air returns to land Why? diff in thermal inertia
37
Cyclones and Anticyclones
Cyclone: air goes into low pressure zone and creates rain Anticyclone: air comes from high pressure zone, dry Northern hemisphere: cyclones counterclockwise, anti cyclones clockwise Southern hemisphere: cyclones clockwise, anti cyclones counter clockwise
38
Jet Stream
high speed wind in high pressure gradient areas. polar jet 35-65 degrees N
39
Ocean current General direction? Impacted by?
persistent horizontal water flow Generally East to West across the Equator Few in ocean basins Impacted by wind, coriolis force, size and shape of basins, temp/salinity density difference
40
Ocean gyres
track air movement around subtropical high pressure zones

Global Climate Change (1 decks)

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