final test

Question 1

what are the meteorological conditions that influence floods

Answer 1

rain intensity 
antecedent conditions (ground saturation)

Question 2

three factors that influence floods

Answer 2

meteorological conditions 
land use/development/infrastructure
watershed characteristics (lag time, flow routing)

Question 3

describe hurricane hazel

Answer 3

established a floodplain
high winds up to 110kn/kr
almost 3 m of rain in 2 days

Question 4

describe the delta cycle in Mississippi

Answer 4

capture of the flow in the main channel by a distributary channel (shorter and steep route to the gulf)

Question 5

what happens after a channel and its surrounding delta is abandoned

Answer 5

freshwater and sediment supply is cut off the area undergoes compaction, subsidence, and erosion (the old delta lobe begins to retreat, gulf advances (forming lakes, bays, bayous, sounds)

Question 6

what was the purpose of the old river control project

Answer 6

the purpose was to control and regulate the flow of the Mississippi to prevent the capture of the Mississippi

Question 7

describe the capture of the Mississippi

Answer 7

Atchafalaya started to receive a greater portion of the Mississippi flow via lower off river because of a steeper gradient and a shorter distance to the gulf

Question 8

what was the old river control project

Answer 8

built structures which allowed 70% of the Mississippi flow to continue while 30% was diverted to Atchafalaya

Question 9

effects of the old river control project on the Mississippi River

Answer 9

decreasing suspended sediment load overtime

-increased flow from Mississippi to the old river

Question 10

describe the decrease in sediment load overtime in the Mississippi River

Answer 10

• sediment load decreased, even before the diversion project
• bed material has decreased over time

Question 11

describe the Alberta floods of 2013 `

Answer 11

• heavy rainfall
• late snowmelt
• climate change
• an upside down or blocked jet stream pattern
• a strong area of low pressure that developed and got stuck near southern Alberta because of the jet stream pattern
• a moist channel of air from the gulf of Mexico that was pulled up by the low pressure system was then slammed against the foothills and rocky mountains

Question 12

what is electromagnetic radiation

Answer 12

energy travelling through space as waves

comes from the sun as visible light

Question 13

what percentage of incoming radiation actually reaches the climate system

Answer 13

70%

Question 14

of the 70% of total incoming radiation that reaches the earths climate system, what fraction of it contributes to heating earth and the lower atmosphere?

Answer 14

2/3 contributes to heating earth and the lower atmosphere

Question 15

without atmosphere, what temperature would earth be

Answer 15

-16

Question 16

is greenhouse effect a natural process

Answer 16

yes the greenhouse effect is a natural process

Question 17

where is the solar radiation the strongest on earth

Answer 17

the solar radiation is stronger at the equator because it is at less of an angle compared to the poles

Question 18

what is albedo

Answer 18

the percentage of incoming radiation that is reflected rather than absorbed

Question 19

what impacts albedo

Answer 19

surface colour

incident angle

Question 20

high incident angle= higher or lower albedo?

Answer 20

high incident angle = lower albedo

Question 21

lower incident angle= higher or lower albedo

Answer 21

lower incident angle= higher albedo

Question 22

what does the absorption and storage of heat depend on

Answer 22

absorption and storage of heat depends on the presence of absence of liquid water

Question 23

what is sensible heat

Answer 23

heat measured by a thermometer (convection)

Question 24

what is latent heat

Answer 24

heat absorbed and held in storage in a gas or liquid during a phase change

Question 25

where is the storage centre for earths solar heat

Answer 25

low altitude oceans are the storage centre for earths solar heat

Question 26

describe heat transfer on land

Answer 26

heat is transferred slowly and is not held for long

Question 27

what is a Hadley Cell

Answer 27

transport of energy from low to high altitudes

Question 28

describe what happens in a Hadley Cell

Answer 28

as air mass cools, density increases and descends. this created high pressure

Question 29

describe pressure convergence

Answer 29

air flows from high to low pressure and is not stable

Question 30

describe pressure divergence

Answer 30

air flows out of a region and pressure drops. this is stable

Question 31

what is relative humidity

Answer 31

amount of H2O in the air compared to the maximum H2O the air could hold

Question 32

describe the wind at the equator

Answer 32

very little wind at the equator because air is being convected upward ion doldrums

Question 33

where is there little wind besides the equator

Answer 33

little ind at 30N/S because director of air movement is down (horse latitudes)

Question 34

what is the Coriolis Effect

Answer 34

consequence of motion of a rotating sphere

Question 35

describe the Coriolis Effect

Answer 35

wind goes to the right sun the north and to the left in the south

Question 36

what is adiabatic process

Answer 36

determining stability or instability required two temperatures: air parcel temp and surrounding air temp (difference determines stability)

Question 37

describe how a thunderstorm starts

Answer 37

air is moistened unstable | lifting mechanisms are in place

Question 38

describe storms that happen in warmer conditions

Answer 38

in warmer conditions there is more potential for storms, but not massive ones. more little ones are formed using up all the energy

Question 39

describe hurricane Katrina

Answer 39

in New Orleans 2005 | category 5 hit as a category 3 but storm surge was still category 5

Question 40

what happened to the freshwater bodies of water after Katrina

Answer 40

the freshwater marshes and wetlands were replaces with saltwater

Question 41

why did the levees break after hurricane Katrina

Answer 41

inadequate construction and updating | engineers knew there were issued but they were underfunded

Question 42

if forcing is slow compared to the climate systems response:

Answer 42

- the climate system tracks the forcing | - an example of climate change that occurs over long periods of time

Question 43

if forcing is fast compared to the climate systems response

Answer 43

- little or no response to the climate forcing - very few examples of brief forcing and climate response - slightly longer time scale

Question 44

if time scales of forcing and response are nearly equal:

Answer 44

- varying degree(intensities) of response to forcing - flickering switch - length of time directly affects the magnitude of response

Question 45

five components of the climate system

Answer 45

atmosphere, ice, vegetation, land surface, ocean

Question 46

what are the four categories of climate forcing

Answer 46

tectonic processes earth-orbital changes changes in the sun anthropogenic forcing

Question 47

describe tectonic process forcing

Answer 47

- internal heat alters the surfaces basic geography millions of years PPH

Question 48

describe earth-orbital change forcing

Answer 48

- variations in the path around the sun change the amount of solar radiation received at the earths surface 10s to 100s of years Milankovitch cycles

Question 49

describe changes in the fun forcing

Answer 49

- the strength of the sun or amount of solar radiation receives - both long and short term changes (decades, centuries)

Question 50

what is the polar position hypothesis

Answer 50

researchers have hypothesized that icehouse eras were coincident with large landmasses over the polar regions of the planet

Question 51

where has all the carbon gone

Answer 51

all different forms and reservoirs of carbon | oceans, glaciers, land mass, atmosphere

Question 52

what is chemical weathering

Answer 52

-weathering can alter the state of earths climate depending on the rate CO2 is removed from the atmosphere

Question 53

describe the distribution of solar radiation

Answer 53

unequal distribution of radiation on the surface is further compounded by unequal absorption and reflection -warmer at the equator because its at less of an angle to the sun

Question 54

what is obliquity

Answer 54

tilt cycle

Question 55

what is precession

Answer 55

the wobble of the earth

Question 56

what two isolation forces is ice responding to

Answer 56

precession (wobble) and orbital tilt (determines temp)

Question 57

what is sintering

Answer 57

process of sealing off air as small as bubbles in ice | provides a record of part atmospheric conditions

Question 58

larger angle=

Answer 58

larger difference between winter and summer