L1 - Introduction to the Earth's Climate System Flashcards
(55 cards)
What is the difference between Weather and Climate?
Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere at a certain time and place on a daily or weekly basis, whereas, climate is the average weather conditions on a timescale of 30 years (as defined by the WMO)
What is the definition of Climate Change as outlined by the IPCC?
“A change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the mean and/or variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer”
Which 2 layers of the atmosphere are we most interested in for climatic changes and where are most of the atmospheric gases found?
The Stratosphere and Troposphere
80% of gases are found in the Troposphere
What role do clouds play in warming and cooling the Earth’s climate?
They trap outgoing solar radiation, which warms the planet and they reflect incoming solar radiation, which cools the planet
Together Antarctica and Greenland’s Ice Sheets equate to how much sea level change?
70m
What role does Sea Ice play as an insulator?
The ocean is isolated from interacting with the surrounding atmosphere and the albedo effect of the ice reduces the surrounding air temperatures
Why is Carbon monitored in Hawaii?
Because of the clean atmosphere
What are the short-term and long-term variations in CO2 caused by?
Short-Term: The Boreal Forest
Long-Term: Fossil Fuels and Deforestation
What role do algal blooms play in the Biosphere with regards to the Carbon Cycle?
They fix Carbon from the oceans surface
What is the difference between the Organic Carbon Pump and the Carbonate Counter Pump?
The Organic Carbon Pump draws in CO2 to the oceans whilst the Carbonate Counter Pump releases CO2 to the atmosphere
Name a location where cloud nucleating gases are common
The Amazon Rainforest
What is DMS?
Dimethyl sulphide, which is a sulphur compound (a GHG)
How much greater is the oceans heat capacity compared to the land?
60x greater
How much greater is the oceans heat capacity compared to the atmosphere?
1000x greater
Why is the oceans heat capacity so large? (Give the 2 main factors)
- Larger Specific Heat of Water
2. Mixing
How much more Carbon do the oceans contain compared to the atmosphere?
~50-60x more
How much of the Carbon released into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution is now in seawater?
30%
Are there long or short residence times in the geosphere?
Long
What impact does uplift have on global temperatures?
It causes increased weathering and CO2 removal, which leads to global cooling
What impact does seafloor spreading have on global temperatures?
It depends on the rate, which will impact the rate of CO2 input and removal - fast seafloor spreading causes a rapid input of CO2 which leads to a warmer climate which leads to increases weathering with causes removal and reduced warming whereas slow CO2 input leads to cooler icehouse conditions, which reduces weathering, CO2 removal and therefore a reduction in cooling
What do ice sheets cause?
Compression
What is the MPT?
Middle Pleistocene Transition
What was said to cause the MPT?
Ice sheet erosion of regolith, meaning it was now stable allowing for ice sheet growth
How much more is insolation energy compared to internal heat sources?
3680x more
