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bio 381 > Lec 14 part a > Flashcards

Lec 14 part a Flashcards

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1
Q

Climate change

A

Long term variations of weather in a particular region

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2
Q

Global warming

A

Increases over time in the average temperature across the whole planet

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3
Q

Main drivers of climate change

A

Aerosols

Clouds (interacting with aerosols)

Natural fluctuations of solar output

Ozone (interacting with greenhouse gases and large aerosols)

greenhouse gases and large aerosols

Surface albedo changes

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4
Q

Warming processes

A

Heat and CO2 emissions

CO2 emissions from land clearing, fires and decay

Decreasing snow cover

Greenhouse gases

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5
Q

Cooling processes

A

Heat and CO2 removal

CO2 removal by plants and soil organisms

Cooling from increase ice and snow cover

Aerosols

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6
Q

Factors that altered climate over the past 3.5 billion years

A

Large-scale volcanic eruptions, impacts by meteors and asteroids, changes in solar input, orbital changes

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7
Q

Climate fluctuations over the past 800-900k years

A

Glacial and interglacial periods

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8
Q

Last interglacial period

A

Past 10k years

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9
Q

Temp fairly stable over past

A

1k years

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10
Q

Atmospheric temp rising since

A

1975

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11
Q

Temp changes in the last 900 000 years

A

Average temp and temp change have both been increasing over time

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12
Q

Global annual mean temp variation of the Earth through time (last 400 million years)

A

Fluctuates, then increases greatly (end of dinosaurs), then decreases until after ice age, where it begins to increase again

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13
Q

Events that can cause Climatic shifts

A

Variations in solar output

Variations in Earth’s orbit

Volcanic and meteorite events

Anthropogenic greenhouse as emissions

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14
Q

Variations in solar output

A

The amount of solar radiation we receive varies greatly

Changes in total solar irradiance (TSI) are caused mostly by changes in activity of sunspots

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15
Q

More sunspots

A

Increased TSI

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16
Q

Average total solar irradiance

A

Increases and drops about every ten years

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17
Q

The “Little Ice Age”

Europe

A

Longer winters, famine from crop failure, sea ice isolated Iceland and Greenland

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18
Q

The “Little Ice Age”

North America

A

Longer winters, food shortages recorded by indigenous communities

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19
Q

Eccentricity

A

Our orbit around the Sun is eccentric (changes over time)

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20
Q

Perihelon

A

Closest to the sun

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21
Q

Aphelion

A

Farthest from the son

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22
Q

Perihelion vs aphelion

A

6 percent difference in solar radiation reaching Earth between the two

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23
Q

Earth’s orbit cycles between

A

Circular and elliptical every 100k years

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24
Q

Obliquity

A

Tilt of the Earth that changes as well

Cycles every 40k years between 24.5-22.1 degrees

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25
Current obliquity
23.5 degrees
26
High angle obliquity
More extreme seasons
27
Low angle oblquity
Less extreme seasons
28
Precession
Changes in the orientation of the Earth's axis cycle spans about 25k years
29
Precession can alter
The position of the Earth with respect to perihelion and aphelion Which hemisphere is facing the Sun at each point
30
Milankovitch cycles
Regular cycling of the eccentricity, obliquity, and precession of Earth's orbit drives glacial and interglacial periods
31
Example of Milankovitch Cycles
Pleistocene Glaciation (Ice Age)
32
Volcanic eruptions produce
Sulfuric gas Volcanic ash (particles or rock and glass) Can cause cooling
33
Volcanic Events Mount Pinatubo
Sulfate aerosols and other compounds in the plume scattered incoming solar radiation, cooling the Earth by 0.5 degrees for two years
34
Volcanic events causing warming with
Water vapor CO2
35
Meteorite events
Meteorite strikes can have similar effects on climate as volcanoes Also create shock waves that can disrupt ecosystem structure
36
Chelyabinsk
400-500 kt
37
Meteor Crater in Arizona
1.2 km diameter 20 000 kt
38
Chicxulub Crater
About 65-66 Ma, a meteorite hit the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico debris field affected all of North America
39
The last half billion years is
Much too warm for ice sheets or perennial sea ice
40
Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions
The climate change that is happening now
41
The greenhouse effect
Some solar radiation is reflected by the Earth and the atmosphere Some passes through and is absorbed and warms the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere
42
CO2
Most abundant GHG Lasts a long time in the atmosphere
43
Methane is equal to
28 CO2
44
Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is equal to
273 CO2
45
Ozone is equal to
1000 CO2
46
Chlorofluorocarbons is equal to
10 200 CO2
47
Nitrous oxide atmospheric lifetime
114 years
48
CO2 atmospheric lifetime
100 years
49
Methane atmospheric lifetime
12 years
50
Nitrous oxide atmospheric warming potential (as a multiple of CO2)
300
51
Methane atmospheric warming potential (as a multiple of CO2)
34
52
Up-to-date Atmospheric CO2 concentration is shown by
The Keeling Curve
53
Latest CO 2 reading
418.64 ppm
54
GHG concentrations are
Increasing (CO2>CH4>N2O)
55
Why are GHG concentrations increasing
Fossil fuels, cement and flaring greatly increase Forestry and other land use increase
56
Most GHG comes from
China and USA Canada has 2 percent
57
Carbon footprint
Amount of CO2, generated by an individual, country etc
58
Largest carbon footprint
China
59
Largest per capita carbon footprint
USA
60
Carbon footprint comes from
Power (GREATEST) Industry Transport Buildings (LEAST)
61
Canada's emissions come from
Oil and gas Transport Buildings Electricity Heavy industry Agriculture Waste and other
62
Current warming since 1960
Land and ocean surface and ocean heat content have all increased greatly
63
Climate change effect on crop yield
Wheat Soy Rice Maize ALL DECREASED IN YIELD
64
Distribution changes over time for marine groups have been
Positive (moving poleward toward cooler environments)
65
Positive feedback loops
Amplifying Reduced Albedo Carbon cycle More water vapor in the atmosphere Melting during permafrost Deforestation
66
Negative feedback loops
Dampening Increased albedo Clouds Biological uptake of CO2 Ocean heat uptake Ocean C sequestration

bio 381 (21 decks)

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