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EnviSci Year1 > LEC.103 Energy transport around the Earth, global climates > Flashcards

LEC.103 Energy transport around the Earth, global climates Flashcards

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1
Q

What allows for the circulation of air globally?

A

Heat differences

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2
Q

Why are the tropics warmer than the poles?

A

Spherical shape of the Earth, maximum insolation at the equator, whereas at the poles the same insolation has to cover a larger area due to the surface angle

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3
Q

Why doesn’t the equator ‘overheat’ getting maximum insolation?

A

Earth isn’t solid, the heat gets transported from areas of surplus to areas of deficit

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4
Q

How is energy and moisture redistributed?

A
  • poleward heat transport
  • oceanic flux (25%)
  • atmospheric sensible heat flux (60%)
  • atmospheric latent heat flux (15%)
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5
Q

What does primary mean in the context of general circulation?

A

Large scale, all times

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6
Q

What does secondary mean in the context of general circulation?

A

Day-to-day weather

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7
Q

Solar radiation?

A

Photons of heat are transported

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8
Q

Conduction?

A

Transfer of heat between the materials, but the material particles are not also transferring

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9
Q

Convection?

A

Hot material moves up, cold material moves down. Density differences

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10
Q

What is the three-cell model?

A

Describes dominant patterns of global atmospheric circulation, showing how air circulates in three major cells in each hemisphere

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11
Q

What are the three cells in the three-cell model?

A

Hadley, Ferrel, Polar

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12
Q

Hadley cell?

A

0-30° latitude - thermally direct cell
- Solar heating at the equator warms the air above.
- The air rises and expands creating low pressure.
- The air travels to around 30°, cooling as it moves.
- At around 30° the cooled air sinks back to Earth to create an area of high pressure.
- Air moves from this high-pressure area to the equatorial low-pressure area.

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13
Q

Polar cell?

A

60-90° latitude - thermally direct cell
- The air above the poles is cold.
- The cold air sinks creating high pressure.
- The air moves towards the equatorial low-pressure zone, and warms up when it meets the land or ocean.
- At around 60° this warmed air rises.

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14
Q

Ferrel cell?

A

60-30° latitude - thermally indirect
- The Ferrel cells are found between the Hadley and Polar cells.
- Cold air sinks near 30° and rises near 60°. The air at the Earth’s surface flows northwards and is affected by the Coriolis force

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15
Q

What does the combination of the three-cell model and the Coriolis force create?

A

Zonal wind patterns

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16
Q

Which direction does the Coriolis effect tend to deflect wind in the N and S hemisphere?

A

N - right
S - left

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17
Q

What is the Coriolis effect an important part of?

A

Formation of cyclonic weather systems

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18
Q

What is the Coriolis force/effect?

A

Appearance that global winds, and ocean currents curve as they move due to the rotation of Earth on its axis

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19
Q

What is the exception to the influence of the Coriolis effect meaning winds deflect right in N and left in S hemisphere?

A

Low-pressure system, wind blow in reverse in these systems

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20
Q

What are zonal winds?

A

Winds circulating at the same latitude, parallel (ish) to the equator, thermalising the atmosphere longitudinally

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21
Q

In the N hemisphere which direction does L and H pressure systems rotate?

A

L - anti clockwise H - clockwise

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22
Q

In the S hemisphere which direction does L and H pressure systems rotate?

A

L - clockwise H - anti clockwise

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23
Q

Low pressure systems?

A
  • Cyclonic circulation (same direction as Earth’s rotation)
  • Rising air
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24
Q

High pressure systems?

A
  • Anti-cyclonic circulation (opposite direction to Earth’s rotation)
  • Descending air
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25
As well as high/low pressure systems what can also affect wind direction near the surface?
Friction
26
What is a Rossby wave?
Large-scale undulations in the atmosphere and ocean that result from the Earth's rotation and spherical shape.
27
Why are Rossby waves important?
Because they strongly influence the formation and subsequent evolution of surface weather features.
28
What are the main Ocean roles in climate?
- absorbs and stores solar radiation - distributes heat around the globe - integral to water cycle - absorbs atmospheric CO2 - produces atmospheric O2
29
Oceans role in climate: absorbs solar radiation - how/details?
- ocean is 70% of Earth's surface - high heat capacity
30
Oceans role in climate: distributes heat around the globe - how/details?
- ocean currents carry warm water poleward, cold water equatorward - regulate global climate, counteract uneven distribution of incoming solar radiation - weather patterns strongly driven by ocean currents
31
Oceans role in climate: Integral to the water cycle - how/details?
- evaporation, atmospheric water vapour, clouds and rain - transfers energy as well as water, drives storms - global winds carry clouds, almost all rain on land comes form the ocean - tropics are particularly rainy, heat absorption and evaporation in highest there
32
Oceans role in climate: absorbs atmospheric CO2 - how/details?
- by far the largest carbon sink in the world - ~93% of CO2 stored in algae, marine vegetation, coral - leads to ocean acidification: CO2 + H2O ® H2CO3 (carbonic acid) - reduces creation of calcium carbonate (for shells etc.) - not able to absorb all CO2 from fossil fuel burning (down 10% since 2000)
33
Oceans role in climate: produces atmospheric O2 - how/details?
- ocean phytoplankton and plants produce 70% of atmospheric oxygen (c.f. 28% from rainforests) - by-product of photosynthesis CO2 + 2H2O + g → [CH2O] + O2 + H2O - prochlorococcus (most abundant photosynthetic organism) provides O2 for one in every five breaths
34
Physical properties of the oceans: salinity - details
- distribution over depth - surface ocean salinity variable by latitude/river inputs - deeper ocean salinity uniform (formed in polar regions) - halocline between the shallow and deep ocean
35
Physical properties of the oceans: temperature - details
- distribution over depth - surface temperature variable by altitude/river inputs/etc - deeper ocean temperature uniform (formed in polar regions) - thermocline (sharp change) between (not at poles)
36
Physical properties of the oceans: density - details
- ocean water 2-3% denser than freshwater: density of pure water 1000kg/m^3, ocean water 1020-1030kg/m^3 - density is a function of temperature and salinity. Colder saltier water is dense than warmer less-salty water. The same density can result from different combinations of temperature and salinity. - pyrocline is the sharp change between ocean densities - density drives ocean dynamics
37
For the most part, what is ocean circulation driven by?
Atmospheric circulation (and winds)
38
True or false, gyres are symmetrical?
False, they're asymmetric
39
What is the Western boundary intensification?
A consequence of the Coriolis effect which causes narrower faster currents on the Western side of a gyre
40
North Atlantic gyre? on the W, E, and middle?
W - Gulf stream E - Canary current middle - very slightly raised sea, Sargasso sea
41
Western boundary currents are?
Fast, narrow, deep
42
Eastern boundary currents are?
Equatorward, wide, slower, upwelling
43
Global ocean conveyor?
System of ocean currents that circulate water around the globe, distributing heat and nutrients
44
As well as ocean currents what processes also contribute to the constant mixing of the ocean?
Waves and tides
44
Which ocean is the largest and carries the most heat?
Pacific Ocean
45
In the Pacific Ocean how is the heat transported N and S
Fairly equal distribution
46
Distribution of heat from Atlantic and Indian Ocean? (toward N and S)
Somewhat asymmetrical
47
What do ocean currents play an important role in?
Driving weather patterns
48
What type of circulation is the global ocean conveyor belt?
Thermohaline circulation.
49
What is the Meridional Overturning circulation? (MOC)
Total basin-wide circulation as a function of latitude and depth
50
What does the MOC consist of?
Thermohaline circulation, temperature and salt effects, wind and tidal effects
51
How could tundra melting disrupt thermohaline cirulation?
- Massive freshwater input - Layer of fresh water over salty water, less dense than salty water - Effectively a 'lid' on the top of the ocean and will stop the sinking of surface waters - No sinking of surface waters = breaking of global circulation
52
What does ENSO actually stand for?
El Niño and the Southern Oscillation
53
What is ENSO?
gradual multi-year timescale change in pressure patterns in the Pacific
54
What is the Southern Oscillation Index?
A measure of the differential pressure between Darwin's low pressure and Tahit's high pressure
55
What does the difference in pressure between El Niño and the Southern Oscillation do?
Important effects on ocean currents. Trade winds in SE of S hemisphere, and NE of N hemisphere, are driven by the pressure differential, which drives equatorial currents from E to W.
56
El Niño and the Southern Oscillation - what happens under 'normal' conditions?
!!WALKER CELL!! - Easterly winds push warm water on ocean surface from S. America to SE. Asia and Aus. - Warm water is replaced by upwelling but also by the E-flowing cold Humboldt current - The location of the thermocline due to accumulation of warm water on W boundary is much lower than on the E boundary (warm surface water much shallower) - Warm water around SE. Asia evaporates into air around low pressure, condenses and rains - Rainfall in SE. Asia and top of Aus, dry on W. coast of S. America
57
El Niño and the Southern Oscillation - what happens when trade winds lose their strength/become Westerly?
- Equatorial currents become weaker - Maybe even warm water moving eastward from SE. Asia to S. America - Thicker later of warmer water along S. America coast, thermocline deeper into the ocean - No upwelling, reduces source of nutrients and affects fishing - Shift of warm water to S America, evaporation, more rainfall S America, drier in SE Asia and Aus
58
El Niño and the Southern Oscillation - what happens under extreme 'normal' conditions?
- La Niña - Upwelling much stronger and waters cooler at E edge of ocean - More nutrients in waters, favourable fishing conditions
59
North Atlantic Oscillations (NAO)
Seesaw in pressure difference between the Atlantic's high and low pressures (Iceland and Azores respectively). Measure of the pressure differences between these two systems
60
What happens when the NAO Index is high?
Greater influence of Arctic cold masses on the E side of N America and there are stronger Westerly winds carrying moist air across the Atlantic. - Milder and wetter winder on W Europe
61
Whats happens when NAO Index is negative?
Cold air penetrates further S and the westerly winds are weaker, very cold and dry winters in W and N Europe.
62
5 main Köppen-Geiger climate classifications?
A tropical B dry C temperate D continental E polar
63
What does the second letter in the Köppen-Geiger classification system represent?
Seasonal precipitation type
64
What does the third letter in the Köppen-Geiger classification system represent? ( B C D only)
Level of heat
65
ITCZ
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66
MONSOONS
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67
A
T > 18°C every month of the year, significant precipitation
68
B
Climates with little precipitation
69
C
Coldest month averages 0-18°c, at least one month averages >10°c Rossby waves on polar-tropical air mass boundary Variable position of jet streams Formation, movement of high and low pressure systems Winds blowing across extensive oceans, arriving at continental coasts Less predictable weather at short (weeks) timescales
70
D
At leat one month averaging <0°c, atleast one month averaging >10°c
71
E
Every month has average temperature <10°C

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