stupid science Flashcards
(27 cards)
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Weather = atmosphere at specific time, Climate is average weather or long-term weather, how the atmosphere is over time
What are the factors of weather?
Temperature, Humidity, Air Pressure, Wind
What are the factors of climate?
Latitude, Elevation, Proximity to Water and Mountains
What is the greenhouse effect?
Gasses in the atmosphere trap heat in the atmosphere after the earth has absorbed/reflected back energy from the sun
How does carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affect temperatures in the atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, so the more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the more heat is trapped in the atmosphere
List at least 3 greenhouse gasses.
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, ozone
How are greenhouse gasses added to the atmosphere?
From the ocean, volcanic eruptions, decomposition in soil, plowing soil, making electricity with fossil fuels, cars, making cement, natural gas leaks, forest fires
How are greenhouse gasses removed from the atmosphere?
Added to exposed rocks/lithosphere, plants, ocean absorption
What are observations that can be made that suggest that the climate is changing?
Warming temperatures, melting ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice, less snow cover, rising sea levels, warming oceans, more extreme weather events such as hurricanes, ocean acidification
How are fossil fuels connected to climate change?
When fossil fuels are burned, they release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere
How do we typically make electricity?
By burning fossil fuels to heat up water to create steam to turn a turbine
What are examples of alternative energy?
Solar, Wind, Hydroelectricity, Nuclear, Biomass, Geothermal
What is the carbon cycle?
Shows how carbon moves through the air, water, ground, and living things
How is carbon dioxide in the air and ocean related to ocean pH levels?
The more carbon dioxide in the air, the more carbon dioxide in the ocean, and the more acidic the ocean becomes
What are some solutions to climate change?
Put less greenhouse gasses in the air by using alternative energy or wasting less food or driving less or changing how we farm
Pull greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere by using plants or engineering other ways of carbon removal
What are the effects of climate change in Tangier Island and Kiribati
Changing coastlines and loss of homes
What are the effects of climate change in Australia
Dry conditions and bushfires
What are the effects of climate change in Alaska
Changing animal ranges and new shipping routes open because ice has melted
What are the effects of climate change in Great barrier reef
Coral bleaching and affected habitats
What are the effects of climate change in the Alps
Glaciers melting and diseases spreading among plants and animals in the Alps
What are the effects of climate change in Nigeria
Less fertile farmland
What are the pros and cons of solar energy
Adv: Renewable, Can be placed in large fields, open areas, or rooftops, Doesn’t have a main source of air pollution, Disadv: Expensive to set up, Doesn’t work at night or on cloudy days, Takes up a lot of land, Difficult to store energy that is created
What are the pros and cons of energy from wind
Adv: Wind itself is free, Renewable, Wind turbines do not produce emissions and greenhouse gasses, Disadv: Starting cost is expensive to build the wind turbine, Requires consistent wind and not all places have this, Loud, Unaesthetic
What are the pros and cons of hydroelectric
Hydroelectric → Adv: Renewable, Easy to access, Doesn’t have a main source of air pollution, Reservoirs created by building a dam can be used for many purposes, such as agriculture, irrigation, flood control, and recreation, Disadv: Risk of overflowing/malfunctioning, Affects wildlife and their habitats, Affects fish migration and spawning, ex: salmon), Costs a lot to build and takes up space, Depends on precipitation levels which change from year to year and may cause instability
