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Climate Change: Science, Impacts, and Hope > Test I > Flashcards

Test I Flashcards

(111 cards)

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1
Q

Weather

A

What the conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time

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2
Q

Climate

A

How the atmosphere “behaves” over a relatively long period of time

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3
Q

Ecosystem

A

Bounded ecological system consisting of all the organisms in an area and the physical environment with which they interact.

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4
Q

IPCC

A

An organization put out by the UN and established by world governments, which includes 100+ countries agreeing line by line on documents regarding climate change. Estimates tend to be conservative (underestimates to a great extent). The documents are written by scientists and approved by non-scientists

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5
Q

Part per million (ppm)

A

One molecule out of one million particles

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6
Q

ppm of CO2 now

A

About 420 (blaze it) ppm

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7
Q

UN Conference on Environment and Development, 1992

A

AKA Earth Summit. Creates a new and equitable global partnership which included 27 principles on Climate.

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8
Q

Precautionary Principle in Environmental Science

A

One of the 27 Principles on Climate created by the UN Conference on Environment and Development (1992). Prevent even of cases of uncertainty, and the burden of proof falls on the proponents of an activity

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9
Q

Sustainable Development

A

One of the 27 Principles on Climate created by the UN Conference on Environment and Development (1992). Interdependence of social, environmental, and economic systems.

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10
Q

Polluter Pays

A

One of the 27 Principles on Climate created by the UN Conference on Environment and Development (1992). If a company causes pollution they should pay to remove it. But also ethicality for being able to pay for dolphin deaths.

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11
Q

The Principle of Equity

A

One of the 27 Principles on Climate created by the UN Conference on Environment and Development (1992). Each person has the same right to an equal amount of global environmental space and therefore a fair share of resources. Resource use in rich countries needs to decrease, while there is space for pour countries to use more to increase quality of living.

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12
Q

Adaptation

A

Anticipative measures to alleviate adverse impacts of Climate Change. Intervention occurs at the “Economic Damages” section of the flowchart.

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13
Q

Mitigation

A

Measures to limit Greenhouse Gas Concentrations in the atmosphere to avoid Climate Change and associated adverse impacts (gross damages). Intervention occurs within the “Emissions” section of the flowchart.

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14
Q

What are some potential Mitigation solutions?

A
  • Increasing efficiency standards for emissions - Incentivizing renewable resources - Carbon tax - Using plants to sequester carbon (natural process but also kind of lame b/c plants are only 2% efficient and solar panels are even LAMER than plants)
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15
Q

Lag time

A

We are currently experiencing the effects of 100 years ago. We are currently locked into certain effects into the future from our carbon emissions now.

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16
Q

What are some potential Adaptation solutions?

A

-Heat-tolerant crops -Better weather alerts -Improved insurance -Land-use planning -Water reservoirs -Relocation out of high-risk areas

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17
Q

If we did not have an atmosphere, how many watts/m2 of radiation hit the earth? What is the effect of this?

A

About 288 watts/m2. It would be about -6 decrees Celsius.

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18
Q

What type of radiation enters the earth? What type leaves?

A

Sun radiation enters, and thermal radiation exits.

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19
Q

What gas makes up most of our atmosphere?

A

Nitrogen with 78%

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20
Q

What is the second-most common gas in the atmosphere?

A

Oxygen with 21%

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21
Q

List the Greenhouse Gases

A

Water vapor (H2O) Carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4) Nitrous Oxide (N2O or Nox) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Ozone (O3)

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22
Q

What is a major energy source that drives the climate system? What type of wave length does to emit?

A

The sun; shortwave

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23
Q

What type of wavelength is reflected back to the earth after bouncing off the surface? Why is it reflected? What is the effect?

A

Longwave; greenhouse gases (warming)

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24
Q

What surface has high albedo?

A

Ice. 85%-95% is reflected. That’s why it’s so bad if ice melts

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25
What surfaces have low albedo?
Grass (70% absorbed), parking lots, and water
26
Sensible heat
Heat without a matter change (ice doesn't turn to water, etc.)
27
How much solar radiation is absorbed by the earth? What is the effect of this?
About 1/2. It causes warming.
28
How much of solar radiation is NOT absorbed by the earth? Where does it go?
About 1/2. 20% to the clouds and atmosphere, 30% is reflected back.
29
Convection
When hot air expands and cool air sinks
30
What part of the atmosphere do we live in?
The troposphere
31
Albedo
Reflectivity of a surface
32
Latent Heat Flux
Energy transferred between a surface and the atmosphere by the evaporation of water or the condensation of water vapor
33
Biotic components of an ecosystem
plants, animals, decomposers
34
Abiotic components of an ecosystem
water, atmosphere, soil minerals
35
Positive feedback loop
(reinforcing) Interaction in which two components of a system have a positive effect on the other or in which both have a negative effect on another. This applies the rate of change in the system,. i.e. snow/ice albedo feedback
36
Negative Feedback Loop
(regulating) Interaction in which two components of a system have opposite effects on one another. This reduces the rate of change in the system.
37
Spacial Gradient of Temperature and the Adiabatic Process
Temperature decreases with elevation due to expanding and contracting.
38
Keeling Curve
Carbon dioxide at Mao Loa Observatory
39
Adiabatic lapse rate
expanding and contracting air - 6 degrees per 1000m
40
Greenhouse gas properties/important questions
1. wavelength of energy (infrared region) 2. how much energy it absorbs (90% of energy in a narrow part of the energy spectrum - IR range) 3. how long the gas remains in the atmosphere (depends on the gas)
41
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
What humans have done
42
Runaway Effect
What happened on Venus (no more water) - probably not going to happen to Earth.
43
Fossil Fuels
Carbon-based fuels made of dead, compressed liquified plants and animals. Nonrenewable.
44
What are the best predictors of ecosystem structure and function?
Temperature and Moisture - they tell you what you will find in a location.
45
What is an example of a major reservoir of carbon in the carbon cycle?
The ocean! It is the Ocean Biological Pump. It has more carbon than the earth and the atmosphere. 2% of marine carbon could double atmospheric concentrations (yikes)
46
Average lifetime of carbon
100 years. This varries though. Carbon is not destroyed - it. is just redistributed. It can take a few decades from the top layers of ocean and land or millenia if its in deep ocean or permafrost.
47
How has CO2 changed due to human sources?
It has doubled
48
Temporal variation of Climate
Temporal variation = varaitation with time. In regareds to climate change, it depends on solar input, surface properties, and the capacity of the atmopshere to trap heat.
49
How has nitrogen changed due to human sources?
It has doubled
50
What does the graph of methane concentrations over time look like?
Mostly increasing. Decreased for a time, but then we discovered hydrofracking and it went up again.
51
What does the graph of CFCs look like over time
Like a bell curve (increased for a while but now decreasing due to policy changes)
52
What was the CO2 concentration in 1750?
280ppm
53
What countries have the highest amount of metric tons of emissions per capita?
US, Australia, Canada, Netherlands
54
What countries have the total amount of emissions total?
China, US, India, Russia
55
What are the top three sources of US CO2 emissions?
1. Transportation (34%) 2. Electricity (33%) 3. Instustry (15%)
56
Aerobic respiration
Decomposition of organic matter in the presense of oxygen (organic material and oxygen and microbes - soil and carbon dioxide)
57
Anaerobic respiration
decomposition of organic matter in the absense of oxygen (organic matters and microbes - soil and methane)
58
Where does US Methane emissions come from?
1. Energy and industry (emitted during the production of natural gas and crude oil and coal mining) 2. Agriculture (cow burps) ad stored animal manure - eat less cows 3. Also, landfills - need less food waste
59
US Emissions breakdown
82 % CO2 10% Methane
60
Where do nitrous oxide emissions come from in the US?
1. Agricultural soil management (fertilizer) 2. Fuel Combustion (cash for clunkers program - Obama) 3. Industrial processes 4. Waste (domestic wastewater treatment)
61
CAFE Standards
California sets emissions standards for all cars in the US because they control so much of the market (Trump trying to combat this)
62
Radiative Forcing
A change in the net radiation at the top of the atmosphere due to external factors. Net radiative forcing is calculated by Net = incoming radiation - outgoing. This number is positive if the incoming is greater than the outcoming. Positive radiative forcing results in warming.
63
How are CO2 concentration and radiative forcing related?
As time increases, CO2 and radiative forcing map onto eachother - increasing drastically (especially after 1750)
64
What is an example of negative feedback loop?
Sphagnum moss (temperature and moss growth - impacting CO2)
65
Ice melting positive feedback
External force increases CO2 which increases temperature, which decreases the amount of ice, decreasing albedo, resulting in more CO2
66
Desertification positive feedback example
CO2 to increased temperature plus evapotransportation leads to lower plant production, resulting in more desertification
67
Measuring climate methods since 1850
weather stations sea surface temperatures (ships and ocean buoys) correcting methods
68
What matches up/causes increases in temperatures?
Anthropogenic GHG Emissions
69
Causes of increased sea level
1. Expansion from ocean warming 2. Greenland ice sheet melt 3. Glacier melt 4. Antarctic ice sheet melt
70
Where have we gotten our climate change data from the past 1000 years?
~Proxy data~ From diaries, ice cores, tree rings, money records, etc.
71
Where have we gotten our data for climate in the last million years?
Ice cores - measuring concentrations of CO2 and other gases as a proxy for temperature
72
Isotope
Variation of an atom because of a differet number of neurons (less neurons are more reactive and therefore the bonds are more easy to break)
73
Solar variation causes
1. Eccentricity (earths orbit) 2. Obliguity i.e. "tilt" 3. Precision/axis rotation These are not causing warming now
74
Permafrost
Perminently frozen soil that turns from a methane sink to a source with a flow moving out of it.
75
Chaotic system
One whose behavior is so highly sensitive to the initial conditions from which it started, the precise further predictions are not possible. The atmosphere is a chaotic system because it is not linear.
76
What are the four principles from Earth Summit?
Precautionary Principle Sustainable Development Polluter Pays The Principle of Equity
77
How does water movement work? (Water cycle)
Water holds on to heat and evaporating water over bodies of water (warm) then travel in clouds, over cold land, where it condenses and falls as precipitation.
78
Are water vapor and temperature linear? Why?
No. Because moisture (i.e. deserts verus rainforests). Therefore, it is hard to predict behavior. Water vapor is dynamic/chaotic.
79
Why is latent heat energy important?
The energy required to change states results in a global movement of latent heat energy through the circulation of air and water.
80
Ensemble modelling (and how they are tested)
The most precise! For short-term forecasting. Involves many different models averaged together. They are tested by working backwards
81
Relatioship between climate change and the water cycle
Climate change can be viewed as an intensification of the water cycle (a positive feedback loop)
82
Things that effect long-term forecasting
seasons (tropics are easier) and sea-surface temp (tropics are sensitive),
83
El Niño
A weak easternly wind moves warm water from off the coast of Australia to California and S. America. Effect is warm and nutrient poor waters, leading ot droughts and floods. Also, there are warmer winters. There is drought in Australia and in the South, and Flooding in the north. (La Nina is the opposite).
84
Components of the Climate System
1. Ocean 2. Atmosphere 3. Biosphere 4. Ice 5. Land These components all interact. Although temperature is linear, not all the other things are not linear - making prediction making difficult
85
Water Vapor Feedback
The most important feedback. Warmer usually means wetter. Increased warming leads to increased water vapor, which results in increased greenhouse trapping of heat.
86
Functions and Net Effect of cloud radiation feedback
Two opposing functions: reflective solar radiation and insulating thermal radiation. The net effect is warming.
87
What is Ocean Circulation? (Feedback)
There is close coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere, with evaporation (latent heat leading to cloud formation). Also, the atmosphere acts on the ocean (wind drives ocean circulation). Ocean temperature flux is less than atmosphere temperature flux.
88
What does Ocean Circulation do?
It redistributes heat through the Thermohaline Circulation (The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt) - cold water to the surface versus warm water sinks
89
Why is modelling feedbacks complex?
So many factors. Seasons, particles, aerosols, depth moisture, albedo
90
How have models changed over time?
They have been improved over time, with data getting more precise and errors decreasing.
91
Equivalent CO2
CO2e - convert other ghg to CO2 equivalents
92
Scenarios
Projections of future GHG emissions used by analysts to assess future vulnerability to climate change. These scenarios depend on assumptions of human behavior and activities (population, economic growth, energy use, and sources of energy generation)
93
What are the four assumptions of human behavior and activities needed to create a scenario?
1. Population 2. Economic growth 3. Energy use 4. Sources of energy generation
94
What does RCP stand for?
Representative Concentration Pathways
95
What are RCPs?
Scenarios for alternate trajectories of CO2 emissions from 2000-2100. The number refers to the net radiative forcing
96
What are the 4 RCP scenarios?
2.6, 4.5, 6.0, 8.5
97
Excedence
Frequency with which a random process exceeds some critical value
98
RCP 2.6
Best case scenrio Radiative forcing 3.0 CO2e ppm 480-530 Temp increase .9-2.3 Population by 2100 9 billion Majoity energy is bio-energy, natural gas, and coals Keeps below 2C
99
RCP 4.5
Stability pre 2100 Radiative forcing 4.5 CO2e 580-720 1.7-3.2 C Population 8.75 peaks at 2080 Fairly even mix of energy
100
RCP 6.0
Stability post 2100 Radiative forcing 6 CO2e 720-1000 2-3.7 Population by 2100 9.75 Most energy from natural gas (medium use of oil and coal, low use of renewables) Normal reduction scenario with significant GHG mitigation policy is implemented
101
RCP 8.5
Buisness as usual Radiative Forcing 8.5 Over 1000 CO2e 3. 2-5.4 Temperature increase 12. 25 billion pop and continuous increase Majority of energy from coal No additional efforts to constrain emissions
102
Greenhouse gas
A gas that absorbs thermal radiation
103
Carbon resevoir/pool
a place that holds carbon (atmosphere, oceam, soil, land biota)
104
Biological Pump in oceans
Nutrient rich water transfered to surface in winter in high latitudes - plankten bloom. Net effect: move carbon from the surface waters to lower levels in the ocean. More CO2 can be drawn down (surface equilibrium)
105
Carbon Cycle
106
Carbon flux
The amount of carbon exchanged between Earth's carbon resevoirs/pools (usually measured in gigatons)
107
Carbon sink
Natural deposits that absorb and capture CO2 from the atmosphere
108
Carbon sequestration
Long-term removal of CO2 from the atmosphere
109
PETM
5C increase in global temperatures that occured over 20,000 years. Concernting because much higher rate of change now.
110
Sources of Aerosols
Volcanoes, formed in th atmosphere, human activities (sulphur dioxide - produced by coal and oil industries)
111
Radiative forcing of aerosols other than black carbon (i.e. sulfphate)
negative (also in clouds)

Climate Change: Science, Impacts, and Hope (1 decks)

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