The climate system Flashcards
Jan19_Components
Feedbacks
An internal change in the climate system that affects the amount of
response to a climate forcing
Climate change
Effect of forcing +
effect of feedbacks + response
time
the “Climate System”
- Includes several interacting components
- atmosphere
- temperature, precipitation, radiation, trace gases …
- ocean
- temperature, salinity, circulation, gas exchange …
- ice
- water storage, reflectivity, insulation …
- land
- surface conditions, exchange with atmosphere …
- vegetation
- carbon storage and exchange with atmosphere …
Temperature measurement scales
Three different scales are commonly used to measure temperature: Fahrenheit (expressed as °F), Celsius (°C), and Kelvin (K). Thermometers measure temperature by using materials that expand or contract when heated or cooled.
Timescale Questions
On what timescales do the following processes
affect climate:
* continental drift?
* ocean circulation?
* the tilt of the Earth relative to its orbit?
* the rotation of the Earth?
* What timescale best represents current
anthropogenic climate change?
* Do changes in the Earth’s orbit matter for climate
change of the past 100 years?
Methods in Climate Science
- Data collection and analysis
- Hypothesis testing
- Development of theories
- Models
Climate Forcing
Tectonic forcing
* examples? timescale?
* Earth orbital forcing
* why? timescale?
* Changes in the sun’s strength
* why? timescale?
* Anthropogenic forcing
* examples? timescale?
Response Time
measures time of response to
an external force on the system
* Defined as the time to reach
1/2 the equilibrium value
Figure 1-6B: Response time of
water temperature
Climate System
Response Times
- Atmosphere
- Ocean
- Land
- Ice
- Biosphere
positive feedback loop
initial climate forcing — initial climate response — Response and amplified by the climate system.
Negative feedback
initial climate forcing — initial climate response — Response reduced by climate system
Timescales of climate change
Iceberg
Continental ice-sheets
move by sliding along
their bases.
Ice streams occur in icesheets.
