topic 3 climate change

Question 1

weather

Answer 1

The state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time

Question 2

climate

Answer 2

The long-term pattern of weather conditions in a particular area, typically observed over a period of 30 years or more.

Question 3

Earths energy budget

Answer 3

Refers to the balance between the energy earth receives from the sun and the energy it radiates back into space.

Question 4

solar radiation

Answer 4

All light is measured on a spectrum. Different types of light will interact differently with the atmosphere.

Question 5

visible light

Answer 5

Colours that can be seen by the human eye, is absorbed and reflected by earth’s surface, reflected light becomes infrared.

Question 6

uv radiation

Answer 6

Invisible, cannot see or feel it, causes sunburn, skin damage and eye damage, is absorbed in the mesosphere.

Question 7

infrared radiation

Answer 7

Felt as heat, is absorbed by both the troposphere and earths surface.

Question 8

the albedo effect

Answer 8

Refers to the amount of light a surface reflects. Light surfaces have a high albedo effect (reflects more light) Dark surfaces have a low albedo (absorbs more light)

Question 9

the natural greenhouse effect

Answer 9

Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour, etc) absorb infrared radiation. The absorption of solar radiation in the troposphere is what maintains Earth’s surface temperature.

Question 10

solar cycles

Answer 10

The amount of energy the sun produces follows a pattern. There are times a lot of energy is produce (solar maximum) and times a low amount of energy is produced (solar minimum)

The whole cycles lasts ~11 years

Question 11

solar maximum

Answer 11

There are times a lot of energy is produce (solar maximum)

Question 12

solar minimum

Answer 12

There are times a low amount of energy is produced (solar minimum)

Question 13

polar region

Answer 13

light is spread over a much larger area because of the curvature of the Earth’s surface