Unit D.2 Global systems & the Transfer of Energy through the Biosphere

Question 1

Solar Radiation

Answer 1

Energy that is transmitted in the form of electomagnetic radiation is called EMR or radiant energy.
Solar energy consists of radiant energy

Question 2

Insolation

Answer 2

The amount of solar energy received by a region on the Earth’s surface.

Question 3

What is the amount of insolation partly dependent on?

Answer 3

Latitude

Question 4

Why does latitude affect the amount of insolation?

Answer 4

because the shape of the earth, and the tilt on its axis (angle of inclination) impacts the angle of
incidence of light as one moves away from the equator, as well as the amount of atmosphere that the radiation must pass through.

Question 5

Which radiation wavelength have a greater tendency to hit atmospheric particles and gases and thus have a greater tendency to be reflected or absorbed before ever reaching the Earth’s surface, as compared to less energetic forms of EMR

Answer 5

shorter wavelengths like ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays
- the more particulate matter in the atmosphere, the less radiation that actually reaches the Earth’s surface.

Question 6

Albedo

Answer 6

The percent of the solar radiation
that is reflected as compared to that
which is incident upon a surface is
referred to as the albedo of the
surface.
- often expressed in percentages or in decimal form

Question 7

What has been known to increase the albedo of the atmosphere as a result of dust and ash spread over hundreds to thousands of kilometers

Answer 7

Volcanic eruptions

Question 8

What is the Natural Greenhouse Effect

Answer 8

• absorbed radiation changes the kinetic energy of the particles that absorb it and increase their temperature
  -energy is re-radiated into the atmosphere as inferred radiation (heat/thermal energy)
• gases in the atmosphere are absorbed and re-radiate some of this heat energy back to the Earth’s surface
• this absorption of thermal energy by the atmosphere is known as the greenhouse effect

Question 9

What is human enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 9

too many greenhouse gases can
result in increasing temperatures on Earth,
- the gases most involved in this process include, water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and dinitrogen monoxide (nitrous oxide).

Question 10

Net Radiation Budget=

Answer 10

incoming radiation - outgoing radiation
For Earth to remain in homeostasis
(steady state) we need a net radiation
budget of zero.

Question 11

What is the evidence of climate change?

Answer 11

decreased ice and snow cover in the Canadian
Arctic, an increase in the world’s ocean water levels and temperatures, the spread of desert
areas and severed weather-related disasters.

Question 12

Calorimetry uses the principle of

Answer 12

heat lost=heat gained in order to determine transfer

Question 13

coriolis effect

Answer 13

The deflection of any object from a straight line path due to the rotation of the Earth.

Question 14

The coriolis effect impacts

Answer 14

• winds and ocean currents
• In the Northern Hemisphere objects turn right
  and in the Southern Hemisphere they turn to the left.

Question 15

What is Specific heat capacity?

Answer 15

It is the amount of energy needed per unit mass of a substance to increase its temperature by 1°C.

Question 16

The formula for specific heat capacity calculations is

Answer 16

Q=mc^T
The c water used in Science 10 is 4.19 J/g ºC
Equivalent units are kJ/kgºC, J/gK or kJ/kgK!

Question 17

Calculating H fus and H vap

Answer 17

Hfus = Q / n
(solid<―> liquid )
Hvap = Q / n (liquid <―> gas)

Hfus is the heat of fusion in kJ/mol
Hvap is the heat of vaporization in kJ/mol
Q is the quantity of thermal energy in kJ
n is the amount of the substance in mol

( recall: n = m / M)

Question 18

What is the hydrological cycle?

Answer 18

Another means by which energy is transferred.
Evaporation and transpiration are both processes which absorb energy from the surroundings in order to change the bonding arrangement from water to water vapour.
Condensation, water from vapour to liquid, releases heat energy to the surrounding.

Precipitation returns water to a region, where
is may undergo the process of evaporation
once again.

Question 19

Biomes

Answer 19

geographical region with a particular range of temperature and precipitation levels, and plants and animals that are adapted to those climatic conditions.
- biomes are open systems: energy flow in and out, matter can move in and out

Question 20

Tundra Biome characteristics

Answer 20

Precipitation > 20 cm/year mostly as snow
average annual temp -15 to 5 degrees C
very short summer season
- lichens, mosses, sedges, woody shrubs
- ptarmigan, arctic fox, caribou, polar bear

Question 21

Taiga

Answer 21

precipitation 40 - 100 cm/y
avg temp 4-14
cool summers, cold winters
- cone bearing evergreens, few lichens and mosses
-woodpeckers, rodent, rabbits, moose bear,

Question 22

Deciduous Forest

Answer 22

precipitin 75-150 cm/year, avg temp 14- 27,well defined summer and winter seasons
- broad leaved deciduous trees, moss, lichee, ferns
- insects and birds, ground dwelling birds (turkey), squirrels, rabbits white tales deer, black bear

Question 23

Grassland

Answer 23

precipitation 25-57/year, avg temp 4-30degrees, winter and summer seasons
- grassy regions with few or no trees
-northern grasslands referred to as prairie- winter and summer seasons, grasses, hawks, snakes, mice, rabbit, buffalo, antelope
- southern grassland referred to as savanna- wet season and dry season, scattered trees, insects birds, reptiles, elephants, giraffe cheetah lion

Question 24

rainforest biome

Answer 24

richest diversity of plants and animals of all the bomes
over 200 cm rain /year, alway warm, plants grow year round
-broad leaved trees, evergreen or deciduous, vines rootless air plants,
-hummingbirds, parakeets, parrots, snakes, lizard, pca, armadillo, monkey

Question 25

desert

Answer 25

-less than 25 cm of rainfall per year, days hot, nights cold, temp 12-27 degrees c
-succulent plants (cacti), drought tolerant plants
- millipedes, spiders, scorpions, snakes, running birds like ostrich, antelope, goats, camels, bats, coyote, dingo dog

Question 26

climatographs

Answer 26

provide a visual summary of the climate of a region by graphing average temperature as a scatter plot and average precipitation as a bar graph using a 2 vertical scale axes graph

Question 27

convection

Answer 27

the transfer of thermal energy through the movement of particles in a fluid (liquid or gas) by currents set up as a result of a difference in density of warmer and cooler fluids.