ap enviro atm and climate

exosphere

-outermost layer

-atm merges w/ space

thermosphere

-2nd outermost

-hottest temp

-absorbs harmful x-rays and uv radiation

charged gas molecules glow under intense solar radiationproducing northern lights

-temp increases due to absorbtion of highly energetic solar radiation(hottest place on earth)

mesosphere

-3rd outermost

-meso=middle

-60-80km

-even less dense

-temp decreases bc density decreases, leaving fewer molecules to absorb sun (coldest place on earth

stratosphere

-4th outsermost

-S=second (layer)

-16-60kmm

-less dense due to less pressure from layers above

-thickes O3 layer found here

-absorbs UV-B&UV-C rays —>can mutate DNA of animals (cancer)

-temp increases bc top layer of stratosphere is warmed by UV rays (pool surface)

troposphere

-tropo=change (weather occurs here)

-innermost layer 0-16km

-most dense due to pressure of other layers above it

-most of atm’s gas molecules found here

-ozone (o3) in troposphere is harmful to humans (respiratory irritant)& damage plant stomata, forms smog

-temp decreases as air gets further from warmth of earths surface

gases on earths atmosphere

nitrogen—>78%(N2 form )

Argon—>0.93%(noble gas)

Oxygen—>21%(photosynthesis)

water vapor—>0-4% (varies by region/conditions, temporary GHG, less concerning, quickly cycles through atmosphere)

Carbon—>0.04%(most important GHG, global warming)

coriolis effect

-deflection of objects traveling through atm due to spin of the earth

-moving air/water begins to curve bc earth is rotating

-air @ 30 moves back to L pressure of equator

-wind 0-30 moves from e—>w(eastern trade winds)(bc earth is spinning w—>e)

wind 30-60 moves w—>e(westerlies)(bc earth is spins faster @ 30 than 60

air properties

-warm air rises

-warm air holds more moisture than cold

-rising air expands and cools

-cool air cant hold as much H2O vapor (condenses—>rain)

-after cooling & expanding, air sinks back down

equator=low pressure

global wind patterns

1)air moves out 30 →0 and 60 due to H pressure @30 & low pressure @ 0&60

2)0-30 winds blow e→w (eastern trade winds) (drives ocean current clockwise in N hem, counterclockwise in S hem)

3)30-60 winds blow w→e(westerlies) (drives weather patterns of N america

watersheds

-all of the land that drains into a specific body of water (river, lake)

-determined by slope, ridges of land divide watersheds (runoff directions)

-vegetation, soil comp.→influence how watersheds drain

more vegetation=more infiltration & groundwater recharge

greater slope=faster velocity runoff, more soil erosion

soil permeability=determines runoff vs infiltration rates

human activities of watershed impact H2O quality (clearcutting, urbanization, dams, mining)

human impacts on watersheds

-nutrient pollution(N&P)→eutrophication (algeal bloom, less sunlight, positive feedback, plants die→use O2 for decomp, less O2)

sources: discharge from sewage plants, animal waste, synthetic fertilizer

efffects of clearcutting on watersheds

soil erosion→loss of root structure, removes soil OG matter & nutrients from forest, deposits sediments in local streams

increased soil/stream temp→loss of tree shade ^ soil temp, soil has low albedo than leaves of tree

-loss of tree shade warms rivers, erosion also warms

solution to waterhsed pollutants

-animal manure management

-cover crops

-riparian biffers

-enhanced nutrient removal

-septic tank upgrades

insolation

amount of solar radiation (energy from suns rays) reach an area (watts/m²)

solar intensity and latitude

of insolation

-depends on:

angle:how directly rays strike earths surface

amount of atmosphere suns rays pass through

equator=higher insolation than other latitudes

@ high latitudes=sunlight must pass through more atm, losing more energy, solar energy spread over a larger surface area than equator

solar intensity and season

-orbit of earth around sun & tilt on axis changes angle of suns rays

→causing varying insolation, varying length of day/season

-tilt of earths axis stays fixed during orbit

june/december solstice

N or S hem is maximally tilted toward sun (summer/winter)

march/sep equinox

N or S hem equally facing sun

march equinox

-equator recieves most direct insolation

-N & S get 12 hrs of sunlight

-spring in N

-Fall in S

december soltice

-S hem tilted max toward sun

-longest day in S (summer start)

-shortest day in N (winter start)

June solstice

-N hem tilted max toward sun

-longest day in N (start of summer)

-Shortest day in S (winter start)

tilt of earth axis

causes variation in

-angle of insolation

-length of day

-season

albedo

the proportion of light that is reflected by a surface

-surfaces with high albedo reflect more light, absorb less (ice/snow)(absorb less heat)

-surfaces with low albedo reflect less light, absorb more (water)(absorb more heat)

albedo and surface temp

-surface temp is affected by albedo

-when sunlight is absorbed by a surface→gives off infared radiation (heat)

-areas w low albedo absorb more sun (heat)

-urban heat island

-polar regions are colder →high albedo

urban heat island

urban areas are hotter than rural areas due to low albedo of blacktop

earths structure

core

-mantle

-asthenosphere

-lithosphere

-crust

core

dense mass of solid nickel, iron, and radioactive elements→release massive amount of heat

-innermost

mantle

liquid layer of magma surrounding core, kept liquified by intense heat from core

-second innermost

asthenosphere

-solid flexible outerlayer of mantle, beneath lithosphere

-3rd innermost

lithosphere

-thin, brittle layer of rock floating on top of mantle (broken up into techtonic plates)

-4th innermost

crust

-very outer layer of the lithosphere, earths surface

divergent plate boundary

-plates move away from eachother

-rising magma plume from mantle forces plates apart

-mid oceanic ridges, volcanoes, seafloor spreading

-convection cycles, magma heated by earths core rises towards lithosphere, cools & expands, forces plates apart

convergent plate boundary

-plate moves towards eachother

-subduction (one plate being forces beneath another)

-mountains, island arcs, earthquakes, volcanoes

-subduction zone

oceanic-oceanic=one plate subducts underneath other, forces magma up to lithosphere, volcanoes, island arcs

oceanic-continental=dense oceanic plate subducts beneath cont plate and melts into magma, forces magma up to lithosphere surface, coastal mountains, volcanoes on land trenches, tsunamis

continental-continental=one plate subducts underneath other, forcing surface crust upward, mountains, himalayas

transform fault plate boundary

-plates slide past each other in opposite directions

-earthquakes

earthquakes=most common activity, when rough edges of plates get stuck on eachother, pressure builds, suddenly release and slide pase

gyers (global ocean surface currents)

large oceanic circle patterns due to global wind

-clockwise N hem

-counterclockwise S hem

eastern trade winds (0-30 push current e→w)

westerlies (30-60 push mid lat currents w→e)

upwelling zones

upwelling zones

areas of ocean where winds blow warm surface water away from a land mass, drawing up colder, deeper water to replace it

-brings O2 & nutrients to surface—> GOOD FISHING

thermohaline circulation

connects all of the worlds oceans, mixing salt, nutrients, and temp throughout

-warm water from gulf of mexico moves →north pole

-cools, evaporaties as it moves towards poles

-saltier colder water @ poles, dense, sinks

-spreads along ocean floor

-rises back up into shallow warm ocean current @ upwelling zones

ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation)

pattern of shifting atmospheric pressure & ocean currents in the pacific ocean between SAmerica and Australia

-oscillates or shifts from el nino(warmer, ranier) to la nina (cooler, drier) conditions along coast of SAmerica

normal conditions

—eastern trade winds e→w

-upwelling on coast of SA, cooler weather, good fishing

-warm water moves to australia, wetter

la nina

-stronger than normal trade winds

e→→→w

-increased upwelling off SA, cooler than normal conditions, extra good fishing

-warmer ranier in australia

-worse tornado activity in US and Hurrican activity in Atlantic

-cooler, drier weather in americas

-ranier warmer increased monsoon in SE Asia

la nino

-trade winds reverse and weaken, w→e

-warm eq current brings heat and rain to Americas

-suppressed upwelling in SA

-cooler drier conditions in australia

-H pressure in Australia (west pacific)

L pressure in SA (east pacific)

-warmer winter in NA

-increased rain in Americas

-drough in SE Asia/Australia

-decrease hurrican in Atlantic

-weak monsoon activity

solar radiation

not all incoming solar radiation reaches earths surface

26% reflected back into space by clounds and atm

19% absorbed by atm/clouds/radiated out into space & down to earth

-rest reaches earths surface →absorbed or reflected (depending on albedo of surface)

lower albedo, darker→absorb sunlight & release infared radiation (warmth)

higher albedo, lighter → reflect sunlight, directly back into space, clouds, GHGs that absorb it

greenhouse effect

-gases in earths atm trap heat from the sun & radiate it back down to earth

=w/out GHGs, earth would be TOO COLD TO SUPPORT LIFE

-solar radiation strike earths surface→surface releases infared radiation→GHGs absorb infared→radiate it back toward earth→portion coming back to earth is greenhouse effect

CH4 methane

greenhouse gas

-natural gas extraction & combustion, animal ag, anaeroic decomp (permafrost thaw)

CO2 carbon dioxide

greenhouse gas

-fossil fuel combustion, decomposition, deforestation

N2O nitrous oxide

greenhouse gas

-agricultural soils(denitrification of nitrate)

CFCs/ HCFCs/HFCs

greenhouse gas

-refridgerants, blowing agents in aerosol products

H2) water vapor

greenhouse gas

-evaporation/transpiration from plants

-technically GHG but doesnt influence atm. temp change, other way around

GWP global warming potential

measure of how much a given molecule of gas can contribute to the warming of the atmosphere over a 100 yr period RELATIVE TO CO2

2 factors

-residence time:time molecule stays in atm

infared absorbtion: how well gas absorbs/radiates infared radiation (IR)

CO2 GWP of 1 (all other gases measured in relation to CO2)

Methane, in atm ~12 yrs, absorbs more IR than CO2

N2O, in atm ~115 years, absorbs much more IR than CO2

CFCs, in atm 50-500yrs, absorbs MUCH more IR than CO2

help cool atm

-reflection by surfacae and clouds (prevents UV absorbtion)

-light blocking particles (volcanic ash, seasalt crystals, pollen, soot, etc)

sea lvl rise

-H2O move slightly further apart when hot

-all H2O move slightly apart →sea lvl rise

(thermal expansion)

-increased GHG →warmer climate, more melting of continental ice sheets, glaciers

-water flows into ocean→sea lvl rise

env impacts

-flooding of coastal eco like estaries→loss of species that depend on tundra, loss of thaw-freeze cycle, impacting water source

human impacts

-relocation of coastal human pop

-increase in flood, more insurance

-saltwater intrusion

-refugees forced to move inland

effects of climate change

-rising temperature-habitat/species loss, drought, soil desiccation, heat waves, more rain in some regions

rising sea lvl-due to glacial, ice melt, thermal expansion

melting permafrost-premanently frozen tundra soils begin to thaw→release methane and CO2 (anerobic decomp)

climate change impact on coastal communities

-property loss, damage potential relocation: coastal communities, esp poor ones

loss of barrier islands: lost at sea lvl rise

climate change impact on atm currents

-widening/weakening hadley cell

-air ascend and expand further before sinking, shifts subtropical zones towards poles, expanding tropics

-30-60 regions drier climate

\weakened destabalized jet stream

-artic warms faster→temp diff weakens, cold spells, east US, dry spells, west US

climate change impact on ocean circulation

-suppression thermohaline circulation: ocean current redistributes heat from equator

-ice melt from greenland→esp cold buildup in north atlantic

-freshwater less dense than salt→no sinking

-cold north atlantic slows warmer gulf stream waters

climate change effect on marine ecosystems

-altered range of marine ecosyste,s: new marine habitats formed by rising sea lvl flooding, some areas of ocean become too deep

-altered ranges of organisms: warm water holds less O2, fish pop decline or migrate

unequal global warming

polar regions of earth warming faster than other regions (polar amplification)

-esp in N pole, more land less water to absorb heat

melting sea ice→absorb heat→more melting→less land

-melting of permafrost: perm frozen tundra thaw and release GHG

atmospheric warming and ocean warming

-atm warms, heat transferred to ocean

-ocean absorb much of earth’s heat →high specific heat capacity of water

-thermohaline circ distributes heat absorbed at surface to other areas of earth→heat can transfer back to atm

climate change impact on marine

-warm water holds less O2

-habitat loss

-algeal blooms

-migratory routes/mating seasons altered

coral bleaching:lose color, becomone vulnurable wout algea(narrow temp tolerance)

climate and geography

climate-largely determined by insolation

-high lat→less insolation, cooler, less precipitation

-equator recieves most intense insolation, high temp, air rises, high rain

geography

-mountains→distrupt wind / rain shadow effect

oceans: moderate temp, add moisture to air

rain shadow

warm moist air from ocean hits “windward” side of mountain, rises, cools, condensing H2) vapor causing rain→lush green vegetation

-dry air descends down “leeward” side of mtn, warming as it sinks, dry desert conditions

hadley cells

A global air circulation pattern where warm air rises at the equator, moves toward the poles, cools and sinks around 30° latitude, creating trade winds.

ferrel cells

A circulation cell between 30° and 60° latitude where air flows between the Hadley and Polar cells, producing prevailing westerly winds.

polar cells

A circulation pattern where cold, dense air sinks at the poles and flows toward lower latitudes, then rises around 60° latitude.