apes unit 9

Stratospheric Ozone

The "good" ozone that absorbs UV radiation.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Anthropogenic compounds (from aerosols/refrigerants) that break down ozone molecules.

GWP: 1000-10000

Montreal Protocol

The international treaty that successfully phased out CFCs to help the ozone layer recover.

Greenhouse Effect

The natural process where gases trap heat in the troposphere, keeping Earth habitable.

Global Warming Potential (GWP)

A measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps relative to \text{CO}_2 (which has a GWP of 1).

Ocean Acidification

The decrease in ocean pH caused by the absorption of excess atmospheric CO2

Caused by CO2 absorption, not by global warming itself.

Poleward shift

Species move toward the North and South poles to stay in their ideal temperature range.

Altitudinal Shift

Species move up mountains (higher elevation) to find cooler air.

Melting Ice

Melting Sea Ice (like in the Arctic) does not raise sea levels (like ice cubes in a glass). Melting Land Ice (Glaciers and Greenland/Antarctic ice sheets) and Thermal Expansion are what cause sea levels to rise.

Coral Bleaching

When corals expel their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) due to thermal stress (warm water), often leading to coral death.

Albedo

The reflectivity of a surface. Ice has high albedo; dark ocean water has low albedo (leading to a positive feedback loop).

Thermal Expansion

The increase in volume of water as it warms, a primary driver of sea-level rise.

HIPPCO

An acronym for the main causes of biodiversity loss:

Habitat destruction (#1 cause of biodiversity loss)

Invasive species

Population growth (human)

Pollution, Climate change

Overexploitation.

Invasive species

Non-native species that spread rapidly and cause ecological or economic harm.

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

US law that protects species at risk of extinction and their habitats.

CITES

An international agreement that bans the international trade of endangered species (parts or live animals).

Ozone Depletion vs. Climate Change

Ozone Depletion is about UV radiation and CFCs (the "hole" in the ozone). It does not cause global warming.

Global Warming is about Infrared radiation (heat) and greenhouse gases (GHGs).

Greenhouse Gases

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

• Methane (CH4)

• Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

• Water Vapor (H2O)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Burning fossil fuels

Deforestation

GWP: 1

Methane (CH4)

Landfills

Livestock

Melting permafrost

Rice Paddies

GWP: 28-36

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

Agricultural fertilizers

GWP: 265-298

Water Vapor (H2O)

Natural, but increases as the planet warms (feedback loop)

The Albedo Loop

Earth warms → Ice melts → Darker water is exposed → Water absorbs more heat → More ice melts.

The Permafrost Loop

Earth warms → Permafrost melts → Anaerobic bacteria release methane → More warming.

Troposphere

0–12 km

Where weather happens, where we live, and where the "bad" ozone (smog) and greenhouse gases are.

Stratosphere

12-50km

Contains the Ozone Layer (O3). It protects us from UV radiation.