ENVIRO U4A1: Earth's Climate & Climate Change

What are the major factors affecting the Earth's climate?

Major factors include the atmosphere, ocean currents, solar energy, and greenhouse gases.

What is the atmosphere?

The atmosphere is a blanket of gases that surrounds the Earth's surface, composed of five layers.

What are the layers of the atmosphere?

The layers are Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere.

What is the Troposphere?

The Troposphere is the first layer of the atmosphere, the densest, where weather occurs, and the warmest because it is closest to the heat absorbed by the sun.

What is the Stratosphere?

The Stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which absorbs much of the sun's powerful ultraviolet rays.

What is the Mesosphere?

The Mesosphere is the third layer of the atmosphere, where the coldest temperatures occur and meteors burn up due to dense air.

What is the Thermosphere?

The Thermosphere is the layer closest to the sun and is the hottest; it is where satellites orbit.

What is the Exosphere?

The Exosphere is the outermost layer of the atmosphere, transitioning into outer space.

What is the Albedo effect?

The Albedo effect is the ratio of energy absorption versus energy reflection, measured between 0-1; high albedo means more solar energy is reflected back into space.

What is the Natural Greenhouse Effect (GHE)?

The Natural GHE is the balanced trapping of outgoing infrared radiation by naturally occurring greenhouse gases, essential for regulating Earth's climate.

What is the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?

The Enhanced GHE is caused by disproportionate amounts of outgoing infrared radiation absorbed by greenhouse gases due to increased human activity.

What are Greenhouse Gases (GHG)?

GHGs are gases in the atmosphere that absorb and reradiate heat from the sun, influencing Earth's climate.

What is Infrared radiation?

Infrared radiation is heat energy from the sun with longer wavelengths.

What is visible light?

Visible light is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans can see.

What are natural sources of carbon dioxide (CO2)?

Natural sources include ocean release, volcanic activity, respiration, decomposition of organic matter, and wildfires.

What are human sources of carbon dioxide (CO2)?

Human sources include combustion, burning fossil fuels, transportation, agriculture, land clearing, and cement production.

What is Global Warming Potential (GWP)?

GWP is a measure of how much energy one ton of a greenhouse gas can absorb over a specified period compared to one ton of carbon dioxide.

What is paleoclimate data?

Paleoclimate data refers to proxy records from natural archives like ice cores and tree rings, providing information about Earth’s ancient climates.

What does ice core sampling reveal?

Ice core sampling reveals historical climate and environmental changes through the analysis of atmospheric bubbles, water molecules, impurities, elemental composition, and microorganisms trapped in ice.

What is paleobotany?

Paleobotany is the study of ancient plant life through fossilized remains, tracing evolutionary history.

How are atmosphere and ocean temperatures monitored today?

Atmosphere temperatures are monitored using weather stations and sensors; ocean temperatures are tracked using satellites, buoys, and ship sensors.

What is GHG PPM?

GHG PPM stands for Greenhouse Gas Parts Per Million, a unit that measures the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

What is a climate model?

A climate model is a computer simulation of Earth's climate system that is built using real data to recreate past climates or predict future conditions.

waht must you include when GHG

ABSORB AND RE RADIATE heat from the sun

What is climate?

Long term changes in atmospheric conditions, weather pattersn adn tmeperatuers ina specific area.

What is weather?

The short term changes in atmospheric conditons, temperatuers and weather oattersn ina particualr area

Thermohaline Circulation

global system of ocean currents driven by differences in temperature (warm water rises) and salinity (salty water sinks). warm water is less dense than cold water. conveyer belt

what is the importance of teh themrohaline circulation

Thermohaline circulation is crucial for regulating global climate by distributing heat and nutrients across the oceans. It influences weather patterns and helps sustain marine ecosystems by transporting warm and cold water around the planet.

what is the difference betwwen surface and deep ocean currents

Surface ocean currents are driven by wind and affect the upper layer of the ocean, while deep ocean currents are primarily driven by thermohaline circulation and involve the movement of water at greater depths, influencing global climate and heat distribution.

what drives surface ocean currents

global wind and wind trade patterns, coriolis effect. they are fast.

are surface cureents wamr or cool

surface currents are warm. beacuse warm water is less dense and rises.

what drives deep ocean currents

they are driven by the thermohlaine cycle, and differences in water density

are deep ocen curresnt fast or slow

they are slow

are dee ocean curretsn cool or warm

they are cool since cool water is dense and sinks ot the bottom.

Purpose of surface ocrean currents

They redistribute heat globally, influencing climate and weather patterns. regulate temps and climate

Purpose of deep ocean currents

They help regulate global climate through the conveyer belt. by transporting heat and nutrients, affecting marine ecosystems and carbon cycling.

How do you measure air temps using ice cores?

By analyzing the isotopic composition The ratio of oxygen isotopes and hydrogen isotopes. teh more heavier isosops means the hotter the air was, since lighter isptopes evaportae eaiser and are lost froim the sample.