Climate Change

What kind of radiation hits Earth from the sun?

Shortwave radiation

What kind of radiation does Earth emit?

Longwave radiation

What is a greenhouse gas?

A gas that absorbs shortwave radiation and emits longwave radiation

What percent of the atmosphere are greenhouse gases?

1%

What are the greenhouse gasses?

H₂O, CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, Fluorinated Gasses

Why are clear nights colder than cloudy nights?

Clouds reflect radiation back to the ground

Where does CO₂ come from?

Burning fossil fuels and organic compounds

Where does excess H₂O come from?

Agriculture, Cooling Towers

Where does methane come from?

Decomposition, mining/transport of natural gasses, livestock, thawing permafrost

Where does nitrous oxide come from?

Fertilizers, cars with catalytic converters

Where do fluorinated gasses come from?

Air conditioning and refrigeration units

What is the Global Warming Potention

A measure of the impact a gas has on the enhanced greenhouse effect

What factors influence the Global Warming Potential?

Radiative efficiency, Abundance

What factors influence the abundance of a greenhouse gas?

Rate of release, Lifetime

What greenhouse gas has the highest radiative efficiency?

Water

What greenhouse gas is the most abundant?

Water

What greenhouse gas has the highest rate of release?

Carbon dioxide

What is the increased greenhouse effect due to anthropological acitivies called?

The enhanced greenhouse effect

What is upslope range shift?

Species elevation range on mountains shifts upwards due to seeking colder temperatures

What is poleward elevation shift?

The shifting of species towards the poles and colder temperatures

Where was the landmark study that shows upward elevation shift done?

Papua New Guinea

What is Phenology?

The study of the timing of biological events

What two things most impact phenological events?

Photoperiod and temperature

What is photoperiod?

How much time a plant is exposed to light in a 24-hour period

What phenological event in plants is most impacted by climate change?

Leaf Out/Bud Burst

What is the positive feedback loop that involves methane?

1. Increased CO₂ in atmosphere

2. Increased global temperatures

3. Warmer tundra

4. Melting of the permafrost

5. Higher rates of decomposition in waterlogged soil

6. Release of extra CO₂ and CH₄

What is the positive feedback loop that involves the oceans?

1. Increased CO₂ in atmosphere

2. Higher global temperatures

3. Higher temperatures leads to increased evaporation and CO₂ solubiliy decreases

4. CO₂ and H₂O enter the atmosphere

What is the positive feedback loop that involves ocean biota?

1. More CO₂ in the atmosphere

2. Increased Ocean temperatures

3. Faster ocean decomposition

4. Methane and CO₂ released

What positive feedback loop involves artic ice?

1. More CO₂ in atmosphere

2. Increased temperatures

3. Artic ice melts

4. Decreased albedo, meaning more energy is absorbed

What positive feedback loops involves forest fires and drought?

1. Increased CO₂ in atmosphere

2. Increased temperatures

3. More forest fires and droughts

4. Plants and animals die

5. Increased decaying/decomposing organic matter but less photosynthesis

6. Increased CO₂ and CH₄

What is upwelling?

The process that brings up cold nutrient rich water to the surface

What is thermohaline circulation?

The loop that brings warm water to the poles on the surface, and cold water to the equator in the depths

How does climate change affect thermohaline circulation?

Warmer surface water and melting ice increases ocean stratification decreasing upwelling/downwelling