Savvas Unit 13-1, 13-2

How much warmer do GHGs keep earth's surface than they would be without GHGs?

35 degrees Celsius

Which human-released GHG is the most abundant in the atmosphere?

CO2 (415 ppm)

GWP is?

global warming potential; heat trapping capacity of GHG over a period of time relative to same amount of CO2

Greatest GWPs are with

the chlorofluorocarbons

Which human-released GHG has most total greenhouse forcing?

CO2 with 1.82 W/m^2

Oscillations of H2O?

(A)symmetric stretching, bending, libration (rotating along an axis)

Most powerful GHG?

Water vapor, 50%

When were CFCs banned?

1989

Most of the earth's outgoing infrared radiation is in

5-20 micrometers

Which range has almost no CO2 absorption?

8-13 micrometers

More absorption modes when?

More atoms and asymmetrical

Common CO2 molecules have which C isotopes

C-12 and C-13

Common CO2 molecules have which O isotopes

O-16, O-17, O-18

CO2 has which oscillations?

Asymmetric stretching, bending

Methane has which oscillations?

(A)symmetric stretching, twisting, scissoring

What % of incoming solar radiation passes through atmosphere?

55%

What % of sun's energy is reflected back?

12% of 55%, so 6.6%

What happens to heat that doesn't reach earth's surface?

Half is reflected out, half is absorbed atmospherically

How much is GHG absorption?

358 W/m^2

What is most of the atmospherically absorbed radiation?

UV and infrared radiation for the most part

How does earth's heat radiate into space?

This happens through atmospheric windows like 8-12 micrometers

What are heavy isotopes used to gain information on temperature from ice cores?

Deuterium (H-2) and O-18

How long is the ice age/interglacial cycle and why?

100,000 years because of the elliptical orbit

How thin are ice cores for 1 month interval?

120 micrometers = 1 month roughly

Peak of last Ice Age?

26,000 years ago

End of last Ice Age?

15,000 years ago

Level of ocean in peak of last Ice Age?

125 meters/400 feet below today

How much more land in peak of last Ice Age?

25% more land

When did permanent human civilizations start?

11,000 years ago

Large permanent COASTAL civilizations started when?

6,000 years ago since sea levels stopped rising

Rate of sea level rise 15,000-8,000 years ago?

14 mm/yr, 1.4 m/ctry

When did sea levels start to rise again and why?

200 years ago, Industrial Revolution induced CO2 release

Current rate of sea level rise is what?

> 3 mm/yr

How much ice are Greenland and Antarctica losing?

500B tons/year

If all glaciers melted, how high would sea levels rise?

Around 68 meters (220 feet)

Faster sea level height in 1993-2011 or 2011-2018?

Definitely 2011-2018

Large Iceland volcano eruption when?

536; caused famines and temp. drop

First global pandemic caused how many deaths?

Up to 100 million

Greenland temp. changes over 8,000 years?

Trend of DECREASING by ~2e-4 degrees C/yr

What are varves?

Larger particles from storms separated by finer, normal particles, these often include pollen.

How are fossil corals used?

Their layers' composition, thickness, and color reveal ocean temperature, pH, and regional rainfall amounts.

Tree rings and their usage?

Wider rings come from more sunlight and water.

When were NYC droughts (Savvas 13)?

1620, 1700, 1815, 1960s; maybe 1910s, 1550s

1945-1995 C/delta[O-18] value?

-4 C/delta[O-18]

What % of western Europe died from plague?

70% died (100 million people)

Spread of bubonic plague?

670 km/yr

Mt Rinjani explosion summary?

1257 explosion; 250 million tons of sulfate aerosols released, causing cold and famine; started Little Ice Age.

How long was Little Ice Age?

500 years