Atmosphere and Climate Change Review

These flashcards cover key concepts, terms, and explanations related to the atmosphere, climate change, and their impacts based on the provided lecture notes.

What are the layers of the atmosphere starting from Earth's surface?

the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.

What are the three most abundant gases in dry air?

Nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.

What happens at the pauses between the layers of the atmosphere?

The temperature stops changing direction and switches from increasing to decreasing or vice versa.

Which layer of the atmosphere contains most air particles and where does weather occur?

The troposphere.

Where is the ozone layer found?

In the stratosphere.

Why does the temperature decrease in the troposphere as you move away from the Earth's surface?

Because the Earth’s surface heats the air, and air gets colder with altitude.

What creates global air circulation patterns?

Earth’s rotation, shape, and unequal heating

Describe the Hadley cell circulation pattern.

Warm air rises at the equator, moves toward 30° latitude, cools, sinks, and flows back to the equator.

Why is good ozone important?

It protects living things from harmful radiation.

What type of energy does good ozone absorb?

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Why is it important for ozone to absorb UV radiation?

Because UV radiation can cause skin cancer and damage plants and animals.

What type of chemicals damage good ozone?

CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons).

How do CFCs damage ozone?

CFCs release chlorine atoms that break apart ozone molecules.

What is the agreement that phased out ozone-depleting chemicals?

The Montreal Protocol.

Why may it take 30–40 years for the ozone hole to fully recover?

Ozone-destroying chemicals stay in the atmosphere for a very long time.

What are the replacement chemicals for those that damaged ozone?

HFCs, which do not damage ozone but increase global warming.

What do greenhouse gases do?

They trap heat in the atmosphere, keeping Earth warm.

Is the presence of greenhouse gases bad? Why or why not?

Naturally, they are not bad but too many can cause the planet to overheat.

What are three historical natural causes of Earth's temperature changes?

Volcanic eruptions, changes in solar energy, and changes in Earth’s orbit.

Describe the process of ocean acidification.

It occurs when CO₂ dissolves into seawater, forming carbonic acid.

Why is ocean acidification harmful to marine organisms with shells?

It makes it harder for them to build and maintain their shells.

What happened at Kyoto in 1997? Was it effective?

The Kyoto Protocol was an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; it was partly effective.

What's the difference between climate and weather?

Weather is short-term conditions, while climate is long-term average weather.

How do scientists determine historical temperatures and CO₂ levels?

By analyzing ice cores that trap air bubbles.

What can scientists study to determine temperatures from millions of years ago?

Rock layers, fossils, and isotope ratios.

What is albedo and why is losing polar sea ice bad?

Albedo is how much sunlight a surface reflects; losing sea ice reduces albedo, causing more heat absorption.

How is sea ice loss affecting polar bears?

Polar bears have fewer places to hunt seals and must swim longer distances, affecting their food supply.

What trend was observed in Arctic temperatures from 1980 to 2016?

Arctic average temperature has increased strongly and continuously.

How do climate change effects animal migration?

Animals migrate earlier, later, or to new areas.

How does climate change affect crop growth?

It increases drought and heat stress and alters growing seasons and rainfall patterns.