Energy Transfer in the Climate System

These flashcards summarize key concepts related to energy transfer, thermohaline circulation, El Niño, and La Niña from the climate system lecture notes.

What are the primary methods of energy transfer in the atmosphere?

Radiation, conduction, and convection.

What factors can disrupt thermohaline circulation?

Melting ice reducing salinity and increased evaporation raising salinity.

What phenomenon does the term El Niño refer to?

The annual appearance of warm waters along the northern coast of Peru around Christmastime.

Who was Sir Gilbert Walker and what did he contribute to climate science?

He studied large-scale pressure fluctuations and linked the Southern Oscillation to rainfall anomalies.

What is the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)?

The linkage between El Niño and the Southern Oscillation phenomena that affects climate patterns.

How does sea surface temperature (SST) relate to El Niño and La Niña?

El Niño leads to positive SST anomalies, while La Niña leads to negative SST anomalies.

What are the average conditions during an El Niño event?

Warm SSTs lead to suppressed convection in the western Pacific and a deeper thermocline.

How does La Niña affect convection and trade winds?

It strengthens convection in the western Pacific and strengthens the easterly trade winds.

What portion of solar radiation is absorbed by Earth?

70% of solar radiation is absorbed.

What causes changes in Earth's energy budget albedo?

Factors like ice/snow cover and cloud cover influence albedo.