Life Sciences Climate Change Quiz

climate vs. weather

long term patterns vs. short term events

components of climate

temperature

precipitation

seasonality

measuring climate

basic measurements and the existence of long term historical data

frequency and severity of extreme weather events (flooding, drought, hurricane, tornado)

melting glaciers and rising sea levels

all of these point to significant changes in the last 100 years at more rapid rates than the past

sources of controversy

long term climate cycles

economic cost of controlling GHG emissions

why does the climate change over time?

extraterrestrial factors:

solar output

earth/sun geometry

interstellar dust

ocean, atmosphere, land factors:

volcanic emissions

mountain building

continental drift

atmospheric chemistry

atmosphere/ocean heat exchange

atmospheric reflectivity

surface reflectivityand human activities:

Solar radiation

short wave radiation - comes from sun (gamma, X-ray) but blocked by ionosphere and doesn’t reach Earth. high energy and can cause damage to human tissues

UV light - moderate energy levels, responsible for the most heating of Earth. can cause skin cancer

long wave radiation - created when UV is absorbed by surfaces (IR). trapped by GHGs. for our purposes, IR is heat

short waves: most energy, long waves: least energy

fate of the radiation

absorption

reflection

equilibrium conditions

green house gases

gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat. This leads to the greenhouse effect, contributing to global warming.

greenhouse effect

The process by which greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere absorb and re-radiate heat, leading to an increase in surface temperature and contributing to global warming.

the carbon cycle and equilibrium

photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, ocean deposition, combustion

other GHGs

methane (livestock production/decomposition)

chlorofluorocarbons (refrigeration and air conditioning)

nitrous oxide (combustion - mainly from transportation)

the albedo effect

refers to the measure of how much sunlight is reflected by a surface, impacting Earth's temperature and climate patterns.

high albedo - much energy is reflected back into the atmosphere

white - reflect. black - absorb

climate in an area primarily affected by

latitude

atmospheric circulation

ocean currents

topography/rain shadow

anthropogenic contributions to climate change

combustion of fossil fuels

deforestation reducing sequestration

livestock production

methane extraction and transport

rice production