APES- El nino/ la nina, global warming

positive feedback loop

more warming=less ice= more warming=less ice

what arctic is composed of

ice sheet, iceberg
will not rise sea level, bc they're already in the water (SEA LEVEL RISE ISSUE)

what is Antarctica composed of

ice cap, glacier
will increase the sea level bc they are above land. (SEA LEVEL RISE ISSUE)

what is Greenland composed of

glaciers, ice caps, will raise the sea level (MORE WARMING ISSUE ALBEDO)

What happens to the pacific during December
What does this mean for fishermen and farmers?
where does the current come from?

coastal waters of the pacific will become warmer as a current flowed from north to south
smaller fish catch, abundant crops
el nino

what effects does El Niño have on the world

heavy rainfall & flooding- west coast of south america
drought & high risk- wildfires- Australia & Southeast Asia
ice storms, droughts, mudslides- North America

what do scientists today use the term "El Niño" for?

periods when the surface water around the equator in the eastern and central pacific warms for an extended period of time.

what do scientists today use the term "La Niña" for?

periods when the surface water in the easter pacific instead may cool for long stretches of time.

What effects does "La Niña" have on the world?

central and South America- severe droughts
australia- floods
large portions of Africa and North America- substantial climate impacts

What is El Niño?

an irregular event of abnormal warming of pacific waters.
warming of pacific water
west MORE rain
east LESS rain

what is La Niña?

a cold episode that usually follows the warm El Niño.
pacific waters, enhanced for of normal
east MORE rain
west LESS rain

What are the global effects of El Niño

rainfall over central + eastern pacific, and drought over Indonesia and Australia

what did South American fishermen observed every year around Christmas in the coastal waters of the pacific?

they became warmer as current flowed from N to S.

How were the farmers affected by the warmer current in the pacific that flowed from N to S?

abundant crops to harvest

Why do farmers in South America get abundant crops during El Niño?

warm H2O = warm air = low pressure = rising air = condensation = precipitation

why do fishermen get less catch during El Niño?

Upwelling stops = less esoplankton = less fish

episodes of ocean warming that affect the eastern tropical pacific are called

El nino

stron El Niño events happen every five years

false

winds are the link between the southern oscillation and ocean warming associated with El Niño

true

trade winds are weaker during El Niño event

true

possible conditions during El Niño?

drought in Australia, more rain during the dry season in Florida, trade winds weaken

surface ocean temperatures of the eastern tropical pacific are colder than average during an El Niño event.

false

El Nino

la nina

how does El Niño occur

occurs when abnormally warm water accumulate in tropical altitudes of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean associated with a weakening of the low-level easterly winds. Consequently, tropical rains that usually fall over Indonesia shift eastward.

Impacts in the US during El Niño

southern and interior Alaska and the North Pacific tend to be warmer than average. Southern tier California to the Carolinas tend to be colder and wetter than average. Ohio and upper Mississippi River valley may be drier than usual.

how does La Niña occur

occurs when cooler than average waters accumulate in the central and easter tropical pacific, associated with a strengthening of the low level easterly winds over the central tropical pacific. Heavy rainfall overs over Indonesia and Malaysia.

Impacts on US during La Niña

southern and interior Alaska tend to be cooler and wetter than average, and the souther tier of the US, from California to the Carolinas tends to be warmer and drier than average. Ohio + upper Mississippi River valleys may be wetter than usual.

GWP (global warming potential)

A measure of the ability of a gas to trap thermal energy in the atmosphere.

anthropogenic climate change

alterations to climate resulting from human impact

Milankovitch cycles

Changes in the shape earth's orbit and tilt that cause glacial periods and interglacial periods.

Pleistocene Epoch

An epoch of the Quaternary period beginning about 1.8 million years ago and ending about 10,000 years ago. Best known as a time of extensive continental glaciation.

Keeling Curve

a graph which plots the ongoing change in concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since 1958