APES Unit 2

El Nino/La Nina, Greenhouse Gases, and Climate

Greenhouse Effect

Natural effect that releases heat into atmosphere causing warming of the Earth's surface. Absorbs some infrared radiation and releases some.

Primary Greenhouse Gasses

Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Hydrofluorocarbons, and Water Vapor.

Human Activities — Greenhouse Gases

Burning fossil fuels, Deforestation/land use, and Agriculture/Industrial process.

Per Capita Carbon Footprint

Total CO2 emissions of a region/country divided by population. Avg. emissions per person.

Suns influence — atmospheric warming

• Primary energy source

• Solar cycles

• Long term influence

Oceans influence — atmospheric warming

• Traps heat/absorbs

• Heat distribution

  • Global heat transport, storms, temp. regulation

Cloud coverage — atmospheric warming

• Cools and warms planet

  • Some heat trapped, some reflects radiation

Air pollution — atmospheric warming

• Absorb heat

• New particles that change clouds and solar reflection

  • greenhouse gasses

Climate

Physical properties of troposphere (of an areas weather) over a long period. Average temp. and precipitation.

Cyclical Movement of air

Moisture rises and cools, turns into precipitation, then cools and becomes denser, sinks, absorbing moisture.

Lattitude

Distance from the equator.

Seasonal Changes

Shifting solar energy as earths axis shifts

• causes seasonal changes in temp. and precipitation

Coriolos Effect

Deflection of air E as air moves away from equator, or a deflection W as it moves toward the equator. 

High Specific Heat of Water

Hydrogen bonds need lots of energy to break=lots heat needed to raise temp.

Gyres

Ocean currents driven by winds and coriolis effect.

• Clockwise in N hemisphere

• Counterclockwise in S hemisphere

Rainshadow Effect

Warm air on leeward side holds moisture, dries out plants and soil

• leads to desertification, arid conditions

Leeward vs. Windward Side

Windward= from ocean, moist, warm

Leeward= after clouds rain, air decends and becomes warm/dry

Diffusion

Movement of molecules from high concentration to low concentration until equilibrium.

Osmosis

Movement of water molecules from high water concentration to low.

Convection

Movement of warmer molecules that rise and become less dense, while colder molecules sink (more dense).

Convection Currents

Pattern of air that rises and falls due to convection.

Concentration Gradient

Movement from high concentration to low.

Weather

The atmospheric conditions (temperature, precipitation, wind, etc.) in a specific place at a specific time.

Front

Boundary between 2 air masses w/ diff. features.

Warm Front

Boundary between advancing warm air mass and a colder one its replacing.

Cold Front

Leading edge of an advancing mass of cold air

Atmospheric pressure

The force exerted by the weight of the air molecules above a given point on Earth's surface.

Jet stream

Powerful winds that circle globe.

• moves W to E in each hemisphere

El Nino

Winds that usually blow E to W are weakened/reversed. Warms surface waters (moves from W. Pacific to S. America)

• Raise avg. temp., extreme floods, storms, droughts, temps

La Nina

Opposite of El Nino, cools surface waters. Cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific . Winds get amplifies.