Enviro Climate Change Exam 3
Studied by 0 people
Call Kai
Learn
Practice Test
Spaced Repetition
Match
Flashcards
Knowt Play1/32
There's no tags or description
Looks like no tags are added yet.
Name | Mastery | Learn | Test | Matching | Spaced |
|---|
No study sessions yet.
33 Terms
Q: What are the major carbon reservoirs on Earth?
A: Atmosphere, biomass, soils, oceans, fossil fuels, ocean sediments.
Q: What is a flux in the carbon cycle?
A: A process that moves carbon between reservoirs (e.g., photosynthesis, combustion, decomposition).
Q: How does photosynthesis move carbon?
A: Removes CO₂ from the atmosphere and stores it in biomass.
Q: How does cellular respiration move carbon?
A: Releases CO₂ from organisms back to the atmosphere.
Q: How does combustion move carbon?
A: Burns biomass or fossil fuels and emits CO₂ into the atmosphere.
Q: How does diffusion/dissolution move carbon?
A: CO₂ cycles between ocean water and the atmosphere depending on concentration.
Q: What is ocean acidification?
A: Rising CO₂ dissolves into ocean water, forming carbonic acid and lowering pH.
Q: Why is ocean acidification harmful?
A: It reduces carbonate ions needed by shell-forming organisms (coral, mollusks).
Q: What is a greenhouse gas?
A: A gas that traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere by absorbing infrared radiation.
Q: What are the major greenhouse gases?
A: CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, and fluorinated gases (CFCs, HFCs, etc.)
Q: What is global warming potential (GWP)?
A: A greenhouse gas’s ability to warm the planet relative to CO₂.
Q: What does “net zero CO₂” mean?
A: CO₂ emissions = CO₂ removed from the atmosphere.
Q: What is climate adaptation?
A: Adjusting human behaviors to cope with climate change impacts.
Q: What is climate mitigation?
A: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow or stop climate change.
Q: What happens when atmospheric CO₂ increases?
A: More CO₂ dissolves into oceans → carbonic acid forms → pH decreases → ocean acidification.
Q: Which ions decrease during ocean acidification?
A: Carbonate ions (CO₃²⁻).
Q: Which flux directly leads to ocean acidification?
A: Dissolution of CO₂ into the ocean.
Q: Current global CO₂ concentration (2023)?
A: ~419 ppm.
Q: Major human sources of CO₂?
A: Fossil fuel burning, deforestation, industrial processes.
Q: Current global methane (CH₄) concentration?
A: ~1922 ppb.
Q: Major methane sources?
A: Anaerobic decomposition (swamps, cattle, landfills), natural gas operations, permafrost thaw.
Q: Current global nitrous oxide (N₂O) concentration?
A: ~337 ppb.
Q: Major nitrous oxide sources?
A: Soil microbes, fertilizer overuse, manure, wastewater treatment.
Q: Which fluorinated gases destroy the ozone layer and have very high GWP?
A: CFC-12 and CFC-11.
Q: What do ice cores reveal?
A: Past CO₂ levels and temperature changes trapped in ancient air bubbles.
Q: What is the trend in global temperature since 1880?
A: Increased just under 1°C, with ~⅔ of that since 1975.
Q: What do IPCC climate scenarios depend on?
A: Future human CO₂ emissions.
Q: Why does global warming change precipitation patterns?
A: Warmer air holds more moisture, altering rainfall intensity and timing.
Q: How much sea level rise since ~1900?
A: ~200 mm (≈20 cm).
Q: What is albedo?
A: A measure of surface reflectivity; melting ice lowers albedo → more warming (positive feedback).
Q: What is a climate tipping point?
A: A threshold where a climate system shifts rapidly and irreversibly.
Q: Is carbon capture & storage (CCS) adaptation or mitigation?
A: Mitigation (reduces atmospheric CO₂).
Q: Examples of personal climate mitigation actions?
A: Eat less meat, reduce waste, use public transit, conserve energy, vote.
Note 
Flashcards (78)