What occurrences will put carbon back into the atmosphere?
forest fires, use of fossil fuels, decomposition, respiration
what occurrences will take out of the atmosphere?
dissolving in oceans, deposits in sediments, photosynthesis, formation of fossil fuels
what are major impacts of global climate change?
extinction of species (b/c the world is no longer inhabitable for them)
what dangers does a hurricane present to marine life?
mixing of salt & fresh water affecting the salinity of a habitat
what is upwelling?
caused by Ekman's transport, when the top layer is pushed aside, nutrient rich water will rise to the surface
what is evidence that upwelling has occurred?
an increase in phytoplankton & algae
why is upwelling important to marine ecosystems
b/c nutrient rich water will be cycled from the ocean floor to the surface, but upwelling could also move marine larvae from their typical habitat.
what happens to carbon dioxide content in water during an El Nino year?
decreases because there's less fish respiring
how does upwelling illustrate the impact abiotic factors have on an ecosystem
can impact the ecosystem
what is the result of climate change?
sea level rises & glaciers sink
what causes climate change
global temps. inc. at an alarming rate
what organisms are most affected by a change in sea level?
organisms that live in shallow water
what layer of the atmosphere contains the most gas, by mass?
troposphere
what layer of the atmosphere contains ozone?
stratosphere
what layer of the atmosphere will weather take place?
troposphere
what are the tropics? what latitude lines?
b/t Tropic of cancer 23.5 N & tropic of Capricorn 23.5 S
what affects atmospheric wind patterns?
heating (temperature)
what drives the major ocean currents in open ocean?
wind & eat from the sun
what is a gyre
large circular systems of surface currents
what is a surface layer
mixed by wind, waves & currents
what describes a stable water column?
bottom is high density & surface layer is lower density
what is a surface layer?
mixed by wind, waves & currents
what is an el nino event
abnormal warming of Pacific south America Coastal water, decreases upwelling & disrupts fisheries
what can result from a cyclone
tornadoes, storm surge, excessive precipitation, high winds
what are different types of cyclone?
tropical cyclone, hurricane typhoons
tropical cyclone
clockwise & counterclockwise
typhoon
conterclockwise
hurricanes
counterclockwise
what is ocean acidification
decrease in the pH of the ocean due to excessive CO2 in the atmosphere