Flashcard 3: Q: What are the biggest uncertainties in predicting weather?
A: Weather predictions depend on initial conditions that are difficult to observe in enough detail, making accurate predictions challenging.

Flashcard 4: Q: How are weather and climate predictions similar?
A: Both use models based on physical principles, but weather predictions focus on short-term and detailed observations, while climate predictions focus on long-term trends.

Flashcard 5: Q: What is the general trend in billion-dollar weather-related disasters from 1980 to 2024?
A: There has been an increase in the number of disasters per year, from an average of 9 per year (1980-2024) to 23 per year (2020-2024).

Flashcard 6: Q: Why do we have confidence in predicting long-term climate trends?
A: Climate models use physics to predict how climate will change, with confidence in warming trends based on increasing CO2 emissions, despite uncertainties in exact outcomes.

Flashcard 7: Q: What are the two main types of factors affecting climate predictions?
A:

Natural factors: e.g., solar energy, volcanic eruptions.

Anthropogenic factors: e.g., CO2 emissions.

Flashcard 8: Q: How is temperature measured in different scales?
A:

Fahrenheit: °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32

Celsius: °C = (°F – 32) × 5/9

Flashcard 9: Q: What is the role of latitude in determining climate?
A: Latitude affects the angle of sunlight, influencing the climate of a region. The closer to the equator, the warmer the climate tends to be.

Flashcard 10: Q: What qualities should sources on climate change have?
A: Accurate, current, peer-reviewed, detailed, and well-explained.

Flashcard 11: Q: What is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?
A: The IPCC is the UN body assessing climate change science, providing reliable reports based on peer-reviewed articles and expert consensus.

Flashcard 12: Q: What is the purpose of the Summary for Policymakers in IPCC reports?
A: To summarize key findings in general language, agreed upon by all governments to inform policy decisions, though it may have some political influence.

Flashcard 13: Q: What are the types of IPCC reports?
A:

Assessment Reports: e.g., AR5, AR6.

Special Reports: e.g., Global Warming of 1.5°C, Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.

Methodology Reports: Discuss specific aspects of climate change in detail.

Flashcard 14: Q: Where can you find reliable information on climate change?
A: Peer-reviewed journals, local/regional scientific assessment reports, National Climate Assessments, and IPCC reports.

Flashcard 15: Q: Why is the IPCC considered a go-to source for climate information?
A: The IPCC is the world’s leading authority on climate science, reviewing thousands of peer-reviewed articles to summarize the state of the science.

Flashcard 1:

Q: What is the instrumental record of climate change?

A: The instrumental record includes climate variables (e.g., temperature, precipitation, sea-level change) measured using in situ devices such as thermometers, rain gauges, and tide gauges, with records varying in length depending on the measurement and instrument.

Flashcard 2:

Q: How far back does the surface temperature record from thermometers date?

A: The surface temperature record from thermometers dates back centuries.

Flashcard 3:

Q: When did satellites start being used to measure climate variables?

A: Satellites began measuring climate variables in the late 1950s, and the field was well-established by the 1970s.

Flashcard 4:

Q: What is a temperature anomaly?

A: A temperature anomaly is the difference between a measured temperature at a particular location and a reference temperature, which is typically the average temperature over a previous multi-decadal period.

Flashcard 5:

Q: Why are temperature anomalies preferred over absolute temperatures in climate studies?

A: Temperature anomalies are preferred because they are less variable and easier to compare than individual temperatures, making them more consistent across large areas.

Flashcard 6:

Q: How does land temperature change compared to water?

A: Land warms faster than water because water has a higher heat capacity, requiring more energy to warm by the same amount.

Flashcard 7:

Q: What causes uncertainty in temperature records?

A: Uncertainty can arise from the types of thermometers used, station location and environment, and observing practices. Some uncertainty can be accounted for, but some remains.

Flashcard 8:

Q: What is the concept of "Going Down the Up Escalator" in climate change?

A: This concept refers to short-term variability (e.g., volcanoes, El Niño) that can make it hard to assess long-term trends, but these short-term changes don’t affect the overall long-term warming trend.

Flashcard 9:

Q: What has been the trend in glacier length, areal extent, and volume since 1800?

A: Glaciers have been retreating since around 1800, with the retreat accelerating by the late 1800s, consistent with global temperature trends.

Flashcard 10:

Q: What has been observed in Arctic sea ice extent and thickness since the 1970s?

A: Arctic sea ice extent and thickness have consistently decreased since the 1970s, while Antarctic sea ice extent has shown little change.

Flashcard 11:

Q: How much fresh water do the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets contain?

A: The Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets contain the majority of Earth’s fresh water, with a sea-level equivalent of 65 meters.

Flashcard 12:

Q: How much ice did Greenland and Antarctica lose between 2003 and 2019?

A: Between 2003 and 2019, Greenland lost 200 gigatons of ice, and Antarctica lost 118 gigatons of ice, contributing to a rise in global sea levels.

Flashcard 13:

Q: How does ocean heat content contribute to climate change?

A: Ocean heat content reflects the accumulation of energy in the climate system, as the ocean warms more slowly than land but holds large amounts of energy.

Flashcard 14:

Q: What are the main contributors to global sea-level rise?

A: The main contributors to global sea-level rise are the melting of land ice (glaciers and ice sheets) and thermal expansion due to rising ocean temperatures.

Flashcard 15:

Q: How has the rate of sea-level rise changed over time?

A: Sea-level rise has accelerated over time:

1901-1990: 1.4 mm/year

1970-2015: 2.1 mm/year

1993-2015: 3.2 mm/year

2005-2015: 3.6 mm/year

Flashcard 16:

Q: What is one way to explore the relationships between climate change variables?

A: By using interactive figures like those in the Fourth National Climate Assessment, we can analyze datasets to understand how different climate variables relate to one another and influence each other.

Flashcard 1
Q: Why is it important to study Earth’s climate history?
A: Studying Earth’s climate history helps us understand past climate changes and provides context for assessing current and future climate changes. It helps in evaluating the accuracy of climate models and predicting consequences of abrupt climate changes.

Flashcard 2
Q: What are paleoproxies in climate science?
A: Paleoproxies are long-lived geological, chemical, or biological systems that record past climate conditions, helping scientists understand past climates.

Flashcard 3
Q: How do ice cores provide information about past climate?
A: Ice cores contain air bubbles that give us information about past atmospheric composition, such as CO2 levels, and the size/orientation of ice crystals reveals temperature and wind patterns. These records extend back as far as 800,000 years.

Flashcard 4
Q: What do tree rings tell us about past climate conditions?
A: Tree rings reflect annual growth cycles; larger rings indicate warmer, wetter conditions, while narrower rings suggest cooler, drier environments. Tree-ring records can extend up to 1,000 years.

Flashcard 5
Q: How do sediment cores help us understand climate change?
A: Sediment cores, taken from the ocean floor or salt marshes, contain small microorganisms whose preferences for temperature and salinity provide clues about past ocean conditions, sea-level rise, and climate.

Flashcard 6
Q: What significant climate event occurred around 55 million years ago?
A: The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, a period of abrupt warming (~5°C) over a few thousand years.

Flashcard 7
Q: How does CO2 influence Earth's long-term climate?
A: CO2 and temperature have historically varied in similar patterns. Changes in CO2 levels have contributed to major climate shifts, like the warming during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum and the onset of ice ages.

Flashcard 8
Q: What was the Holocene, and how does it relate to current climate trends?
A: The Holocene is the current interglacial period that began around 11,700 years ago. It followed the last ice age, and temperatures during the last 2000 years have been relatively stable, except for rapid warming in the 20th century.

Flashcard 9
Q: What was the Medieval Warm Period?
A: A period about 1,000 years ago when temperatures were warmer than the preceding centuries but cooler than the present day, often considered a natural climate variability event.

Flashcard 10
Q: How has the rate of warming in the 20th century compared to previous warming events?
A: The 20th century saw a rapid warming rate, approximately 16 times faster than the warming rate after the last ice age.

Flashcard 11
Q: What is the significance of CO2 levels over the past 800,000 years?
A: CO2 levels and temperature have tracked closely, showing that carbon dioxide has played a significant role in Earth's climate, with recent spikes in CO2 contributing to current global warming.

Flashcard 12
Q: How are CO2 emissions linked to global warming?
A: CO2 emissions directly influence Earth's temperature. Addressing emissions is crucial for mitigating future warming and preventing extreme climate changes.

Flashcard 1
Q: What is energy?
A: Energy is the capacity to do work, such as lifting something, turning a wheel, or compressing a spring.
Unit: Joule (J).

Flashcard 2
Q: How much energy is required to lift an apple weighing 100 grams by 1 meter?
A: About 1 Joule (J) of energy.

Flashcard 3
Q: What is power?
A: Power is the rate at which energy moves from one place to another.
Unit: Watts (W), where 1 W = 1 J/s.

Flashcard 4
Q: How much power does a 60 W lightbulb consume?
A: A 60 W lightbulb consumes 60 J per second (60 J/s).

Flashcard 5
Q: If Dr. Walker's dog, River, consumes 700 calories per day, how much power does she require?
A: Use the conversion 1 Calorie = 4184 J. Calculate the power requirement using this conversion.

Flashcard 6
Q: What is temperature a measure of?
A: Temperature is a measure of the internal energy of an object, which reflects how fast the molecules are moving in that object.

Flashcard 7
Q: Which has a higher internal energy: Cup A or Cup B?
A: Higher internal energy means faster moving molecules, so the warmer cup has higher internal energy.

Flashcard 8
Q: What is the formula to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius?
A: C=(F−32)×59C = (F - 32) \times \frac{5}{9}C=(F−32)×95

Flashcard 9
Q: Convert 78.8°F to Celsius.
A: 78.8°F=26°C78.8°F = 26°C78.8°F=26°C.

Flashcard 10
Q: What is the formula to convert Celsius to Kelvin?
A: K=C+273.15K = C + 273.15K=C+273.15

Flashcard 11
Q: What is the temperature of 78.8°F in Kelvin?
A: 26°C=299.15K26°C = 299.15 K26°C=299.15K

Flashcard 12
Q: What is electromagnetic radiation?
A: Electromagnetic radiation is energy transported to Earth from the Sun through photons, which are packets of energy.

Flashcard 13
Q: What range of wavelengths does visible light cover?
A: Visible light wavelengths range from 0.3 to 0.8 microns.

Flashcard 14
Q: What is the difference between visible light and infrared radiation?
A: Infrared radiation has wavelengths between 0.8 to 1000 microns, while visible light has wavelengths from 0.3 to 0.8 microns.

Flashcard 15
Q: What is blackbody radiation?
A: Blackbody radiation refers to the emission of photons by all objects, with the wavelength of the emitted photons determined by the temperature of the object.

Flashcard 16
Q: What determines the wavelength of photons emitted by an object?
A: The temperature of the object determines the wavelength of the photons it emits.

Flashcard 17
Q: What is Wien's Displacement Law?
A: Wien’s Displacement Law relates the temperature of an object to the peak wavelength of the photons it emits. As an object heats up, the peak wavelength of its emission decreases.

Flashcard 18
Q: If a 300 K object is emitting radiation, what is its peak wavelength according to Wien’s Displacement Law?
A: λ=2897300≈9.66 microns\lambda = \frac{2897}{300} \approx 9.66 \, \text{microns}λ=3002897 ≈9.66microns

Flashcard 19
Q: At what temperature would the peak wavelength of an object enter the visible spectrum?
A: For an object to emit visible light (peak wavelength ≤ 0.8 microns), its temperature needs to be around 3621.25 K or higher.

Flashcard 20
Q: What is the peak wavelength of radiation emitted by the Sun?
A: The Sun emits radiation at a peak wavelength of approximately 0.48 microns, which is in the visible spectrum.

Flashcard 1
Question: Why are LED light bulbs more efficient than incandescent bulbs?
Answer:
LED bulbs are more efficient because their emission spectrum falls entirely within the visible light range, whereas incandescent bulbs emit most of their energy as heat and infrared radiation, wasting power.

Flashcard 2
Question: How do LED bulbs work?
Answer:
LED bulbs use light-emitting diodes, where electricity stimulates electrons to create photons. No filament is heated, and very little heat is produced.

Flashcard 3
Question: How much more efficient are LED bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs?
Answer:
LED bulbs are about 5 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs.

Flashcard 4
Question: What is the relationship between the temperature of a blackbody and the wavelength of its peak emission?
Answer:
As the temperature of a blackbody increases, the wavelength of its peak emission decreases (higher temperatures lead to shorter wavelengths).

Flashcard 5
Question: What happens to the total power emitted by a blackbody as its temperature increases?
Answer:
The total power emitted by a blackbody increases as its temperature increases.

Flashcard 6
Question: What is the Stefan-Boltzmann Law and its equation?
Answer:
The Stefan-Boltzmann Law states that the total power emitted by a blackbody is proportional to its temperature raised to the fourth power, and its surface area.
P=σAT4P = \sigma A T^4P=σAT4
Where:

PPP is the power emitted

σ\sigmaσ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant =5.67×10−8 W/m2K4= 5.67 \times 10^{-8} \, \text{W/m}^2\text{K}^4=5.67×10−8W/m2K4

AAA is the surface area of the blackbody

TTT is the temperature in Kelvin

Flashcard 7
Question: What is an example of how the Stefan-Boltzmann equation is applied?
Answer:
IR thermometers use the Stefan-Boltzmann equation to convert infrared emissions into an estimate of temperature.

Flashcard 8
Question: How is the Stefan-Boltzmann Law applied in astronomy?
Answer:
In astronomy, the Stefan-Boltzmann Law is used to measure the power emitted by a celestial object to estimate its temperature.

Flashcard 9
Question: What is the energy emitted by the Sun?
Answer:
The total power emitted by the Sun is calculated using the Stefan-Boltzmann equation, where the Sun's surface area and temperature are used to estimate its emitted energy.

Flashcard 10
Question: If the Sun’s radius were doubled, but the energy emitted remained the same, what temperature would the Sun need to be to maintain the same energy output?
Answer:
To maintain the same energy output with a doubled radius, the Sun would have to decrease its temperature. The temperature can be calculated using the Stefan-Boltzmann equation to balance the energy.

Flashcard 11
Question: What is the First Law of Thermodynamics?
Answer:
The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy must be conserved—if one object loses energy, another object must gain that energy.

Flashcard 12
Question: What happens to an object's temperature when it absorbs more energy than it emits?
Answer:
The object's temperature will increase because the internal energy increases when more energy is absorbed than emitted.

Flashcard 13
Question: How is the concept of energy balance illustrated with a banking analogy?
Answer:
Just like money cannot be created or destroyed in a bank account (money in = money out), energy balance follows the same principle where energy in must equal energy out.

Flashcard 14
Question: How does a turkey cook in an oven using energy balance?
Answer:
The oven emits photons from the heating element, which are absorbed by the turkey. The turkey absorbs more energy (265 W) than it radiates (33 W), leading to an increase in internal energy and a rise in temperature, cooking the turkey.

Flashcard 15
Question: What happens to a turkey's internal temperature as it cooks in the oven?
Answer:
The turkey absorbs more energy than it emits, causing its internal temperature to increase and cook the turkey.

Flashcard 16
Question: What is the role of the energy balance in the Earth's climate system?
Answer:
Energy balance plays a critical role in Earth's climate, where the amount of energy entering the Earth system (from the Sun) must balance with the energy leaving (through radiation) to maintain stable temperatures.

Flashcard 17
Question: How does the concept of energy balance apply to climate change?
Answer:
Energy balance is crucial in understanding the greenhouse effect and how changes in greenhouse gas concentrations can disrupt the balance, leading to climate change.

Flashcard 1
Q: What is the basic function of a greenhouse?
A: A greenhouse lets in solar radiation (mostly visible light), and the glass prevents wind from carrying away heat, which helps plants grow.

Flashcard 2
Q: How does the greenhouse effect differ from how a physical greenhouse works?
A: Unlike a physical greenhouse, the greenhouse effect involves the Earth’s atmosphere trapping infrared radiation, not just the physical structure trapping heat.

Flashcard 3
Q: What happens during the greenhouse effect?
A: Solar radiation heats the Earth. The Earth radiates energy (heat) back into space. The atmosphere absorbs some of this infrared radiation and re-emits it, warming the Earth further.

Flashcard 4
Q: What effect does adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere have on the planet?
A: It causes more energy to be radiated back to Earth, which leads to more warming of the planet.

Flashcard 5
Q: How much power does the Sun emit?
A: The Sun emits 3.8 x 10²⁶ watts of power in all directions, but only a small fraction reaches Earth.

Flashcard 6
Q: What is the solar constant?
A: The solar constant is the intensity of sunlight at Earth’s surface, approximately 238 W/m².

Flashcard 7
Q: How much energy from the Sun does Earth absorb?
A: Earth absorbs 238 W/m² of energy from the Sun on average.

Flashcard 8
Q: How does the energy from the Sun compare to human energy consumption?
A: Earth receives about 180,000 terawatts (TW) from the Sun, while human society consumes around 16 TW. Capturing just 0.01% of solar energy could meet the world’s energy needs.

Flashcard 9
Q: What factors affect how much energy Earth absorbs from the Sun?
A: Latitude, Earth's axis tilt, albedo (reflectivity), and time of day all influence how much energy a region absorbs.

Flashcard 10
Q: What role does latitude play in Earth's energy absorption?
A: Latitude determines how direct the sunlight is; regions near the equator receive more direct sunlight and thus more energy.

Flashcard 11
Q: How does Earth's axis tilt affect energy absorption?
A: The tilt of Earth's axis affects how much sunlight a location receives at different times of the year, influencing the intensity of energy absorption.

Flashcard 12
Q: What is albedo?
A: Albedo is the measure of how much sunlight is reflected by a surface. High albedo means more reflection, less absorption.

Flashcard 13
Q: How does time of day affect Earth's energy absorption?
A: During the day, more energy is absorbed, while at night, energy absorption decreases as the Sun's rays are not hitting the Earth.

Flashcard 14
Q: How does Earth's energy budget work?
A: Earth absorbs energy from the Sun and radiates energy back into space. The balance between energy in (Ein) and energy out (Eout) determines the planet's temperature.

Flashcard 15
Q: What would the Earth’s temperature be without the greenhouse effect?
A: Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would have an average temperature of -18°C, which is too cold for life as we know it.

Flashcard 16
Q: What is the role of the greenhouse effect in Earth's energy budget?
A: The greenhouse effect increases the Earth's temperature by trapping some of the energy that would otherwise be radiated into space, keeping the planet warmer.

Front: What are the four assumptions used in the simple model of the greenhouse effect?
Back:

Atmosphere is transparent to visible photons, absorbed at the surface.

Atmosphere is opaque to infrared photons emitted by Earth's surface.

Atmosphere behaves like a blackbody (emits photons based on temperature).

Photons emitted upward by the atmosphere escape to space, while photons emitted downward are absorbed by Earth’s surface.

Front: Why are models used in climate science?
Back: Models allow us to look forward in time and analyze periods without direct observations. They help to understand complex processes and provide simplified views to improve our understanding of Earth's system.

Front: In the one-layer greenhouse model, what happens to the energy from the Sun after it reaches Earth’s surface?
Back: Solar energy is absorbed at the surface and heats the Earth. The Earth then radiates infrared energy (heat) back towards the atmosphere, which absorbs and re-radiates some of this energy back to Earth.

Front: How does the greenhouse effect make Earth warmer than if energy only came from the Sun?
Back: The atmosphere absorbs infrared radiation emitted by Earth's surface, trapping heat and radiating it back to the surface, which warms the planet. This "blanket" effect helps to maintain a warmer, habitable climate.

Front: What does the two-layer model of the greenhouse effect show?
Back: The two-layer model includes an upper and lower atmosphere, where the lower atmosphere absorbs infrared radiation from Earth's surface and re-radiates it back to the surface, making the planet significantly warmer than in a one-layer model.

Front: What is the surface temperature of a planet in a two-layer greenhouse model with an energy balance of 714 W/m²?
Back: The temperature is much higher than that with just a single atmospheric layer, with the surface temperature being around 303 K (30°C).

Front: How does the number of atmospheric layers (n) affect a planet's temperature?
Back: As more layers are added, the surface temperature increases due to more energy being trapped and radiated back to the surface. This is because each layer emits radiation upwards and downwards, increasing the total energy reaching the surface.

Front: What happens if a planet's atmosphere is too thick (i.e., too many greenhouse gases)?
Back: Too many greenhouse gases trap excessive amounts of heat, making the planet much hotter and potentially causing dangerous warming, such as on Venus.

Front: How does energy transport by weather systems (e.g., hurricanes) differ from radiation?
Back: Energy can also be transported by weather systems, which move heat around the planet, unlike radiation that only travels in the form of electromagnetic waves.

Front: What is the solar constant (S) for Earth, and how does it affect the energy balance?
Back: The solar constant for Earth is 1360 W/m². It represents the amount of solar energy received per unit area at the top of Earth's atmosphere and plays a key role in determining the planet's energy balance and temperature.

Front: What is the albedo effect, and how does it influence Earth’s energy budget?
Back: Albedo is the fraction of solar energy that is reflected by Earth’s surface. A higher albedo (e.g., ice caps) reflects more energy, reducing the amount of energy absorbed and thus lowering the surface temperature.

Front: How would a dust-filled atmosphere affect the energy balance on a planet?
Back: Dust absorbs 50% of the incoming visible radiation, reducing the amount of energy reaching the surface, which can decrease the surface temperature.

Front: How do the greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere affect surface temperature?
Back: Greenhouse gases trap heat by absorbing infrared radiation emitted by Earth's surface and re-radiating it back to the surface, warming the planet.

Front: What is the surface temperature of Venus based on the given model, and why is it so high?
Back: The surface temperature of Venus is around 735 K due to a very thick atmosphere with a high number of greenhouse gases, causing a strong greenhouse effect.

Front: How do the greenhouse gases on Earth compare to those on Venus?
Back: Earth has a moderate amount of greenhouse gases, which keeps the planet warm but habitable. Venus has an extremely thick atmosphere with high levels of greenhouse gases, leading to an extremely hot surface temperature.

Front: How does the energy balance equation for a planet work in the one-layer model?
Back: In the one-layer model, the energy balance is calculated by considering the solar energy entering the atmosphere and the infrared energy emitted back to space and the surface. The energy in must equal the energy out for a stable climate.

Front: What role does Earth's atmosphere play in maintaining a habitable climate?
Back: Earth's atmosphere absorbs infrared radiation from the surface and re-radiates it back, trapping heat and keeping the planet warm enough to support life.

Flashcard 1
Q: What is the formula for the energy balance of a planet with a one-layer atmosphere?
A:

Solar Constant (S) = 1000 W/m²

Albedo (α) = 0.25

Energy absorbed by the planet = (1 - α) * S

Energy emitted by the planet = 4 Stefan-Boltzmann constant T⁴
Where T is the surface temperature of the planet.

Flashcard 2
Q: If dust fills the atmosphere and absorbs 50% of the incoming visible radiation, how does the energy balance change?
A:

The dust absorbs half of the incoming solar radiation.

Energy absorbed by the atmosphere increases, reducing energy available to the surface.

The new surface temperature would be different as the planet is absorbing less energy.

Flashcard 3
Q: What is the role of the carbon cycle in climate change?
A:
The carbon cycle moves carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, land biosphere, and rocks. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, release excess CO2 into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Flashcard 4
Q: What are the main components of Earth's atmosphere?
A:

Non-greenhouse gases:

Nitrogen (78%)

Oxygen (21%)

Argon (~1%)

Greenhouse gases (important but small in amount):

Water vapor (H2O)

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Methane (CH4)

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Ozone (O3)

Halocarbons

Flashcard 5
Q: How do greenhouse gases contribute to the greenhouse effect?
A:
Greenhouse gases trap infrared radiation in the atmosphere, warming the planet. While visible light can pass through the atmosphere, these gases absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, increasing the Earth's surface temperature.

Flashcard 6
Q: Which greenhouse gas is most abundant and important for climate change?
A:
Water vapor is the most abundant and important greenhouse gas, though its concentration is highly variable. It is a key player in the water cycle and climate feedbacks.

Flashcard 7
Q: How does the atmosphere-land biosphere exchange of carbon work?
A:

Plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.

Respiration by plants, animals, and bacteria returns CO2 to the atmosphere.

Seasonal cycles:

Spring/Summer: More photosynthesis, net decrease in CO2.

Fall/Winter: Less photosynthesis, more CO2 from plant decay, net increase in CO2.

Flashcard 8
Q: How much carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere and land biosphere annually?
A:
About 110 gigatonnes (GtC) of carbon are exchanged between the atmosphere and land biosphere each year.

Flashcard 9
Q: What is the role of oceans in the carbon cycle?
A:

Oceans absorb and release CO2 through the formation of carbonic acid (H2CO3).

Ocean acidification is an important concern in climate change.

The ocean exchanges about 60 GtC with the atmosphere annually.

Flashcard 10
Q: How does the deep ocean play a role in the carbon cycle?
A:

The deep ocean contains the majority of the Earth's carbon (37,100 GtC).

The exchange between the deep ocean and atmosphere is much slower, taking centuries.

Flashcard 11
Q: What is the turnover time for carbon in different reservoirs?
A:

Atmosphere: ~5 years

Land biosphere: ~20 years

Ocean mixed layer: ~6 years

Deep ocean: ~371 years

Rocks: Millions of years (very slow exchange with atmosphere)

Flashcard 12
Q: How is carbon stored in rocks, and how does it exchange with the atmosphere?
A:

Carbon is stored in rocks, especially limestone (CaCO3).

The exchange is very slow (about 0.1 GtC per year) via volcanic eruptions and chemical weathering.

Flashcard 13
Q: How do natural processes influence atmospheric CO2?
A:

Natural variations include volcanic activity, meteorite impacts, and geological processes like the movement of continents.

For example, the collision of India with Asia formed the Himalayas, increasing exposure of rock and reducing atmospheric CO2.

Flashcard 14
Q: How much carbon did humans emit in 2019?
A:
Humans emitted more than 11.5 GtC, which is over 20 times the weight of the entire human population.

Flashcard 15
Q: What is the impact of burning fossil fuels on the carbon cycle?
A:
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon stored in rocks (coal, oil, natural gas) into the atmosphere. This transfer is happening over 100 times faster than the natural carbon flow from rock to atmosphere, significantly contributing to climate change.

Flashcard 16
Q: What is the main chemical reaction for burning fossil fuels?
A:
The combustion of fossil fuels follows a reaction similar to respiration:
CHx + O2 → CO2 + H2O + energy
The CO2 is released directly into the atmosphere.

Q: What was the average atmospheric CO2 level in 2022?
A: 417.2 ppm.

Flashcard 2
Q: How did CO2 levels behave in the past 10,000 years before the industrial revolution?
A: CO2 stayed in a narrow range.

Flashcard 3
Q: When did the CO2 spike begin?
A: In the early 1800s, during the Industrial Revolution.

Flashcard 4
Q: What is the trend in the rate of CO2 increase from 1750 to 2015?
A: The rate of CO2 increase is accelerating.

Flashcard 5
Q: How long did it take to increase CO2 by 60 ppm from 1750 to 1980?
A: Over 200 years.

Flashcard 6
Q: How long did it take to increase CO2 by 60 ppm from 1980 to 2015?
A: About 35 years.

Flashcard 7
Q: What is the trend in the annual increase of atmospheric CO2 per decade?
A: The increase has been rising, from 0.85 ppm in 1960-1969 to 2.42 ppm in 2010-2019.

Flashcard 8
Q: What percentage of anthropogenic CO2 emissions stays in the atmosphere?
A: About half stays in the atmosphere.

Flashcard 9
Q: Where do the remaining emissions of CO2 go?
A: About one-quarter dissolves in the ocean, and about one-quarter is absorbed by the land-biosphere.

Flashcard 10
Q: What role do oceans and land-biosphere play in absorbing CO2 emissions?
A: They help absorb fossil fuel emissions, reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Flashcard 11
Q: How do we know where CO2 emissions end up?
A: We can measure atmospheric CO2 and oxygen levels, and use chemical reactions to track the movement of carbon.

Flashcard 12
Q: What is the key piece of evidence linking fossil fuels to the rise in CO2?
A: The absence of Carbon-14 in the CO2, indicating that it comes from fossil fuels (long-dead plants).

Flashcard 13
Q: Why are CO2 emissions from fossil fuels a concern compared to natural sources?
A: Fossil fuel emissions add CO2 to the atmosphere 100 times faster than natural processes, leading to a long-term increase in atmospheric CO2.

Flashcard 14
Q: How long does it take for CO2 from fossil fuel emissions to be removed from the atmosphere?
A: CO2 can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years, with some remaining even after 10,000 years.

Flashcard 15
Q: What is the half-life of methane in the atmosphere?
A: Methane is oxidized and destroyed in about 10 years.

Flashcard 16
Q: What is methane’s role as a greenhouse gas?
A: Methane is 20 times more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.

Flashcard 17
Q: What is the primary source of human-caused methane emissions?
A: 60% from agriculture and waste, 30% from the petrochemical industry, and 10% from biomass burning.

Flashcard 18
Q: What is the natural source of methane emissions?
A: 66% from wetlands, and the remainder from oceans, lakes, rivers, and animals (especially termites).

Flashcard 19
Q: How does thawing permafrost contribute to greenhouse gases?
A: Thawing permafrost releases methane and CO2, creating a feedback loop that accelerates climate change.

Flashcard 20
Q: When did methane levels begin to increase significantly?
A: Around the time of the Industrial Revolution.

Flashcard 21
Q: What is the primary fate of methane in the atmosphere?
A: Methane is destroyed through oxidation, converting to CO2 and H2O after about 10 years.

Flashcard 22
Q: What makes methane a significant greenhouse gas despite its lower concentration than CO2?
A: Methane is much more powerful in trapping heat, contributing to around a quarter of the planet’s warming.

Flashcard 23
Q: How does the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere change over time?
A: Initial removal occurs quickly by the land-biosphere and ocean, but slower processes, such as chemical weathering of rocks, take thousands to millions of years.

Flashcard 24
Q: What happens to a pulse of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere?
A: About 40% is removed in the first 20 years, but after 400 years, only about 25% remains, with the rest slowly removed through chemical weathering.

Flashcard 25
Q: Why is the long-term fate of CO2 emissions important?
A: CO2 stays in the atmosphere for a very long time, meaning today's emissions will affect the climate for tens of thousands of years.

Flashcard 26
Q: What is the fate of methane after being emitted?
A: Methane is oxidized in the atmosphere, turning into CO2 and H2O within about 10 years.

Flashcard 1: Front:
What is the equation for the combustion of fossil fuels?

Back:
CHx+O2→CO2+H2O+energy

Flashcard 2: Front:
What is the chemical reaction for photosynthesis?

Back:
CO2+H2O+sunlight→CH2O+O2

Knowt