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31 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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weather |
meteorological factors in a specific place on a specific day |
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weather factors |
temperature precipitation wind speed humidity atmospheric pressure presence of fog, mist or cloud cover |
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predicting weather |
average of temperature and conditions on that day from years back, and current conditions and cloud formations |
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Climate |
usual pattern of weather in a region over a long period of time |
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climate factors |
range of temperatures, possible types of precipitation |
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climate zones |
arctic circle tropic of cancer equator tropic of capricorn antarctic circle |
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atmosphere |
21% oxygen 78% nitrogen 1% other stuff |
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greenhouse effect |
radiation from sun passes through atmosphere absorbed by earths surface -> thermal energy gases trap heat emitted from earth radiate it in all directions including back at earth about half the radiation gets sent back, warming the earth even more |
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greenhouse gases |
gases that trap the heat water vapour - biggest CO2 methane ozone nitrous oxide |
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Carbon sinks |
remove carbon from the atmosphere living things and oceans are carbon sinks |
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nitrous oxide |
300x more effective than CO2 as a gh gas went from 270 ppb to 371 ppb |
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ice age cycles |
ice age parts much longer |
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long term climate change cycles |
eccentricity tilt precession of tilt (wobble) |
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eccentricity |
shape of orbit cycles between almost circular and elliptical currently more elliptical 100,000 year cycle |
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tilt |
over about 41,000 years oscillation between 22.1% and 24.5% currently 23.5% and decreasing |
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precession |
26,000 year cycle angle of tilt remains around the same but direction changes We call whatever the earths axis is pointing at the North Star Polaris - was Thuban, will be Airai |
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short term climate variations |
volcanic eruptions spew rock, dust, gas into atmosphere reflect suns energy, cools earth air and ocean currents when climate is in transition ice sheets melt, fresh water at surface of oceans, disrupted currents, cooled earth |
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Feedback loops |
positive two factors perpetuate each other, push each other in same direction, increase or decrease negative increase/decrease in one leads to increase/decrease in other leading to reversal of original change in one, leading to same in other constant oscillation |
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albedo effect |
how much a material reflects the suns energy ice reflects about 75% - albedo is 0.75 grass - 20% - 0.20 |
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albedo warming |
ice melts -> less of suns radiation is reflected -> earth's temp increases -> ice melts ... |
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albedo cooling |
ice forms -> more of suns radiation reflected -> earths temp increases -> ice forms ... |
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evidence of climate change |
rising temperatures greater CO2 in the atmosphere melting glaciers and ice sheets rising sea level |
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greenhouse gases |
anthropogenic sources CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons |
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CO2 |
most significant greenhouse gas burning fossi fuels produces it trees take it in 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy = C6H12O2 + 6O2 about 10% of carbon dioxide emissions are from deforestation leftover forest matter decomposes, releasing it and methane |
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methane |
mostly from rice farming, cattle ranching, agriculture coal mining and natural gas extraction release CH4 trapped undergroud |
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nitrous oxide (N2O) |
management of livestock feed and waste also from nitrogen fertilizers, industrial processes |
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chlorofluorocarbons |
refrigeration agents leak out of refrigerators and AC decreasing due to treaties like Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer |
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these on greenhouse effect |
CO2 is 30% of anthropogenic gh effect methane -> 20% nitrous oxide -> 10% |
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carbon sinks and temperature |
higher temperature causes a release from carbon sinks |
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climate projections |
scientific estimate of future climate conditions based on simulations by climate models |
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energy sources |
wind
wind turns blades of turbines, rotates crank, powers generator geothermal used to heat homes and buildings solar panels absorb sunlight, convert to electricity hydroelectricity energy of moving water turns turbines- electricity nuclear splitting nuclei of atoms - no ghg, radioactive waste |
