GPH 115 midterm #1
What is an example of the biosphere-atmosphere interaction?
- Carbon dioxide responding to the seasons (winter and summer) in the Northern Hemisphere - Carbon sinks absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and emitting oxygen
Negative vs. Positive feedback loops
- Negative feedback: feedback information that discourages response in the system - this feedback is self-restoring (frost bite) and causes stabilization in a natural system On the other hand, - Positive feedback: feedback information that encourages increased response in the system which can create a "snowball on a slope" or "run-away" effect - It is an enhanced response (example: ice-albedo feedback in the climate system)
Open systems vs. Closed systems
- Open systems are systems that are not self-contained because inputs and outputs of energy and matter are always flowing in and out of the system - Earth is an open system in terms of energy, while natural ecosystems such as plans act as open systems - Closed systems are systems that close themselves off from their surrounding environment so that it is self-contained - Not considering energy, Earth is a closed system in terms of physical matter and resources such as air, water and material resources
What are the 6 interactions between the 4 environmental spheres? Give 1-2 examples of each
1. Atmosphere-Hydrosphere: Evaporation of water from the ocean into the atmosphere 2. hydrosphere-geosphere: Ocean waves hitting a rock 3. Geosphere-atmosphere: A volcanic eruption 4. Biosphere-atmosphere: Carbon dioxide uptake by plants and trees or a plants release of oxygen after photosynthesis or wild fires 5. Biosphere-hydrosphere: Ecosystems in the ocean need water to function, grow and live 6. Biosphere-geoshpere: The rooting of plants in soil The interaction between these spheres represents the changes between systems and more specifically the exchange of energy and matter between them.
List and describe the 4 environmental spheres
1. Atmosphere: air and gases that surround the Earth 2. Geosphere: part of the earth that includes rocks, minerals, land forms - materials that shape earth's surface 3. Hydrosphere: the water on Earth's surface including oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. The hydrosphere includes both seawater and saltwater. It is 97.2% ocean and 2.8% freshwater 4. Biosphere: All the ecosystems on the planet. It is the layer of earth where all life exists
What are the most important human caused greenhouse gases and what are their sources? List them in order of their importance
1. Carbon Dioxide: - combustion of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas - deforestation: LULCC's that destroys/reduces carbon sinks - cement and steel production 2. Methane: - fossil fuels extraction and production - rice paddy/global rice production and anaerobic environments - livestock (beef, dairy, cattle, sheep/goats) 3. Nitrous oxide: - chemical N-based fertilizers - industrial processes - fossil fuel combustion
What are the 4 mechanisms of heat transfer relevant to climatology?
1. Conduction 2. Convection 3. Radiation (Radiant energy transfer) 4. Latent heat transfer
According to the MEA, there are five important Indirect Drivers (or forcing influences of humans) to produce environmental change. What are they?
1. Demographic 2. Socio-political 3. Economic 4. Scientific-technological 5. Cultural-religious
What are the most abundant naturally-occurring greenhouse gases and what are their sources? List in order of importance
1. H20 vapor - Ocean evaporation - Evaporation from lakes and rivers - E.T. (evapotranspiration) - soil moisture evaporation and plant transpiration 2. Carbon dioxide - Plant respiration - Animal respiration - Soil respiration - Biological decomposition (Diagram of: aerobic soil-root zone) - Volcanoes 3. Methane - Swamps and wetlands (Diagram of: anaerobic environment) - Termites - Oceans (sediments and microbes in sea floor) 4. Nitrous oxide - Denitrification process in soils - Oceans (microbial activity) - Lightning
According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), what are some of the important Direct Drivers of environmental changes?
1. LULCC's (land use land cover change) 2. Climate Change 3. Invasive species 4. Major volcanic eruptions
How is Earth habitable? (3 reasons).
1. Ozone layer 2. Greenhouse effect 3. "Happy distance" - We are far enough away from the sun
What are the 4 content areas of the discipline of geography?
1. Physical/environmental: - Physical and life sciences 2. Human/cultural: - Social sciences 3. Regional: - Studying regions such as Asia, the US, Canada and Africa 4. Tools and techniques: - Allows geographers to do spacial analysis through: geography information systems, mapping and remote sensing
Forests are net carbon sinks as are coastal marshes, swamps and estuaries. Explain.
A carbon sink is anything that removes carbon from the atmosphere (carbon dioxide uptake). Forests (etc.) are more complicated and are considered net carbon sinks because the plants and trees in their environments are both carbon sinks and sources due to photosynthesis and respiration. Plants and trees are carbon sinks because they remove co2 from the atmosphere for energy during photosynthesis. But, during respiration they remove oxygen from the atmosphere and emit co2 back into the air, making them a carbon source at the same time. However, they are still net carbon sinks because they take in more carbon than they emit. Net carbon sinks are extremely important to countries trying to protect their forests, marshes, swamps and estuaries to combat climate change.
What is a feedback loop?
A pathway that carries information to influence how an ecosystem operates
What is an example of the geosphere-atmosphere interaction?
A volcanic eruption
What is the approximate albedo of the combined earth-atmosphere system?
About 30%
How much solar radiation is absorbed by the earth's surface on a global annual basis?
About 67-71%
What is the relationship between climate change and ozone hole depletion?
Although the depletion of the ozone layer does not cause or impact climate change, it is still connected to it in a number of ways: - The CFCs that began depleting the ozone are also powerful greenhouse gases which effect the climate - Changes in the stratospheric ozone has climate impacts such as a cooling effect on the climate - As the stratosphere continues to cool, the recovery of the ozone layer is pushed back a decade
Describe radiant energy transfer - this method is for what?
Any object above 0K emits a spectrum of electromagnetic radiant energy: - hot objects emit shorter wavelengths - cool objects emit longer wavelengths This method is for plant transpiration
Who was Svante Arrhenius and when was he conducting his research?
Arrhenius was the first to think about the implications of carbon dioxide and the emissions of co2 into the atmosphere He began research the heating influence of co2 gas in 1896 Eventually, presented a model of the greenhouse effect
What is the functional relationship for the tundra-global-warming-methane feedback?
As greenhouse gases increase, air temperatures in the tundra region also increase. With an increase in air temperature, the tundra region is witnessing an increase in the thawing of surface and permafrost which leads to more biological decomposition. In turn, more methane which is an extremely powerful and potent greenhouse gas is released into the atmosphere. Therefore, the warming caused by greenhouse gases is increasing due to the release of more methane from the tundra ecosystem into the atmosphere.
What is the functional relationship for the ice-albedo feedback?
As the planet gets warmer, ice and snow melts. Because snow has a high albedo and reflects the most sunlight, the planet is more exposed to sunlight (since the snow and ice is gone). As a result, the planet continues to get warmer.
Describe the oscillation of the Keeling data on atmospheric carbon dioxide
At #1 on the graph: carbon dioxide decreases in the atmosphere due to the growing season in the Northern Hemisphere. During the summer, plants and trees (carbon sinks) grow and through photosynthesis they reduce the amount of carbon in the air. At #2 on the graph: carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere again as the growing season is over and fall and winter begin in the Northern Hemisphere. During these seasons, the plants begin shedding their leaves and no longer take the carbon out of the air.
What are CFC's and why were they created?
CFC's do not exist in nature, they were created in a laboratory and were used in the industry as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners. CFC's are extremely dangerous because they consist of chlorine atoms which destroy ozone molecules and thus contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. At first, they were cheap and people thought they were harmless, so they were attractive to consumers. However, they have long atmospheric lifetimes and once they reach the stratosphere they threaten the ozone layer.
How does deforestation of the world's rain forests lead to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide?
Carbon sinks such as forests, soils and plants remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and emit the oxygen that we breathe. With less rain forests, we will no longer have carbon sinks to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Therefore, there will be an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and a decrease in oxygen.
Describe conduction - what is it most efficient in?
Conduction is molecule-to-molecule heat transfer in the direction of hotter to cooler It is most efficient in solids such as soils, bricks, concrete, blocks and iron
Describe convection - what exploits this method?
Convection is the heat transfer in gases and liquids due to a density difference in a heated gas or liquid Hot air-ballooning exploits this method
What is meant by E.T. from a forest? (Refer to what E.T. stands for and what the E and T mean)
E.T. means evapotransporation where "E" stands for evaporation and "T" stands for the transpiration of plants. In forests, evapotransporation is a process where water and moisture from the land evaporates from the soil and the transpiration of plants into the atmosphere. Through the transpiration of plants, water vapor is released into the atmosphere.
How is earth an open system and a closed system?
Earth is an open system is terms of energy because Earth absorbs solar energy from the sun and releases heat energy back into space. Earth is also a closed system in terms of its physical matter, material resources and resources such as air and water because these resources do not flow into the system or out of the system. The only exceptions are the escape of some lightweight gas into space and the input of meteors and cosmic dust.
Describe latent heat transfer - what situation/example does this method explain?
Energy consumed in evaporating liquid water to gaseous water vapor Explains why a snow pack can melt/sublimate and its melt water can evaporate on a sunny day
What is an example of the atmosphere-hydrosphere interaction?
Evaporation of water from the ocean into the atmosphere
Discuss how increases in greenhouse gas pollution cause global warming.
Greenhouse gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and prevent it from radiating back into space. Human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, livestock, rice production, chemical fertilizers and industrial processes have led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas pollution in the atmosphere. As a result, the planet is getting warmer. Therefore, the gases responsible for trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere have caused one of the world's most pressing problems: global warming.
Who is Greta Thunberg and why is she important?
Greta Thunberg is a teenage environmental activist from Sweden who started the school climate strike to call for greater action on global warming and climate change. She is extremely important because after addressing the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, student strikes and protests occurred every week throughout the entire world
Discuss gross photosynthesis, respiration and net photosynthesis (Pnet = Pg-R)
Gross photosynthesis occurs when plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere and use it for food and energy, making them a carbon sink. At the same time, however, the plant is respiring. During respiration, the plant or tree is removing oxygen from the air and emitting carbon dioxide back into the air. Because gross photosynthesis and respiration occur at the same time, net photosynthesis (Pnet = Pg-R) can measure the total amount of oxygen emitted by the plant or the total amount of carbon dioxide uptake after gross photosynthesis and respiration occur.
What are examples of surfaces with high albedos?
HIGH albedo: surfaces that are lighter such as snow which has an albedo of 98% Other examples: - Thick clouds - Light roofs
What does GWPs stand for and what are High GWPs?
High GWPs are High Global Warming Potential Gases such as CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs High GWPs are super absorbers of the infrared radiation emitted by the sun to the Earth's surface.
Compare and contrast the radiation emitted by the earth and its atmosphere versus the sun.
Hotter objects emit short wave lengths, while cooler objects emit long wave lengths. Since the sun is much hotter and earth cannot generate enough heat on its own, it emits energy through shortwave lengths to warm earth's surface. The earth and sun's form of energy and radiation are also different. For instance, the sun's energy reaches earth in the form of visible light. However, earth's infrared radiation cannot pass through the air in the same way and is not emitted as visible light. Ultimately, the radiation emitted by the earth and its atmosphere and the sun are strikingly different.
What is a steady-state equilibrium?
In a system, when the inputs and outputs are equal and the amount of energy and matter in storage are constant the system is in a steady-state equilibrium
When was the research done that theorized that CFC's would destroy ozone in the ozone layer?
In the 1970s, researchers theorized that CFCs would destroy ozone in the ozone layer due to the release of chlorine in the atmosphere.
What are examples of surfaces with low albedos?
LOW albedo: surfaces that are darker such as the dark oceans that have an albedo of 6% Other examples: - Asphalt - Forests - Dark roofs
Geographers study LULCC's using satellite remote sensing. What does LULCC mean? List three examples.
LULCC means: land use land cover change An example of LULCC would be deforestation which destroys and reduces carbon sink. Three examples of LULCC and deforestation are: 1. Reducing forests and cutting down trees for agriculture reasons such as growing crops 2. Changing forests into cities 3. Changing crop to suburb
What is an example of the biosphere-hydrosphere interaction?
Marine ecosystems need water to function, live and grow
Why is Mars so cold? Describe its greenhouse effect.
Mars does have a greenhouse effect because carbon dioxide is present, but it is weak because its atmosphere is so thin. Unlike Venus and Earth, Mars cannot retain energy from the sun and therefore cannot absorb enough heat, making it an extremely cold planet.
How are natural ecosystems both open and closed systems?
Natural ecosystems such as plants and trees are open systems due to their use of sunlight as an energy input and material inputs of water, nutrients and carbon dioxide. Plants release an output of oxygen after photosynthesis. Thus, this particular natural ecosystem is an open system because energy and materials flow into and out of the plant during respiration and photosynthesis.
Describe the problem of ocean acidification
Ocean uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide means that the oceans sea water has been absorbing so much co2 that it is lowering the levels of pH in the ocean. This increase has significant implications for all sea life because it disrupts the ability of reef-building corals, plants and other animals at the bottom of the food chain to develop their shells. as a result, other sea life suffers because their health and livelihoods depend on these shelled organisms.
What is an example of the hydrosphere-geosphere interaction?
Ocean waves hitting a rock
Explain how CFC's cause the catalytic destruction of the ozone layer
Once CFC's reach the stratosphere, the UV light causes the CFC's to break down. As a result, the chlorine atoms are released. When combined with ozone, chlorine becomes extremely reactive and causes the catalytic destruction of the ozone layer
What is a meta stable equilibrium?
Once a system reaches its threshold or tipping point, it can no longer maintain itself and reaches a new operational level
What are the two main reasons for the rise in sea levels?
One of the many consequences of global warming is the rise in sea levels. There are two main reasons for the rise in sea levels associated with global warming. The first reason is that as it gets warmer, there is a thermal expansion of sea water. The second reason which is the most important in our lifetime is the melting of the land-based polar ice caps in places such as Antarctica and Greenland.
What is a dynamic equilibrium?
Over time, the steady-state system may show CHANGING TRENDS over time known as increasing or decreasing system operations
How does ozone gas form in the stratosphere?
Ozone gas forms in the stratosphere when an oxygen molecule (O2) is split apart by UV radiation. Once a free oxygen atom meets an oxygen molecule (O2), ozone gas (O3) is formed. In simpler terms, ozone gas is formed when there is a chemical reaction between oxygen and UV light.
Describe the Science and Technology Indirect Drivers
Scientific knowledge and the technology that exploits that knowledge has significant impacts on the environment such as food production and advances in fishing technology that has contributed to the depletion of marine fish stocks.
What are the sources of the natural GHG H20 vapor?
Sources of H20 vapor: - Ocean evaporation - Lake/river evaporation - E.T. (evapotranspiration) - soil moisture evaporation and plant transpiration
What are the sources of the HUMAN CAUSED ghg methane?
Sources of human caused Ch4 are: - Fossil fuel extraction and production - Rice paddies and anaerobic environments - Global rice production - Livestock (beef, cattle, dairy, sheep, goats)
What are the sources of the HUMAN CAUSED ghg nitrous oxide?
Sources of human caused n20 are: - Chemical N-based fertilizers - Industrial processes - Fossil fuel combustion
What are the sources of the NATURAL GHG carbon dioxide?
Sources of naturally caused carbon dioxide: - Plant respiration - Animal respiration - Soil respiration - Biological decomposition (aerobic environment diagram) - Volcanoes
What are the sources of the HUMAN CAUSED ghg carbon dioxide?
Sources of the human caused ghg carbon dioxide are: - Combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil - Deforestation: LULLC's that destroys/reduces carbon sinks - Cement and steel production
What is the ozone layer and where is it located?
The Earth's ozone layer protects all life from the sun's radiation and harmful UV light. Located in the stratosphere, the ozone layer absorbs a significant amount of the sun's radiation before it can reach Earth's surface.
What is the Montreal Protocol that was signed in 1987? What were the six aims of the international agreement?
The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement that was signed in 1987 to protect the ozone layer from ozone depleting substances such as CFCs. Although there were many aims of the Protocol, the 6 principal aims were: 1. To phase out CFCs using timetables 2. Develop interim substances that won't cause as much harm to the ozone layer such as HCFCs 3. Phase out HCFCs through timetables and replace them with substances that do not have chlorine such as HCFs 4. To enforce penalties and fines on wrongdoers at the government level or people on the black market 5. Established procedures for critical use exceptions (CUE) to be granted and taken away 6. New chemicals be tested for their own ozone-depletion potential (ODP).
Describe how aerosol loading of the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion led to a couple decades known as "global dimming." What is the relevance of this to climate change and air temp increases due to ghg's?
The aerosol loading of the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion such as black soot and human-caused greenhouse gases caused "global dimming" by altering the atmospheric albedo. These emissions darkened the sky and surfaces on Earth such as ice and snow (which both have high albedos) and changed the characteristics of clouds. As a result, less solar radiation was reflected back to space and the earth got warmer. Aerosol loading and the decades of global dimming are extremely relevant to climate change and the increase in air temperatures due to ghg's because these gases trap heat in the atmosphere and prevent it from escaping. In turn, the consequences of climate change became more severe such as the rise in sea levels due to the melting of land-based polar ice caps in Antarctica and Greenland.
What is the connection between the carbon cycle and climate change?
The carbon cycle is connected to climate change because the natural cycle absorbs about half of all our carbon dioxide emissions which keeps co2 from ending up in the atmosphere. Instead, it is stored in the oceans and land biosphere. Ultimately, the natural carbon cycle helps to lower carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere.
What are the environmental effects of ozone layer depletion?
The depletion of the ozone layer increases the amount of UVB radiation that reaches Earth's surface. In turn, the environment is significantly effected. More specifically, the growth of plants, marine ecosystems, and materials such as plastic. Increased UVB radiation effects the growth of plants because it impacts its physiological and developmental cycle. It also impacts marine ecosystems because it reduces the number of phytoplankton which are the foundation of the marine food chain. As a result, the entire well-being of the marine food chain is threatened.
What are the health effects of ozone layer depletion?
The depletion of the ozone layer increases the amount of the UVB radiation that reaches Earth's surface. As a result, human health is threatened. For instance, the risks of both skin cancer and cataracts significantly rises.
Describe the Demographic Indirect Drivers
The global population has doubled in the past 40 years and increased by 2 billion people in the past 25 years, while high-income countries such as the U.S. are still experiencing population growth. With more people in the world, the Earth's resources will be placed under a greater demand which will lead to environmental changes. - Population change - Growth - Migration
What is the greenhouse effect (GHE)?
The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases (greenhouse gases) in Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's heat. This process makes Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere. Some of it is reflected back to space, while some is absorbed by the earth.
The hydrologic cycle is powered by energy from where?
The hydrologic cycle (water cycle) is powered by energy from THE SUN. The sun's solar energy drives the hydrologic cycle evaporate water from the oceans, lakes, rivers and soils to the atmosphere.
The hydrologic cycle is a gigantic system that does what?
The hydrological cycle is a gigantic system in which water from the atmosphere reaches land and water surfaces through precipitation. Eventually, the water returns to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration.
What stores the most carbon in the carbon cycle? (There are two).
The oceans and the terrestrial/land biosphere
When were the ozone holes discovered over Antarctica and by what research group?
The ozone holes were discovered over Antarctica in 1985 by the British Antarctic Survey
What is albedo?
The reflection of incoming solar radiation by a surface (It is scaled: 0-100%)
What is an example of the biosphere-geosphere interaction?
The rooting of plants in soil
What are the sources of the NATURAL ghg methane?
The sources of the naturally occurring CH4 are: - Swamps/wetlands (anaerobic environment) - Termites - Oceans (microbes in sea floor and sediments)
What are the sources of the NATURAL GHG nitrous oxide?
The sources of the naturally occurring N20 are: - Denitrification process of soils - Oceans (microbial activity) - Lightning
Describe the Socio-political Indirect Drivers
These drivers include the forces that influence decision-making, public participating, the relationship between the state and public sector, dispute resolution, education and knowledge. These indirect drivers are important because they play a role in environmental agreements and institutional agreements for ecosystem management.
The study of the 6 interactions among the environmental spheres requires scientists to know the flows of what 2 elements? - Excluding storages and feed backs
They also need to study and measure the flows of ENERGY and MATTER
Describe the Economic Indirect Drivers
Throughout the past decade, income per capita has risen which causes consumption rates to increase. The increase in global taxes and subsidies also contributes to environmental changes because it increases consumption. In turn, Earth's ecosystems and resources are demanded at a higher and more unsustainable rate. - Globalization - Trade - Market - Differences in wealth and trade patterns
Why is Venus a hothouse planet? Describe its greenhouse effect.
Venus is a hothouse planet because it has a RUNAWAY GREENHOUSE EFFECT and experiences an extremely hot GHE due to the high amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Because Venus does not have any organisms to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it has extremely high concentrations of carbon dioxide and a GHE to match. Thus, Venus is considered the "hothouse" planet.
Describe how wet soil-plant systems like swamps and marshes are sources of greenhouse gases. (Draw diagram of an anaerobic environment on test).
Wet soil-plant systems such as swamps and marshes are a source of methane which is an extremely powerful and abundant greenhouse gas. Because there is no oxygen present, methane is produced by the bacteria in these environments that decompose plant and animal matter. From the saturated soil-root zone of the anaerobic environment, methane gas is emitted into the atmosphere.
What is a system feedback?
When systems (any ordered set of things linked by the flows of energy and matter that is distinct from the surrounding environment) operate, they generate outputs that influence its own operations and acts as information - this information is eventually returned to the system through pathways called feedback loops (hence, a system feedback)
Describe the Cultural and Religious Indirect Drivers
Within cultures, are various beliefs, values and norms which may impact people's perceptions of the environment and their consumption behavior. For instance, how much they consume and what they consume.
