PCS 4810- ch 1, PSC4810 - CH2, PSC 4810 - Unit 3, PSC4810 Ch 5

What are ECVs and how are they selected?

ECV's are essential climate variables. They are selected because they represent climatic characteristics of a location for the period of time.

How does evaporation and condensation purify water?

Evaporation and condensation purify water because these processes leave behind mineral deposits (only water is involved in these transformations).

List the segments of the electromagnetic spectrum from smallest to largest wavelength

Gamma ray, x-ray, ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwave, and radio wave

How are USHCN sites chosen?

Long term stations, not going to be near any new developing cities, spacial coverage, record length, historical stability, surroundings won't drastically change

Where is most of the world's ice found?

MAIN source is at the East antarctic ice sheet, the the west ice sheet. (polar locations) Generally, most of the worlds ice is in glaciers, ice caps, and permanent snow/ice in polar and alpine regions... 68% of earths water

Why is there a difference in meteorological seasons and astronomical seasons?

Meteorological: 3-month intervals centered on the typical occurrence of the warmest and coldest months of the year. Meteorological spring spans March, April and May; summer becomes June, July and August; autumn is September, October and November, while winter is December, January and February. Astronomical calendar - based on equinoxes and solstices

How does latent heat help to transfer heat over long distances?

Most common when there is evaporation at the ocean surface, blows somewhere else long long away, then condensing and providing long-range transportation of heat energy

How is the climate like a natural resource?

Natural cycles are always changing as the climate system responds to changes in the natural world. Climate is variable and changing, yet is currently shifting at unparalleled rates (when looking at past trend lines)

What is one of the main reasons for resistance to climate change adaptation?

One of the main reasons for resistance is that change could jeopardize the economy.

Why is ozone important to human life?

Ozone and other gases are vital to human life because they keep the fluid envelope surrounding the planet together.

How is precipitable water different from humidity measurements?

Precipitable water is the depth of the liquid that could be produced, whereas humidity is related directly to the specific location and circumstances at that location.

What is wavelength?

The distance from any point on a wave to an identical point on the next wave

Describe the three working groups of the IPCC.

Working Group I assesses the physical scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change. Working group II assesses the scientific, political, environmental, economic, and social aspects of vulnerability to climate change. Working group III assesses options for mitigating climate change through inhibiting the emissions of greenhouse gas activities

What are the components of the Earth Climate System?

biosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere

What is sustainability?

capacity to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Give examples of specific applications that use climate data, beyond climate monitoring.

climate trends, causes of trends, predictions, daily weather predictions, predictions of large scale weather events

Explain the difference between in situ observations and those gathered through remote sensing.

in situ- measurements obtained from direct contact w sample; touch, etc. remote sensing - measurement obtained from a distance; sight, satellite, etc.

What is the purpose of a peer review?

peer review process: the objective, professional evaluation of scientific studies and published papers. The purpose is to add credibility and help increase the reputability. We need to only admit high quality works in order to keep the information accurate and standards high.

What does the Keeling Curve show?

shows a sustained average increase in annual atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.

What is the main difference between conduction and convection?

Conduction is the transfer of heat via contact. Convection is the movement of heat by fluid motions within a fluid.

What types of surfaces have a high albedo? Low albedo?

Lighter colored surfaces are higher in albedo; darker surfaces have a lower albedo.

What does TRMM do?

The tropical rainfall measuring mission utilizes satellite data to measure rainfall between 40 degrees N & S.

List the three main domains of climate change variables and give two examples from each domain

1) atmospheric variables - temperature & humidity 2) hydrological cycle variables - precipitation, clouds 3) climate variables - ozone, earth radiation budget

What are the three goals of the Climate Action Plan?

1. Decreased carbon pollution in US 2. Prepare for climate change impacts 3. Lead global efforts to address climate change

Where does a majority of evaporation on Earth take place?

85% of the total annual evaporation on earth takes place at the water/air interface(AKA: !!OCEAN!)

What is a blackbody?

A blackbody is an idealized object that absorbs all radiation that is incident upon it and emits electromagnetic waves to remain in thermal equilibrium.

What is a snow pillow?

A snow pillow is a device filled with antifreeze solution in order to measure the equivalent water in the weight of overlaying snow.

What makes Argo unique?

Argo is unique because it measures ocean ECVs at depth (which satellites cannot do).

ASOS records are considered to be what type of data?

Automated Surface Observing System- very quality data bcuz higher accuracy, higher frequency, and is not based on humans COOP volunteer observations.

What makes the Kelvin scale different than other temperature scales?

Because 0 Kelvin is the absolute zero; motion in atoms ceases.

Why is the EPA regulating amounts of emitted greenhouse gasses in the US?

Because they proved to be a hazard to human health for current and future generations.

How is climate change both local and global?

Climate change is based upon the entirety of the system changing, but it is also felt on a local scale.

Why is it important to make observations of the climate?

Climate change observations are important because it provides logical conclusions on the future of climate.

What are the key differences between climate and weather?

Climate is the overall environmental conditions whereas weather is the day to day changes in temperature / moisture.

Why is climate considered the state of a system?

Climate is the state of a system comprising many "spheres" on earth. Climate shows many long term trends, rather than the day to day or yearly temp

What is climate variability?

Climate is variable and changing, yet is currently shifting at unparalleled rates (when looking at past trend lines)

What are climate modelers and how do they contribute to the study of climate science?

Climate modelers contribute a whole new sector of data to the scene. They use observational data to predict and calculate future data using models using ECV's observations and quantities. Modeling these on multiple different computer programs make these comparable to multiple biological treatments in a research lab.

How can clouds both warm and cool the atmosphere?

Clouds can cool the atmosphere because they have a high albedo and reflect solar radiation. They also can warm the atmosphere because they trap infrared radiation from the Earth's surface.

Who initiated GCOS and what does it include?

Global Climate Observing System- multinational collaboration, initiated by WMO (among others) - it is a advance in the collecting and sharing of observations related to the entirety of the climate system

If there are greenhouse gasses that absorb outgoing radiation, how does the Earth emit radiation into space?

Greenhouse gasses are not perfect absorbers as there are wavelengths that pass through them variably or are reflected back into space.

How does absorption differ from scattering and reflection?

HELP Scattering- solar radiation dispersing forward, backward and sideways after hitting a particle. Reflection is special scattering between 2 different media such as air and cloud, when solar radiation striking that interface is redirected.

Why can radiation waves be referred to as electromagnetic?

HELP i looked this up all over the book, need to google

How does evaporation differ over an ice surface?

HELP pg 171

What is necessary to get hail to form?

Hail is formed by the supercooling of water to create ice pellets, and they increase in size until too heavy to be supported by the up drafts.

In which of the phase change is heat absorbed from the environment?

Heat is absorbed from the environment during melting, sublimation, and evaporation.

What is the role of regional climate data centers?

Hold regional data, linked with a major research university and support major research. immediate data and collaborative expertise among university staff, professors may also staff climate centers.

How does climate vary from maritime to continental climates?

In maritime climates the ocean absorbs much of the heat differential and stabilizes overall temperatures.

When was the danger of climate change first reported to the U.S. Congress?

In the 1980s, the former head of NASA brought up the danger of climate change to congress.

Why is it important to use sources that verify their projections?

It's important to use sources that verify their projections in order to ensure the data and conclusions of the report are scientifically based.

How have Jason-1/Jason-2 added to our understanding of climate change?

Jason-1 / Jason-2 have been crucial to creating reliable seasonal climatic forecasts and monitoring large-scale tropical anomalies. They have also contributed to understanding of sea-level rise, ocean warming, and occurrences of hurricanes.

How is reflection different from scattering?

Reflection is different from scattering because solar radiation is redirected at the interface (cloud, air, etc)

How are relative humidity and air temperature related?

Relative humidity is comparing the actual amount of water vapor in the air with the amount of water vapor that would be present if the air was saturated(the full saturation is calculated depending on the air temperature).

What is specific heat?

Specific heat is the amount of energy that raises one gram of a substance by one degree celsius.

What is the difference between heat and temperature?

Temperature is the movement of particles within a substance whereas heat is the transfer between high and low energy temperatures

What is albedo?

The Albedo Effect is how and how much radiation is reflected off of surfaces. "the fraction reflected/redirected by an interface is the albedo of that interface." 0 means everything is absorbed(black), 1 means everything is reflected(white colored).

What is the Climate Data Record (CDR) Project?

The CDR project is a part of NOAA that accurately measures Earth-atmosphere properties from space for the US in order to bridge data gaps.

What is the COOP program and who is a part of it?

The COOP program is the cooperative weather observer program, and a variety of volunteers that record climate data on a daily basis (include Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington) are a part of the COOP program.

What is the National Climatic Data Center and what is its role?

The NCDC is a center in Asheville, NC that carries about 6 petabytes worth of climate information.

What is energy?

The ability to do work

What is the global water budget?

The balance sheet for inputs and outputs of water to and from the various global reservoirs. AKA: fixed amount of water that is constantly being recirculated

What is thermohaline circulation?

The density-driven movement of water masses brought about by variations in temperature and salinity. Causes the circulation to travel the lengths of the ocean basins. Density of water increasing with decreasing temp and increasing salinity = dense water sinks, less dense water rise. Transports heat energy, salt, and dissolved gases over distances and depths.

What is the dew point temperature?

The dew point temperature is the threshold to which air must be cooled in order to achieve saturation relative to liquid water.

Where is a majority of Earth's water found? What if only freshwater is concerned?

The majority of Earth's water is found in the oceans. As far as freshwater is concerned, the majority of water is found in glaciers and ice caps.

What is frequency?

The number of wavelengths passing in a certain amount of time. measured at the peaks or troughs

What did the IPCC note regarding its conclusions in 2013 regarding climate change?

The report stated that the human influence on climate change is unequivocally real.

Briefly describe the role of a service climatologist

The role of a service climatologist is to disseminate (share) climate observations.

How does the temperature of air change as it rises? Falls?

The temperature of air increases as it falls until it becomes buoyant enough to rise. The temperature of air decreases as it rises until it reaches a temperature low enough to sink.

How do clouds ultimately impact climate?

They mediate the incoming and outgoing flux of radiation which has a large impact on global temperatures.

What is transpiration?

Transpiration is the water vapor let off by plants as a by-product of photosynthesis.

List the primary greenhouse gasses in Earth's atmosphere.

Water Vapor, Carbon Dioxide, Ozone and Methane (in that order. 49-71%, 22-29, 7-8, 4-9%.

How does the specific heat of water compare to the specific heat of other substances?

Water has the greatest specific heat of any natural substance. It takes longer to heat up and cool down in comparison to most other substances.

Why is water so unique?

Water is one of the very few substances that can occur naturally in all three phases within the temperature and pressure ranges found at and near Earth's surface. Liquid, ice and gas.

Why is water so special in Earth's climate system?

Water is special in Earth's climate system because it covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface and there is an inherent energy change with its change of state

How are we utilizing fuels today that were deposited on Earth millions of years ago?

We are utilizing fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal that were previously in the lithosphere as energy. This is depositing them into the biosphere and atmosphere.

Why must we study the past climate to understand current and future climate changes?

We must consider past data and trends to more accurately interpret current data in order to see what is causing these increase or decrease in #'s. There may be more data to consider in order to understand the implications of the data.

What impact does solar altitude have on the amount of energy received?

the angle of the Sun above the horizon, most commonly referenced at noon local time, each day's local maximum solar altitude - MAX amount of incoming ultraviolet radiation(UV) but not max temp yet for air.

Define the characteristics of a 'quality' measurement

the obtained observations are from accurate, high precision instruments analyzed by climatologists (and physicists, chemists, engineers, etc.) and deemed to have minimal bias

Where is a majority of the surplus global energy being stored?

the ocean! is holding 93.4% of excess energy to be used for later. Primarily in the depths, expanding and making the sea level rise. too much carbon is raising the acidity levels as well.

How does climatology follow the scientific method?

the template for investigations. Climate scientists propose a hypotheses as an explanation for climate events and variations, and the scientific method helps to find out if it's true. Repeating the process with the same and different methods while achieving the same results validates them.

TOPEX / Poseidon is a joint venture between which two organizations? What was its contribution to climate research?

was a joint venture between France's CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) and NASA that measured ocean surface topography. Helped enable scientists to forecast El nino, enhanced our understanding of ocean circulation and its effect on climate. produced global views of current changes, and mapped yearly changes in ocean heat stored in upper ocean.