Unit 7 Global Climate Change
Albedo
Ability of a surface to reflect light
Global warming potential includes consideration of which of the following variables?
Ability to absorb infrared radiation
Average temperatures have been & are expected to continue increasing the most in
Arctic
H2O (water)
Evaporation from natural resources
Greenhouse gases
Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, tropospheric ozone & chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere which absorb & re-radiate heat energy
Which of the following accurately describes the greenhouse effect?
It prevents infrared radiation from escaping into space.
Climate change
Measurable changes in weather patterns based primarily on changes in the earth's atmospheric temperature averaged over a period of at least 30 years
Which greenhouse gas is emitted from bacterial breakdown of fertilizers and animal manure?
N2O
Greenhouse effect
Natural effect that traps heat energy in the troposphere; Greenhouse gases absorb heat energy radiated by earth's surface, increasing surface temperatures
Climate
The average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time (30 years or more)
Which country/region has produced the greatest cumulative carbon emissions since 1750?
US
N2O (nitrous oxide)
bacterial levels in soil, fertilizers, breakdown of live stock waste, burning vehicle fuels
CO2 (carbon dioxide)
burning fossil fuels and forests, respiration, volcanos, and manufacturing of cement
Which of the following are NOT significant anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide?
landfills
Which greenhouse gas is emitted from the combustion of biomass, such as forests and organic waste?
carbon dioxide
Which country produces the most carbon dioxide emissions annually?
china
Which of the following is the only anthropogenic greenhouse gas?
chlorofluorocarbons
Which of the following is NOT a significant anthropogenic source of methane?
decomposition of clearcut forests
Which 2 economic sectors contribute most to annual greenhouse gas emissions in the US?
electricity and transportation
The majority of modern greenhouse gas emissions come from which activity?
fossil fuels
Tropospheric ozone (O3)
from smog/human activities; not from ozone layer; oxygen gas in atmosphere, interactions of air pollutants
Which greenhouse gas is most common on our planet & most rapidly moves through the atmosphere?
h2o
Which of the following has the highest albedo?
ice and snow
Diffusion of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide into the ocean causes
inability of corals & mollusks to create shells
CH4 (methane)
livestock, landfills, production of fossil fuels, melting of permafrost, swamps, and wetlands (anaerobic bacteria activity)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
made in lab; man made; industrial uses; air conditioners, electrical equipment
Throughout Earth's history, climate changes have typically been caused by all of these EXCEPT
migration of species among landmasses
Global warming potential
the relative ability of one molecule of a greenhouse gas to contribute to warming
Weather
the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
Climate change tipping points
those thresholds beyond which natural systems could change for hundreds to thousands of years, with possibly catastrophic effects.
Aerosols
tiny solid particles or liquid droplets that remain suspended in the atmosphere for a long time; can cause cooling in upper atmosphere as they reflect light energy or warming in lower atmosphere
Ocean acidification
when CO2 dissolves in seawater, it reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which lowers ocean pH; Causes structural problems to coral skeletons & shells & skeletons of aquatic organisms such as crabs, oysters & some phytoplankton
