Global Change Final Exam

Obliquity of earth's axis

(tilt) Astronomers determined that it determines the length of days and changes in it have far reaching effects on climate

Climate Forcings

A force that can change climate and is unaffected by climate systems. Ex is a volcano51

Glacier

A large mass of moving ice and snow on land, melting leads to rising sea levels

Renewable energy

A resource that has a theoretically unlimited supply and is not depleted when used by humans, these energies are valuable to humans to reverse climate change effects

Bending vibration

Can occur with CO2, changes the dipole moment of the molecule, correlate with increases in atmospheric CO2

Organic

Carbon-containing substances

Modified Koppen System

Classifies five major climate groups

Fossil fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals, primary energy cause of rising CO2 levels

COP

Conferences of the parties, asseses progress in dealing with dealing climate change

Kyoto Protocol

Controlling global warming by setting greenhouse gas emissions targets for developed countries

Greenhouse gas

Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect

Band Saturation

If we change the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, the intensity of light in this range does not get any lower (So going from 10 ppm to 20 ppm would give you just as much global warming amazingly as going from 1000 ppm to 2000 ppm), used for understanding how the climate responds to greenhouse gases like CO2

IPCC

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, panel of scientists and researchers has been one of the main bodies in environmental control and standards in the international community

Delta*(T2x)

Is the increase in temperature resulting from a doubling of CO2 in Earth's Atmosphere, this is important formula to determine the degree of climate change

Historical evidence

Items from the past (tree rings, ice cores, pollen) that can determine the climate change and predict future calculations of the change

LGM

Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was the last period in the Earth's climate history during the last glacial period when ice sheets were at their greatest extension, caused desertification, proof of naturally occurring change

Ultraviolet Light

Light that is harmful to human beings and is blocked by the tropospheric ozone layer, but this light can become more harmful if the ozone layer continues to weaken

Climate

Long term pattern of weather conditions determined by weather's mean

Milankovich Cycles

Natural cycles in the Earths position (changes in orbit, axis tilt and precession) that are used to explain climate changes, proof of naturally caused climate changes that take place regularly

Greenhouse effect

Natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases

US Response to Climate Change

Obama signs Paris Climate Deal which is designed to keep temperatures below 2.0 celsius over pre-industrial times

Negative and positive feedback

Positive feedback amplifies the change in the first quantity while negative feedback reduces it

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Rising global temperatures due to greenhouse gases being put into the atmosphere because of human activities (Co2, methane, nitrous oxide)

Terrestrial sediments

Sediments that accumulated above sea-level, significant because they are used to determine climate changes through the features

Weather

Short-term atmospheric conditions for a given time and a specific area, weather summed up and averaged to determine climate calculations

Anthropogenic forcings

Significant global warming as a result of human activities, these are the issues that we can change to have a better earth

Globally, we depend on fossil fuels for energy. Discuss, with particular reference to the United States, what the main sources of our energy are, and how our energy use compares to other countries. Provide your view on how energy options should change in the future. (500 words)

Th main sources of US Energy are fossil fuels making up about 95%, with petroleum at about 50%, then gas and coal at about 25% each. The United States energy use is similar in terms of types of energy used to other countries around the world, but the US uses 24% of all the world's energy (one of the highest percentages). Clearly, we cannot continue to consume fossil fuels at the same rate and fashion that we are, and I believe that the US needs to gradually shift to alternative sources of energy, most specifically nuclear energy (because it is the least expensive to consume), but also cleaner versions of coal and oil until the economy improves and we can afford the cleanest sources of energy for the future such as geothermal, solar, and wind energy.

Larsen Ice Shelf

The antartica glacier retreat that is being lost

Driver's of global climate

The items that cause a change in the climate such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide

Global energy budget

The net flow of energy into Earth and the out to Space determine the Earth's energy budget, important to see how this energy budget is changing in terms of rays reaching earth

Aphelion

The place in the Earth's orbit where Earth is farthest away from the sun

Transmission

The process by which electromagnetic waves pass completely through a medium, the percentage of light getting through to the earth affects the temperature

Atmospheric Window

The range of wavelengths of infrared radiation that are not absorbed by gases in the atmosphere.

In order to understand current climate and how it is changing, it is important to know how climatic conditions have changed in the past. Describe the methods that we use to study past climatic and atmospheric conditions. (500 words)

To study past climatic conditions, a few examples that scientists have used records are from ice cores, tree rings, and pollen analysis. To study past atmospheric conditions, scientists examine remotely sensed images of ozone data, analyze average age of gases, and measure air pollution using field collection techniques on the ground in in the air. (Climate: ICTRPA, Atomsphere: OZGASAP)

Isotope

Two or more forms of the same element with the same number of protons and a different number of neutrons from other atoms of the same element

UNFCCC

UN's agency on climate change. Makes the rules and procedure for making commitments to collectively reduce emissions and mitigate effects.

US Energy use

Uses 24% of world commercial energy, significant because we clearly play on major role in climate changes

Light and heavy Oxygen

When water evaporates, the heavy water (H218O) is left behind and the water vapor is enriched in light water (H216O), imbalance is marked for colder climates more often

Ice Shelf

a massive extension of glacial ice over the sea, often protruding hundreds of miles, the breaking of these off the ice sheet causes sea level rise

Blackbody

a perfect emitter and absorber of electromagnetic radiation, only 31% of solar radiation doesn't reach earth, more blackbody radiation means hotter climate

Sunspot

a spot or patch appearing from time to time on the sun's surface, appearing dark by contrast with its surroundings, more spots means more heat and warming

Radiative forcing

changes in the radiation balance of the surface troposphere imposed by external forces, greenhouse gas induced climate change

Natural forcing

changes to the climate system caused by natural factors, such as solar variation and volcanic activity, proof that not all change is caused by humans

Pollen diagram

chart showing the changing frequencies of different identified pollens through time from samples

Sea level rise

elevation in sea level from the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. This is due to global warming (climate change)

Emitted energy

energy, in the form of heat, light, radio waves, etc, emitted from a source

Hurricanes

fierce tropical storms with strong winds, they will strengthen as a result of climate change

Stratospheric Ozone

good ozone, produces oxygen molecules to interact with UV radiation and prevent 95% of it from reaching the surface, this ozone is needed to prevent overradiation of UV

Wein's Displacement Law

hotter objects radiate at shorter wavelengths, this theory proves that that short-wave radiation causes greater climate change

Stefan-Boltzmann Law

it links the total power radiated by a black body (per unit area) to the temperature of the black body, can be used to calculate important climate values

ppbv

parts per billion by volume and measures air pollutant concentrations, important to determine to quality of air to support human life

ppmv

parts per million by volume, concentration units for gases (used to calculate climate change)

Ice albedo feedback

sea ice has a much higher albedo than water. Sea ice decline effects how much solar energy is absorbed by the surface, less sea ice means more heat added to the planet

Stretching Vibration

symmetry does not change, change the dipole moment, and does not lead to IR absorption, one of the two types of vibrations in the very important carbon molecule

Tree ring

tree growth is influenced by climate conditions, patterns in tree rings and isotopic composition of material within each ring reflect variations in past climate