CH9

unburnable carbon

only a fraction of available oil, natural gas and coal can be burned without making our planet uninhabitable

Order the layers of our atmosphere. Place the layer nearest earth's surface at the bottom of the list; put the outermost layer at the top of this list.

1. Thermosphere 2. Mesosphere 3. Stratosphere 4. Troposphere

How much of incoming solar radiation that reaches earth's atmosphere makes it to earth's surface?

50%

What is the Gulf Stream?

A vast current of warm water that brings heat from the Caribbean to northern Europe

Climate Action

Contact senators and representatives Save gas Buy efficient appliances Eat low on the food chain Weatherize your home Buy wind and solar energy Practice energy policy at school and work

Which of the following is ozone?

O3

IPCC's most recent report suggests that which of the following are likely to occur in the next 100 years?

Sea level rise of 1-2m An overall temperature rise of 2-4C

Which of the following statement describes weather? (Choose all that apply.)

Temporary variations in temperature Precipitation resulting from circulation in the atmosphere Storms (short-term precipitation and temperature change)

True or false: Approximately half of the solar energy that reaches earth's atmosphere never makes it to the surface

True - equal parts of that 50% are either reflected or absorbed

Which of the following two factors help create ocean currents?

Variety in water density Wind pushing on the ocean surface

greenhouse effect

common term to describe the capture of energy by gases in the atmosphere

Oxygen isotopes are important in understanding temperature from ice core records because

lighter-weight isotopes evaporate more readily in cold years

albedo

reflectance or whiteness

thermohaline circulation

temperature and salt concentrations control the density of water

The ____ varies in thickness: it is thinner over the poles because air there is cold and dense

troposphere

The majority of the atmosphere's mass is contained in the ____

troposphere

latent heat

water vapor/stored heat. Water redistributes heat around the globe.

Why does it rain?

Air cools, usually by rising, and water vapor condenses.

Why does it tend to rain or snow on mountaintops?

Air cools, as it is forced up over a mountain, causing water vapor to condense

Match these atmospheric layers to their characteristics.

*Troposphere (Turbulent; becomes cold at elevations of several km) *Stratosphere (Extremely stable; warms slightly with elevation, as ozone absorbs solar energy) *Mesosphere (Located roughly between 50 and 85 km of elevation; cools dramatically with elevation) *Thermosphere (Warms dramatically with height due to ionizing radiation)

Recall the steps in the development of El Niño conditions by putting these stages in the correct order from top to bottom

1. Upwelling ocean currents weaken near Peru 2. Currents pushing warm water Westward from Chile to Indonesia weaken 3. Warm water shifts to the east towards Chile 4. Sinking air causes drought in Indonesia

How are ice cores used to learn about ancient climates?

Air bubbles within the ice contain tiny samples of the ancient atmosphere

The thermohaline circulation system in the ocean is driven by differences in ocean ____ and ____.

Blank 1: temperature or heat Blank 2: salinity or saltiness

El Nino/Southern Oscillation

ENSO affects weather across the Pacific and adjacent continents, causing heavy monsoons or serious droughts

Which of the following are effective heat-trapping greenhouse gases? (Choose all that apply.)

H2O water vapor CO2 carbon dioxide CH4 methane N20 nitrous oxide

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

IPCC a collaboration among governments, with scientists and government representatives from 130 countries who aim to review scientific evidence on the causes and likely effects of human-caused climate change

Florida city most threatened by sea level rise

Miami

aerosols

Minute particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air

Match the gases to their relative abundance in the atmosphere.

Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 21% Argon and CO2 1% Water vapor 0%-4%

The two most abundant gasses in Earth's atmosphere are

Nitrogen Oxygen

Why are ocean currents important in modifying regional climates?

Ocean currents redistribute heat from low latitudes to high latitudes

Which of the following describe ozone in the atmosphere? (Choose all that apply.)

Ozone molecules are concentrated in the stratosphere. Ozone molecules absorb solar energy. Destruction of ozone allows more UV radiation to reach earth.

Which of these natural hazards can affect climate, and have done so in the geologic past?

Volcanic eruptions

The oceans are becoming more ____ as temperatures rise and they absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere.

acidic

Convection currents in the troposphere move heat and moisture around the globe through ______ circulation.

air

The greenhouse effect refers to the fact that certain gases in the atmosphere, such as methane, ____

capture and retain some energy in the atmosphere

convection currents

constantly redistribute heat and moisture around the globe

The Hadley, Ferrell, and Polar are all cells of ____ in the atmosphere.

convection

Air circulates in the troposphere in large vertical and horizontal _____

convection currents

weather

daily temperatures, wind and precipitation that occur in the troposphere

Improving the ____ of buildings, vehicles, and power plants constitutes the major of wedge strategies to reduce carbon

efficiency

Latent heat refers to

energy that is released when water vapor condenses energy stored in water vapor in the atmosphere 580 calories of energy per gram of water vapor

stranded assets

financial investments in resources that have no monetary value if they cannot be sold

In Florida, rising sea levels will likely produce more saltwater ____, polluting freshwater wells. Damage from Blank ____ will also increase as ocean temperatures increase, providing more energy for these devastating storms.

intrusions hurricanes

the atmosphere

is layered with more massive molecules near the ground surface

This natural gas is a very effective absorber of energy in the atmosphere. It is produced in many ways through the decay of organic matter in the absence of oxygen

methane (CH4)

Milankovitch cycles

periodic shifts in earth's orbit and tilt that affect incoming solar energy (1) the earth's elliptical orbit stretches and shortens in a cycle of about 100,000 years (2) the earth's axis changes its angle of tilt in a 40,000 year cycle (3) over a 26,000 year period, the axis wobbles like an out of balance spinning top.

As sea ice melts, it leaves behind ocean water that has a much lower albedo, thereby creating a ____ feedback on a warming climate.

positive

climate

refers to the atmosphere, how it behaves and how it is composed/long term temperatures and precipitation trends

The number of climate ____ change , Incorrect Unavailable will likely increase dramatically if temperatures rise by just 2°C, as both sea levels and droughts will both increase, displacing large numbers of people.

refugees

Stratosphere

relatively calm; volcanic ash and human-caused contaminants can remain in suspension here for many years

Two degrees of warming will most likely cause ______ to increase.

sea levels climate refugees heat wave deaths droughts

troposphere

the layer immediately adjacent to the earth's surface

The difference between weather and climate is mainly that ____

weather is short-lasting and local; climate involves long-term patterns