Atmosphere
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What 3 gases make up the atmosphere?
Nitrogen - 78% Oxygen - 21% CO2 - >1%
How does the atmosphere support life?
Natural processes, Absorption of electromagnetic radiation, delaying the escape of infrared energy, heat distribution, ocean currents, transport of water vapour
What is a tipping point
When a smaller activity is no longer needed to contribute and affect climate change.
An example of - Feedback
Evaporation leads to condensation, increases cloud cover which increases the albedo, reduces the temperature
Example of + feedback
Snow and ice melting
What is dendrochronology?
Width of the tree ring shows the growth rate
What is proxy data?
Involves an estimate for a factor that can’t be measures
How can Ice core data be used to collect data?
Drilling out ice cores and seeing the air bubbles can indicate the atmospheric composition
How can satellitles be used to collect data?
can collect data on wind velocity, ocean currents, temperature, ice cover and vegetation cover
How can ocean currents be measured?
Using Argo floats - can be moved up and down
How can computer models be used?
allows interconnections and consequences to be estimated more accurately
What are difficulties in monitoring and predicting climate change?
time delay between cause and effect, natural fluctuations, hard to establish long term trends, interconnected systems
Do ice sheets that break directly cause sea levels to rise
no
What is El Nino
Trade winds weaken which causes warm water to rise over near S. America which cause flooding and tropical storms
What is La Nina
Trade winds increase pushing warm waters over Australia causing unusually cold water over Americas which pushes Jet stream north and causes draughts
What are CFCs used in
aerosol propellant, refrigerating systems, fire extinguishers
How do CFCs cause ozone depletion
Take an ozone molecule and split it into diatomic oxygen and monotomic oxygen. The chlorine then bonds with the single oxygen which prevents it from creating ozone
What is the Vienna convention?
Set out legislation to reduce the impact of CFCs
What is the Montreal protocol and what are the main aspects?
created legally binding legislation to ban CFCs and all members of the UN agreed. • Manufacture and use of ODS was phased out and banned • Use of HCFCs will be phased out by 2030 • Essential use of some ODS are still permitted • Funding is available in order to make changes
What does atmospheric pressure control?
controls the ease with which water molecules can evaporate and escape
What are the 4 parts to the atmosphere?
Troposphere - Stratosphere - Mesosphere - Thermosphere
What are the common EMR that reach earth?
UV, visible light, near infrared
What are the common EMR that leave earth?
long wavelength and far wavelength infrared radiation
What does the natural atmospheric greenhouse effect describe?
The atmospheric processes that warms the troposphere