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Global warming
Global warming
67
Chemistry
11th Grade
05/09/2010

Additional Chemistry Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
The process reponsible for the production of energy in the sun is.... It will probably continue for another ..... billion years 
Definition

Fusion

5 billion

Term
If a star has an emissivity of 1, a surface area of 8.0x10^18 m^2 and a temperature of 7000K. What is the radiant flux, phi, from that star?
Definition
Term
Why are Earth's poles cooler than the equator?
Definition
The Earth's poles are cooler than the equator because of the Earth's tilt (~23.5 degrees) and the shape of the Earth. Energy that reaches the poles is spread out over a larger area than near the equator.
Term
The energy that reaches the Earth from the sun has a maximum intensity in the.....region of the electromagnetic spectrum. While the energy emitted from the surface of the earth has an intensity peak in the.....region of the spectrum
Definition

Visible

Infrared

Term
In the greenhouse effect radiation emitted from the surface and atmosphere interacts primarily with.....in the atmosphere. This interaction occurs at specific.....in the spectrum.
Definition

Gases

wavelength

Term
Four of the most prominent greenhouse gases are:
Definition
Co2 H2o CH4 N2O
Term
Carbon dioxide has shown a steady increase in concentration in the atmosphere since about 1958, what causes the annual cycle in the CO2 record from Mauna Loa in Hawaii?
Definition
Seasonal growth and decay of vegetation
Term
The following process is an example of feedback. What kind of feedback?
Definition

Surface reflectivity, Water Temperature, Sea Ice cover.

 

Positive 

Term
If the eruption of a large volcano inject dust into the atomsphere that increased the albedo, what effect would that have on solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface?
Definition
Less solar radiation would reach the Earth's surface
Term
IPCC stands for what?
Definition
Intergovernmental panel on climate change
Term
The atmosphere is composed of approximately....% nitrogen, and approximately....% Oxygen
Definition

78%

21%

Term
The tropopause, the top boundary of the troposphere, is at an altitude of about....km near the equator. __% of the atmosphere is contained in the troposphere. 
Definition

12km

90%

Term
Why is there no water on Venus?
Definition

There is no water on Venus do to its proximity to the sun. The sun's energy is to powerful to allow water to condense and form bodies of water. There is also no CO2 in Venus' atmosphere

 

Term

The early atmosphere of the Earth came from:

 

Definition
outgassing of volcanic eruptions
Term
Earth's relatively mild temperature allowed the accumulation of___ on the surface. This then took gaseous components___and____leaving N2.
Definition

H2O

CO2

Sulfur gases

Term
Life could only thrive on the land after the appearance of ____,to shield the surface from harmful_____radiation.
Definition

Ozone

Ultraviolet

Term
Gradients of ____and____ drive the wind currents that transfer energy from the equator to the poles. 
Definition

Temperature

pressure

Term
The coriolis force deflects moving air and water to the____ in the northern hemisphere and to the____ in the souther hemisphere. 
Definition

Right

Left

Term
It is believed that the regular cycles of ice ages far into Earth's past were due to:
Definition
The changes in the Earth's eccentricity and the obliquity (tilt) of the earth. This theory is known as the Milankovitch theory. 
Term

The circulation of the upper ocean is driven by____.

Circulation of the deep ocean depends strongly on the_____ and____of the water. 

Definition

Wind

Salinity

Temperature

Term
The subtropical gyres in the ocean rotate in a_____direction in the NH and in a_____direction in SH. These currents cause a convergence of water that can be ___cm above the mean sea level.
Definition

Clockwise

Counter clockwise

~80cm

Term
The global warming potential of a greenhouse gas is:
Definition

Where a gas absorbs in the spectrum, how long the has will last, how much there is in the atmosphere and how a gas absorbs infrared radiation in comparison to CO2 (1).

 

Term
The atmospheric circulation pattern that moves air from the equator to about 30 degrees latitude is called the_____ cell. 
Definition
Hadley
Term
How much has CO2 increased in the last 100 years? What is believed to be the cause? 
Definition
CO2 has increased by ~30% , the cause is believed to be increase in human activity such as industry, agriculture etc. 
Term
The transformation of water from a liquid to a gas is called_____. The emission of water vapor from plants is called______. When water vapor transforms to liquid droplets in air that is called____. A change of state directly from solid water to vapor is called_____.
Definition

Evaporation

Transpiration 

condensation

sublimation

Term
The oceans contain____% of the water on Earth. 
Definition
97
Term
Lifetime of water in a reservoir
Definition
reservoir size/Input or output
Term
The direct human influence on the water budget is through combustion. What fraction of natural evaporation is contributed by human activity?
Definition
.002%
Term
What is an isotope? What are some of the natural isotopes of oxygen?
Definition

An isotope is a different atom of the same chemical element with a different amount of neutrons, but has the same atomic number. 16O 17O 18O

18O can be used to determine past temp from ice core samples. 

Term
What does "latent heat of water" mean?
Definition

Latent heat of water is the amount of energy given off when water changes states. This drives the circulation of the atmosphere

 

Term
Draw the feedbacks and determine if it is a net positive or negative feedback. 
Definition

Arctic temp----Sea ice cover-----heat flux from ocean to atmosphere------>Arctic temp. 

 

Net positive 

 

Term
What is photosynthesis?
Definition

Photosynthesis is the process in which plants convert sunlight and CO2 into O2, which is then released due to decay or it is released into the atmosphere

 

Term
What is respiration?
Definition
Respiration is the process in which plants use energy and O2 to produce CO2. 
Term
Label the Reservoirs with their approximate stock of carbon.
Definition

Ocean: 38000, 500

Land: Living- 1500 Dead- 500

atmosphere: 700 gtc

Sedimentary rocks: 50,000,000 gtc

Term
Why are these curves separated in the vertical direction? What causes the annual cycle?
Definition
They are separated in a vertical fashion due to the increase of fossil fuel emissions. The annual cycle is caused by the seasonal growth and decay of vegetation. 
Term
How have humans interfered with the normal release of fossil fuels from the rock reservoir?
Definition
Fossil fuels normally take hundreds of thousands of years to be released from the rock reservoir. By drilling for fossil fuels and then burning them humans are greatly expediting the process. 
Term
The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere shows a long term____due to fossil fuel emission and the distribution shows a north-south gradient caused by CO2 emission in the_____. 
Definition

Increase

Northern hemisphere

Term

About___% of the fossil fuel carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere, another____% is absorbed by the oceans.

 

Definition

50

30

Term
An important factor in the ability of sea water to take in CO2 is the___of the sea water. Alkalinity of the oceans is maintained by the weathering of_____.
Definition

ph

rocks

Term
What is net primary productivity(NPP)?
Definition
NPP equals total rate of photosynthesis minus the rate of respiration by all plants. 
Term
What percentage of the air is nitrogen?Why is it so abundant?
Definition
N2 is so abundant because it does not bind with other elements and can not be consumed or destroyed by other gases. 
Term
Name four of the five processes that cycle nitrogen through the Earth system:
Definition
Nitrification, denitrification, N2 uptake, N2 mineralization.
Term

The process that puts the greenhouse gas N2O into the atmosphere is _____. This process has been enhanced by human use of____.

 

Definition

denitrification

fertilizers

Term

which reservoir contains the most nitrogen? atmosphere, land, biota, ocean, lithosphere?

 

Definition
atmosphere
Term

What controls the amount of present day oxygen in the atmosphere?

 

Definition
Surface rocks that become oxidized (weathering) take in O2. The formation of sedimentary rocks creates O2.
Term

Ozone is produced by___radiation from the sun. The peak of the ozone concentration is in the layer of the atmosphere called the____. The presence of ozone in that layer causes the_____to increase there. 

 

Definition

UV

stratosphere

temperature

Term
Ozone holes occur primarily in the____ regions of the globe, where the air is very____. They occur in the____each year because the reactions that destroy ozone need____. 
Definition

Polar

Cold

Spring

Sunlight

Term
Explain the effect that chlorofluorcarbons have had on ozone amounts:
Definition
CFC's are created by household objects. CFC's are released into the stratosphere where UV rays break them down and they bind with Chlorine molecules and destroy ozone. 
Term

As a greenhouse gas ozone in the____heats the atmosphere,ozone in the_____tends to____the atmosphere

 

 

Definition

troposphere

stratosphere

cool

Term
Evidence shows that severe hurricanes have been caused by global warming:
Definition
false
Term
global avg temp changes of the last 100 years are within the range of natural variability.
Definition
false
Term
changes in CO2 have caused the temp changes during the last few ice ages
Definition
false
Term
volcanic eruptions emit more CO2 than fossil fuel burning.
Definition
false
Term

The troposphere and the surface of the Earth have been warming at essentially the same rate

 

Definition
True
Term
Why does the CO2 record at the south pole show a smaller annual variation than that at Barrow?
Definition
The south pole is relatively barren in terms of vegetation. Barrow houses large amounts of trees which contribute to large seasonal variations of the uptake and release of CO2
Term
Is the air trapped in an ice core younger or older than the surrounding ice?
Definition
The air is generally younger than the surrounding ice by about 2500-6000 years. The air becomes trapped in the firn which takes a long time to solidify.
Term
After water vapor the most important greenhouse gas is _____ which is increasing due to______. The next most important gases are_____ and _____, which come mostly from______.
Definition

CO2

fossil fuel burning

CH4

N20

Agriculture/fertilizers

Term
How has solar radiance changed in the last 100 years? How does that change affect the radiative forcing of the atmosphere compared to the forcing from greenhouse gases?
Definition
Solar radiance has not changed much over the past 100 years. The radiative forcing due to solar activity is much more extreme than that of greenhouse gases. Solar activity has not varied as much as the recent influx of greenhouse gases; therefore the radiative forcing of greenhouse gases over the past 100 years is more extreme
Term
How might volcanic eruptions affect the atmosphere?
Definition
Volcanic eruptions can emit both aerosols and CO2 into the atmosphere. Aerosols reflect incoming radiation so they have a cooling affect on the atmosphere. CO2 absorbs incoming radiation thereby heating the atmosphere. 
Term
Deforestation tends to increase atmospheric CO2 because it removes a____for carbon. What percentage of photosynthesis is controlled by humans?_____%
Definition

sink

~40

Term
When was the last glacial period? What is Milankovitch's theory for long-term climate change? 
Definition
The last glacial period was 21,000 yrs ago Milankovitch's theory is that the Earth's procession, obliquity and eccentricity causes periods of warming and cooling of the earth. 
Term
During the last glacial maximum the sea level was ____m lower than the present level. Sea level has risen in the last 100 years by____cm
Definition

120

20

Term
What factors contribute to sea level rise?
Definition
The factors that contribute to sea level rise are thermal expansion and the melting of ice. 
Term
Describe two main objections raised in the film The great global warming swindle to the science of global warming. 
Definition
The great global warming swindle brought up two main objections. The first objection is that global warming is due to solar activity. The movie argued that changes in temperature coincided with changes in solar activity as opposed to the increase of greenhouse gases. The second objection is that temp and CO2 do not relate. The movie pointed to the fact that CO2 and temp have been rising and falling naturally over the past 100,000 years. The movie claimed there always have been periods of cooling and warming and cannot be attributed to man. 
Term
Nearly 10% of the fresh water on Earth is tied up in the antactic ice sheet. If the east antarctic ice sheet were to melt it would raise sea level by___meters. However, the snowpack in the East Antarctica is increasing due to____and_____.
Definition

100

increased snowfall

low melting.

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