ENV 1301: Chapter 14 (Final Exam) – Flashcards
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Which three factors have the greatest effect on Earth's climate?
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The sun, the atmosphere, and the ocean.
The sun supplies energy, the atmosphere traps heat, and the ocean absorbs gases and heat.
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Which greenhouse gas has a global warming potential that is approximately three times that of methane?
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Nitrous oxide.
It is a product of incomplete combustion, and has a global warming potential that is 264 times that of carbon dioxide.
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Greenhouse effect
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Solar energy is reflected off Earth's surface in the form of infrared waves (heat). The greenhouse effect occurs when these waves are absorbed by greenhouse gases and then re-emitted, warming the atmosphere.
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The predominant greenhouse gas produced by human use of fossil fuels is __________.
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CO2
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What contributes to atmospheric cooling?
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aerosols of water and sulfur dioxide, smoke, and volcanic dusts
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What happens as ocean waters warm?
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The oceans absorb less CO2.
This is because gases are less soluble in warmer water. A positive feedback mechanism occurs as well: Since the excess CO2 is not absorbed into the ocean, it enters the atmosphere, thus warming Earth's surface that much more.
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Climate varies naturally for the following reasons:
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atmospheric composition, solar output, ocean absorption, ocean circulation, Milankovitch cycles
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Earth absorbs only _________ of the sun's energy, while the rest is reflected back to space.
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70%
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Milankovitch cycles
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the periodic variations in Earth's rotation and orbit around the sun that alter the way solar radiation is distributed over Earth's surface
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How long have accurate measurements (direct measurements of temperature and precipitation) of Earth's climate been recorded?
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more than a century
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Which type of indirect evidence can substitute for direct measurements of past climate change?
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proxy indicators (eg. the gas content of bubbles in ice cores, sediments beneath water bodies, tree rings, coral reefs)
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____________ enable scientists to evaluate concentrations of gases and other atmospheric constituents from the distant past.
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Gas bubbles trapped in ice
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What are sophisticated computer programs that allow scientists to understand how climate systems function and to make predictions for the future?
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climate models
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
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the group which is responsible for the most reviewed and widely accepted reports that we have on climate change
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What is the planet's albedo?
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its ability to reflect light
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According to tide gauge data, what was the approximate increase in global average sea level between 1950 and 2000?
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100mm
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Why are over one-sixth of the world's people at risk for running out of drinking water?
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Glaciers in many areas are melting.
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How are warming temperatures causing a vicious cycle (positive feedback) that is leading to enhanced warming?
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Ice and snow reflect light, and as they melt, Earth absorbs more of the sun's rays.
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This is the main reason that sea levels have risen recently.
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thermal expansion
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How is global warming most significantly affecting coral reefs and sea life?
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ocean acidification (increased concentrations of carbon dioxide are being absorbed by the oceans)
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The Kyoto Protocol was initiated as a response to what sorts of emissions?
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greenhouse gases
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What two processes emit the most carbon in the United States?
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electricity generation and transportation
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Which greenhouse gas is produced by the raising of cattle?
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methane
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What was the first document that called for *voluntary* reductions of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000?
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the 1992 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change
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What would be a possible geoengineering strategy that could be used to cool the planet?
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placement of giant mirrors in key locations
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Riding a bike produces _________ emissions.
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zero
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Carbon neutrality
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a situation in which NO net carbon is emitted
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Carbon offset
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a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere
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Which of these countries increased its carbon emissions since the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol?
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Canada
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What is a system in which utilities and industries seek financial gain through competing to reduce emissions?
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cap-and-trade
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Mitigation
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reduces and stabilizes the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
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Adaptation
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adapts to the climate change already in the pipeline
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What position did the United States take regarding the Kyoto Protocol?
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The United States is the only industrialized nation to refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
