GCC definitions
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GCC definitions - Leaderboard
GCC definitions - Details
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| 🇬🇧 | 🇬🇧 |
| What is the green house effect in equation form? | Fout=oTsurface^4 - |
| What is the green house effect in equation form? | Fout=σTsurface^4 - εa(σTs^4 - σTa^4) |
| How to green house gasses influence the amount of LWR sent into space? | The more GHGs in the atmosphere, the higher the atmospheres emissivity will be and the more energy will be left in the atmosphere |
| Planck function | Relates the intensity of radiation from a blackbody to its wavelength |
| Wiens law | The flux of radiation emitted by a blackbody when it reaches its peak value at a wavelength, which depends on the body's absolute temperature |
| What is the equation for emissivity? | E=ε σ T^4 |
| What is the difference between long wave and short wave radiation? | LWR: low energy, emitted by objects with a lower temperature (e.g. land surface) SWR:high energy, emitted by objects with a high temperature (e.g. the sun) |
| How is the radiation balanced within the earths atmosphere? | Through latent and sensible heat. Latent heat is evapotranspiration. sensible heat is the rising of warm air and the sinking of cool air. |
| Do the poles and the tropics receive the same amount of radiation? | No, the poles receive less and the tropics receive more. |
| Why do the tropics receive more radiation than the poles? | This is due to the inverse square law, radiation under angle, earths axis (seasons), distance to the sun and solar visibility |
| What is the inverse square law? | The intensity of the radiation is dependant on the distance from the source. As the distance gets bigger the intensity declines. |
| What is radiation under angle? | A direct angle of radiation (e.g. at the tropics) results in a higher intensity than radiation at a low angle (e.g. poles) |
| Around the equator there is more incoming radiation than outgoing, while around the poles this is reversed. What prevents the poles from cooling down and the tropics from heating up? | Heat is transferred through winds, ocean currents and moisture (latent and sensible heat) |
| What is the greenhouse effect dependant on? | The different in surface temperature and atmosphere temperature and the emissivity of the atmosphere. |
| How to green house gasses influence the amount of LWR sent into space? | The more GHGs in the atmosphere, the higher the atmospheres emissivity will be and the more energy will be left in the atmosphere |
| What is radiative forcing? | This is the balance if outgoing LWR and incoming SWR and LWR in the tropopause |
| What is the difference between instantaneous RF and adjusted RF? | Instantaneous RF is without temperature adjustments of the stratosphere. Adjusted RF includes temperature changes of the stratosphere |
| What are 6 unique properties of water? | 1. strong forces of attraction between water molecules 2. exists as a liquid over a wide range of temperatures 3. liquid water slowly changes temperature 4. takes a lot of energy to evaporate 5. liquid water can dissolve compounds 6. water expands when it freezes and warms up |
| What is the residence time? | Average length of time a substance spends in a resevpoir under a steady state of conditions |
| What is the formula for residence time? | Tr=Mres/Fi,o |
| What is soil moisture content? | M^2 water in m^2 soil. consists of 3 stages; saturation: all pores are full of water and gravitational water is lost field capacity: no water is lost due to gravity wilting point: only small amount of water around soil particles, not enough for plants |
| What is the formula for water balance on land? | DSm/dt = precipitation-evapotranspiration-runoff (runoff soil + runoff ground) |
| What is the formula of evapotranspiration? | ET=gs*D gs is the tomato conductivity D is the vapour pressure deficit |
| What is the corrosie force? | Causes winds flowing from high to low pressure to curve. In the NH, the wind curves to the right and in the SH the wind curve to the left. |
| What are the 3 photosynthesis pathways? | C3 pathway (Calvin cycle), C4 pathway (hatch-slack pathway) and the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) |
| What is the difference between a C3 and C4 plant? | C4 plants actively pump CO2 into the mesophyll cell, while C3 plant rely on diffusion. C4 plants save more water as they are able to close the stomata quicker. |
| What is the difference between a C4 and CSM plant? | CAM plants only open their stomata at night in order to receive CO2 and thereby sae even more water |
| What is the formula for the water use efficiency? | WUE=GPP/Et GPP= gross primary productivity (aka photosynthesis) Et= flux of transpiration |
| Why is there an enhanced carbon uptake? | Due to CO2 fertilisation, longer growing seasons and nutrient availability increase |
| What is CO2 enrichment? | Due to an increased amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, the same amount of CO2 can be absorbed by a plant within a shorter period of time. this reduces water loss, increases WUE, may lengthen growing season in water-limited environments, and may effect heterotrophic respiration in soils |
| What is the CO2 fertillization feedback without excessive CO2 disturbance? | Atmospheric CO2 increases > photosynthesis increases > carbon storage on land increases > atmospheric CO2 decreases |
| What is the CO2 fertillization feedback with excessive CO2 disturbances? | Atmospheric CO2 increases > photosynthesis increases > carbon storage on land increases > atmospheric CO2 kees n increasing |
| Why is the nitrogen cycle important? | Effects photosynthesis, greenhouse effect, role in the chemistry of the ozone layer and cloud condensation nuclei |
| What is the green house effect in equation form? | Fout= σ Tsurface^4 -ε(σTsurface^4 - σTatmosphere^4) |
| What is an aerosol? | A solid or liquid particle suspended in air. for example sea salt, wind erosion, and volcano emissions |
| What is the aerosol cycle? | Pre curser gasses are emitted into the atmosphere and through nucleation ultrafine aerosols from. further condensation/coagualtion creates fine aerosols. these grow slowly as they are larger and move slower. through scavenging and rainout these aerosols return back to the earths surface. |
| What is the effect of aerosols in the atmosphere? | Provide a higher albedo |
| What is radiative damping? | An increase in LWR from the troposphere to stratosphere due to a higher difference in temperature. |
| What is positive forcing? | Increase in temperature > higher emissivity > stronger GH effect > additional positive forcing |
| What is negative forcing? | Decrease in temperature > lower emissivity > weaker GH effect > additional increase in negative forcing |
| Explain the following formula: dR = dQ + Yf * dTs | DR = the imbalance in radiative budget (W/m^2) dQ = radiative forcing (W/m^2) Yf = climate feedback parameter |
| What is climate sensitivity? | A climates vulnerability to an increase in CO2. climate sensitivity = 1/Yf |
| What do the following terms stand for? GPP, NPP, NEP, and NBP | GPP: gross primary production NPP: net primary production NEP: net ecosystem productivity NBP: net biome productivity |
| What makes up the short term carbon cycle? | NPP and plant respiration |
| What makes up he medium term carbon cycle? | NEP and soil respiration |
| What makes up the long term carbon cycle? | NBP and disturbances/harvest |
| What're all the reactions that are important for carbon weathering? | 1. CO2 + H2O <-> H2CO3 2. H2CO3 + H2O <-> HCO3 + H3O 3. CaCO3 +H3O <-> Ca + HCO3 + H2O net: CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O <-> Ca + 2HCO3 |
| What is the reaction for silicate weathering? | CaSiO3 + 2CO2 + H2O <-> Ca + 2HCO3 + SIO2 |
| What are the causes of the slow cooling down of the earth? | Decrease in volcanism, ocean currents due to continental drifts, and monsoon circulation patterns ultimately caused by continental drifts |
| How are past temperatures measured? | By using a proxy, which for temperature is the isotope O18 |
| How does the isotope O18 work as a proxy? | O16 evaporates more quickly than O18 and O18 is preferably removed by precipitation. So, higher O18 levels in ocean sediment indicate a colder climate. |
| What are the Milankovitch cycles? | Describe the collective effects of changes on the earths movements on its climate over thousands of years. these movements include eccentricity, obliquity and precession |
| What is eccentricity? | The amount by which an orbit deviates from a perfect circle |
| What is obliquity? | Angle between an objects rotational axis and its orbital axis |
| What is precession? | The direction of earths axis of rotation relative to the fixed stars |
| What are 6 components to sea level rise? | 1. thermal expansion 2. glaciers and small ice caps melting 3. greenland melting 4. Antarctica melting 5. dams and aquifers 6. atmospheric water |
| What is the ablation zone? and the accumulation zone? | Ablation zone is the zone of a glacier where runoff is larger than snowfall and the accumulation zone is where snowfall is larger than runoff |
| What is the equilibrium line? | The area in which there is neither more runoff or snowfall |
| Is a steep or shallow slop glacier more sensitive to temperature change? | Glaciers on shallow slopes are more sensitve |
| What is the grounding line? | The boundary between the grounded part of a glacier and the part floating on/in water |
| How many stages of deglaciation are there? what are the stages? | 5 stages 1/2: stable marine terminating ice-sheet 3: firn layer saturation, ice shelf hydro fracturing (tipping point) 4: stable land terminating ice sheet 5: firn layer saturation, loss of accumulation zone (tipping point) |
| What is the lapse rate feedback? | Coupling between surface air temperature and upper troposphere air temperature |
| Why is warming stronger in the polar regions than in the tropics? | Due to snow-albedo feedback and increase in lapse rate |
| What is the global carbon project? | Integrates knowledge of GHG for human activities and the earth system |
| Why are cold corals important? | Important for storing carbon and they create highly productive and biodiverse reefs |
| What is the pycnocline? | The boundary between 2 liquid layers of different densities |
| What is advection, convection and diffusion? | Advection is the horizontal mixing of water convection is the vertical mixing of water diffusion is the slow mixing of water in a gradient, from warm to cold or from salty to fresh water. |
| How does climate change effect the pycnocline layer? | An increase in temperature means the difference in temperature in the mixed layer and ocean comes larger which strengthens the pycnocline layer. this makes mixing between the 2 layer s more difficult |
| What is the oceans response to global warming? | A delayed response. th mixed layer takes 1-3 years to respond to change and the deep ocean takes up to hundreds of years to respond |
| What are the threats of a rising temperature to cold water corals? | As temperatures rise, the pycnocline layer strengthens decreasing the food supply to the cold corals. furthermore an increase in temperature increases respiration, ocean acidification increases calcification costs. So, the energy costs increase while the energy supply decreases |
| What are 3 important processes in climate models? | Radiative, dynamic and surface processes radiative processes: the transfers of radiation through the climate system dynamic processes: the horizontal and vertical transfers of energy surface processes: inclusion of processes including land/ocean/ice and the effects of albedo, emissivity and surface-atmosphere energy exchanges |
| What are some problems with climate modelling? | 1. uncertainty in the correctness of our physical description of the climate system 2. uncertainty in the sub-grid scale processes 3. uncertainty in long term behaviour due to chaotic/nonlinear dynamics |
| What are 4 scenarios? | 1. the fatalist: more social rules and less social bonding results in nature being seen as capricious 2. the individualist: less social rules and social bonding results in nature being viewed as benign 3. the hierarchist: more social rules and social bonding results in nature being viewed as tolerant 4.the egalitarian: more social bonding and less social rules results in nature being viewed as fragile |
| What are the 5 shared social-economic pathways (SSPs)? | 1. green growth 2. middle of the road 3. regional rivalry 4. inequality 5. fossil fuelled development |
| What are negative emissions? | Carbon removal from the atmosphere through reforstation, bio-energy, direct air capture and nature based solutions. however, positive negative impacts on land use, limited potential and requires a temporary overshoot of the temperature target. |
| What is the Jerkins feedback? | Easterly wind stress in the equatorial pacific >+> difference of sea surface temperature between the west and east pacific >+> easterly wind stress in the equatorial pacific |
| What are tipping points ad how are they caused? | Tipping points are critical thresholds beyond which a system reorganises. caused by positive feedbacks |
| What is the AMOC feedback? | Salt and temperature difference increases >+> ocean circulation>+> salt and temperature difference |
| What are the consequences of the AMOC collapse? | Cooling of Northern hemisphere and warming and drying of Sahel and Amazon region |