Introduction
Name four biogeochemical cycles.
carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, water, sulfur
What is the albedo effect and why does it matter?
Albedo measures how much sunlight a surface reflects. This is important because the ratio between low and high albedo surfaces determines how much solar radiation is reflected back into space and how much stays on Earth.
What is permafrost and how does it relate to climate change?
Permafrost is a layer of frozen soil that sits below the surface. Global warming leads to melting permafrost, which can further shift the soil and collapse infrastructure, release pathogens, and release even more greenhouse gases.
What is quantum computing and how does it relate to climate change?
Quantum computing uses the study of how atoms react in nature to perform more accurate calculations.
What element is the air most composed of?
nitrogen (78%)
Name five human contributors to climate change (be specific)!
fossil fuel emissions, agricultural practices, deforestation, industry emissions, overpopulation
How are algae blooms impacted by climate change?
Algae concentrations have increased due to the abundance of CO2 and nitrogen in their habitat. This is harmful because an overpopulation of algae depletes the oxygen and sunlight availability in the water, leading to collapsing aquatic ecosystems.
What is the difference between well-to-wheel emissions and direct emissions?
well-to-wheel: related to fuel production, processing, distribution
direct: air pollutants, greenhouse gases
Name the four layers of the atmosphere from lowest to highest AND the layer where weather occurs.
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere; weather occurs in the troposphere
Name three non-human contributors to climate change.
orbital changes, volcanic eruptions, movement of crustal plates, variation in solar radiation
How are shellfish impacted by climate change?
Shellfish use carbonate to create their shells. The high concentration of CO2 in oceans naturally reacts with the carbonate, leaving less of it for the shellfish to use.
Shellfish shells also dissolve as ocean pH becomes more acidic.
Name two agricultural practices that are sustainable.
drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, solar powered irrigation, crop rotation
What was Tyndall's discovery?
Oxygen and Nitrogen are transparent to solar and infrared radiation because their structures have very limited freedom for interacting with the radiation.
What are the three cyclic changes from the Milankovitch Theory?
changes in shape (eccentricity), tilt (obliquity), and wobbling (precession)
Why is it difficult to predict how clouds will impact or be impacted by climate change? What theory does most research seem to support?
Clouds can both shade the Earth and trap heat depending on their altitude, albedo, and time of day. Most research supports the idea that clouds will become thinner or disappear, leaving land more vulnerable to sunlight.
Describe one piece of technology that can be used to prevent or mitigate an effect of climate change.
cool beans!