Greenhouse gases
How does a greenhouse work
Traps the heat (radiation) from the outside
Which of these describes weather...
ENSO (El Nino) is when pacific ocean temperatures increase
There are deserts around the tropics (20-30 degrees)
The jet stream is between convection cells
The coast is cooler than inland
ENSO (el Nino) is when pacific ocean temperatures warm up
What factor has the biggest impact on global climate
Distribution of solar radiation (sun heats the earth up unevenly)
Why do convection currents exists
Cold air sinks and warm air rises (density)
Coast or Inland, Which has more extreme temperatures?
Inland because earth heats up and cools down quicker than water (Heat capacity)
Name 2 greenhouse gasses
CO2, H2O, CH4, Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Which type of front is responsible for producing low pressure storms that cover large areas light to moderate precipitation?
Warm front
Which of these is an example of climate?
Mountain ranges are generally snowy and cold
A cold front is moving into an area and will produce precipitation
It has not snowed in colorado much this year
Last year was the warmest year on record
Mountain ranges are generally snowy and cold
What direction does air/matter travel
High pressure to low pressure
High albedo: Ice, Clouds, Desert sand, light colored rocks
Low albedo: Oceans, dense forest, asphalt, soil
How is a greenhouse gas different from regular air
Trap more heat than regular air and absorb more solar radiation than regular air
Which type of front is responsible for producing high pressure fast and extreme storms?
Fast cold front
What does albedo refer to? Give and example of high albedo and low albedo
How reflective a surface is
High albedo would be snow and low albedo would be rocks
Increasing the Albedo of a surface has what effect on the temperature?
Decreasing the temperature
Identify if the following scenario is a positive feedback loop or a negative feedback loop and explain why
Forest Fires
Fires dry out nearby vegetation, making it easier for the fire to spread.
Positive feedback loop. The forest fire increases the chance of forest fires surrounding the area.
Breathing, forest fires, burning fossil fuels, volcano eruptions, Oceans
What is a jet stream? How do they influence weather?
Jet streams are a narrow band of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere and they steer high- and low-pressure systems and storms
What are the three wind cells that drive weather
Hadley cell, Ferrel Cell, and Polar Cell
What is heat capacity and what substance has one of the highest heat capacities we know of?
A substances ability to gain or loose heat
Water
Which interaction most directly causes wind?
Differences in air pressure due to uneven heating
What are 3 ways that you can reduce your impact on greenhouse gases?
What does ENSO stand for and what ocean is it associated with?
El Nino southern oscillation, warming/ cooling of the pacific ocean
During the summer, Arctic sea ice melts and exposes darker ocean water.
Explain how this change affects albedo and climate.
This is an example of a positive feedback loop. The darker ocean waters have a lower albedo and absorb more sunlight than the ice. This increases temperatures and can lead to further ice melting.
Which of these snowpacks has the least dense snow?
Carrot Basin, MT: Depth- 147 cm, WSE- 47.5 cm
Phillips Bench, UT: Depth- 129.5 cm, WSE- 38.1 cm
Carrot Basin- 3.09 Snow to water ratio
Phillips bench 3.4 snow to water ratio