...8.3 The Sun Powers Earth`s Climate System Homework - Thursday 09/06/12 pg. 329 #1-6 1. Explain how the ocean interacts with the Sun’s radiation. The ocean interacts with the Sun’s radiation by reflecting and absorbing the Sun’s radiation. I think the ocean absorbs the radiation because depending on the season the area by the mass of water is about 1°C or 2°C difference in temperature proving the ocean does absorb the Sun’s radiation. Although it absorbs heat I also thing the ocean has a medium albedo. The ocean is light coloured/clear, and is a different form of ice which has the highest albedo. Therefore the ocean interacts with the Sun’s radiation by reflecting and absorbing the heat energy. 2. The amount of energy Earth absorbs is equal to the amount of energy it radiates. Why is this important? Explain your answer. It’s important that the amount of energy Earth absorbs is equal to the amount of energy it radiates because on Earth we need to keep the temperature at a sustainable temperature, meaning the Earth can’t be too hot or too cold. For there to be a sustainable environment the Earth needs to maintain a healthy temperature for human life, and other life. By equally absorbing and reflecting the radiation from the Sun Earth is able to support life, this is very important. 3. The Sun shines continuously on Earth. Explain why Earth does not keep warming up. Even though the Sun shines continuously on Earth, the Earth doesn’t keep warming up because...
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...Atmosphere The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night. Dry air contains roughly (by volume) 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1%. The atmosphere becomes thinner and thinner with increasing altitude, with no definite boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. Structure of the atmosphere Principal layers of the atmosphere The atmosphere of the Earth may be divided into several distinct layers, as the following figure indicates. [pic] Troposphere The troposphere is where all weather takes place. The air pressure at the top of the troposphere is only 10% of that at sea level (0.1 atmospheres).The troposphere begins at the surface and extends to between 7 km at the poles and 17 km at the equator, with some variation due to weather. The troposphere is mostly heated by transfer of energy from the surface, so on average the lowest part of the troposphere is warmest and temperature decreases with altitude. The troposphere contains roughly 80% of the mass of the atmosphere. The tropopause is the boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere. Stratosphere Above the...
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...3. The four ways to compare countries are population, wealth, size, and language. This is important to geographers because they can compare countries and to know there attractions. 4. Population density is the amount of people within 1 km2. If Canada's population is 31000000 and the area is 9922000 km2, the population density would be 3.12 people per 2 km2.(divide population by area) 5. The six main features of a map is the legend, borders, directions, colours, title, and date. Three types of maps are mental map, road maps, and mine maps. The three main map projections are Polar, Mercator, and Equal area. Mercator has a rectangular outline, good direction, and good shape. Equal area has an oval area, good size, and shows the whole earth. Polar has latitude lines are circle, circular outline, and shows part of the hemisphere. 6. The four coordinate directions are North, South, East, and West. The ordinal directions area Northeast,Southeast, Southwest, Northwest. 7. The three different types of grid systems are military, longitude and latitude, and alphanumeric. Latitude and longitude grids are used to pin point any place in the world. Military grids are use for pin pointing in smaller areas. Alphanumeric grids are like battle ship. Latitude and longitude grids are the inky fog rid that can really pin point you to any place in the world. 8. Three characteristics of latitude are horizontal, separates the North and South hemisphere, they are 180 degrees of latitude...
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...atmospheric scientists, are experts on the atmosphere, weather, and climate. Meteorologists study the aforementioned categories and how they will affect not only the Earth, but human beings as well. Compiling and collecting data, developing forecasts, and understanding weather patterns are part of a meteorologist’s duties. Furthermore, meteorologists may invent new instruments to collect weather pattern or climate data, while consulting clients on the opportunities and risks associated with climate changes and atmospheric events. If you have an enthusiasm for analyzing data, mathematics, weather patterns, and science, this may be a career area you want to explore further. Why Become A Meteorologist...
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...Weather is the most important consequence of climate change. The world revolves around weather patterns, a person's day to day lives are controlled by the weather outside their door, but what about the crops. Too much water and a crop rot, too little and they shrivel up and die. According to NASA, in the United States the Southwest region is likely to be hit the worse as summer temperatures rise and heat waves become more intense. These heat waves means that it will be difficult for farmers to work in the heat of the day. If there is not enough water in the ground farmers risk their crops shriving up on the vine. Even too much water for the crops is bad as it will cause them to rot on the vine or stalk. For years now scientists have been saying...
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...Paola “The Cause and Effects of Climate Change” The alteration of our climate nowadays has been very evident due to climate change. It has been affecting our lives in many different ways. And It is one of the biggest problems our world has been facing. What is Climate Change? A change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century on wards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. There are two main causes of climate change. The first one is Natural Cause. Volcanic eruption is one of the examples. When a volcano erupts, it release big amounts of sulfur dioxide and dust particles in the air, will then travel to the atmosphere and will block the incoming sun rays and will lead to cooling of the atmosphere of the earth. Another example is the ocean current. It happens when the winds push horizontally against the sea surface and drive ocean current patterns, as well the movement of carbon dioxide affects. Moreover, another cause is the earth`s orbital changes. It happens due of tilting of the earth that affects the severity of the seasons. Second is Human Activity. Natural Resources are being used extensively for constructions of industries, transport and other establishment that causes greenhouse gas to rise which results to the warming of the earth surface. And the effects of climate change the first one is our human health...
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...“Constant Change” In a world where nothing is constant except change, we are also faced by a dreading fact that as years goes by, our climate is also changing. The way people way people lived today has drastically changed from the way our forefathers lived thousand years ago. The Climate Change or Global Warming has been an issue for so long, but do we really care about our dying world? In the past years, scientific evidence for the warming of the climate system has been tracked down and is very unequivocal. According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), these are the signs that we are in a state of a climate change: The sea level rise – global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century. Global temperature rise – all three major global surface temperature reconstructions show that Earth has warmed since 1880. Warming Oceans – the oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. Shrinking ice sheets – the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Declining Arctic sea ice – both the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice has declined rapidly over the last several decades. Glacial retreat – glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world – including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa. Ocean acidification – since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface...
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...“Constant Change” In a world where nothing is constant except change, we are also faced by a dreading fact that as years goes by, our climate is also changing. The way people way people lived today has drastically changed from the way our forefathers lived thousand years ago. The Climate Change or Global Warming has been an issue for so long, but do we really care about our dying world? In the past years, scientific evidence for the warming of the climate system has been tracked down and is very unequivocal. According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), these are the signs that we are in a state of a climate change: The sea level rise – global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century. Global temperature rise – all three major global surface temperature reconstructions show that Earth has warmed since 1880. Warming Oceans – the oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. Shrinking ice sheets – the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Declining Arctic sea ice – both the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice has declined rapidly over the last several decades. Glacial retreat – glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world – including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa. Ocean acidification – since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface...
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...Forest ecosystem FOREST ECOSYSTEM A forest is more than just the trees. A single forest is a complete, functioning ecosystem that supports innumerable plant and animal species as well as earth, water, and air subsystems. The subsystems provide the essence of life of the forest and are in themselves a byproduct of forest systems, all of which are reciprocal and inter dependent. A forest ecosystem is a complex of living and non-living elements which interrelate. An ecosystem can be small (like your backyard) or large (like the planet earth). It depends on the range of individual species or group of species being discussed (e.g.: a salmon stock or a forest type), geology (e.g.: a mountain range or watershed), and other issues. Different organisms exist within the forest layers. These organisms interact with each other and their surrounds. Echo organism has a role or niche in sustaining the ecosystem. Some provide food for other organisms, other provide shelter or control populations trough predation. NEEDLE LEAF Needle leaf trees fall into two categories based on how they are attached to the twig coming off the branch of the tree. On coastal redwoods and true firs, the needles will be connected directly to the twig, growing off it like leaves off the branch of a common plant. On trees like spruce trees, the individual needles will be connected to the tree via a peg-like stalk, which is also known as a needle peg. Sometimes needles on conifers are bundled together...
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...due to human interference and climate change. However changes within these forest and/or ocean ecosystems also impact the human population, as we depend on these crucial bionetworks for our very own existence. • The Boreal forest is a band of forest that stretches across the northern hemisphere, which includes the following countries: Canada, Russia, United States and the northern countries of Europe such as Sweden, Norway etc… (Green displays the areas where the Boreal forest is situated) • Within Canada, the Boreal forest region covers more than 290 million hectares. •This forest is primarily dominated by coniferous trees, namely: Jack Pine, Balsam Fir, Red Pine, White Pine, Black Spruce, White Spruce, Tamarack, Paper Birch, Eastern White Cedar, etc… • The leading cause of most threats upon ecosystem biodiversity is climate change; such is the case in Canada’s the Boreal forest. • Climate change also has an effect on the number of forest fires. • Invasive alien species are also a huge factor in destroying biodiversity in the Canadian Boreal forest. • The Boreal forest is the largest intact forest and wetland ecosystem remaining on earth. • One of, and perhaps the biggest threat to biodiversity in the Boreal Forest is Human infringement. • In summation the best way to preserve the Canadian Boreal forest would be to make people aware. If people are mindful then we can really put a stop to human encroachment, and perhaps climate change all together. We cannot...
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...AMS Climate Studies Student Pre-Test 1. Which heat-trapping (greenhouse) gas has the greatest concentration in the atmosphere? d. water vapor 2. All of the following processes release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere EXCEPT __________. c. photosynthesis by green plants on land and algae in water 3. Perturbations in the radiative forcings of climate include all of the following EXCEPT __________. c. changes in the flow of infrared radiation from Earth to space 4. The radiation emitted by the Earth system peaks in the __________ portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. a. infrared 5. Contributors to the IPCC assessment reports include more than 2000 scientists from __________. c. over 150 nations 6. What is the ultimate source of energy driving Earth’s climate system? d. the Sun 7. The changing seasons on Earth are caused by __________. a. the tilt of the Earth on its axis relative to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. 8. The warmest climates on Earth are located near the tropics because this region __________. a. is much closer to the Sun 9. Which one of the following surfaces has the highest albedo for visible solar radiation? a. ocean water 10. The major reason for the upward trend in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the mid-1800s is __________. b. the burning of fossil fuels 11. Heat is transported from the Earth's surface into the troposphere via __________. d. All of the above are correct. 12. Viewed from above in the...
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...Controlling the Climate and Weather Recall the pleasure derived from the last time you took a walk through a park on a day when the weather was perfect. The sunshine was bright, the temperature was perfect, and perhaps there was a slight breeze that left you the ultimate feeling of refreshment as it caressed your face. Or perhaps you can remember the last time you enjoyed the sounds and smells of a light April shower that left the trees and grass looking so green and the air so fresh that you just couldn’t resist taking a deep cleansing breath. No doubt everyone can remember times such as these or similar instances when the weather was responsible for bringing them a lift in spirit. Now imagine that you had the ability to control the weather and climate. Perhaps your first response to this idea is that such a thing is, and always will be, impossible. But you would be wrong in your assumption. In our modern world there is a science called Geo-Engineering that has become a political issue. Geo-Engineering is the ability of scientists to control the climate and weather in various areas and for various reasons. The issue we are all faced with is whether or not having this control is a good thing or a bad thing. First of all we must answer the question of whether Geo-Engineering is a reality. Without question it is, and has been for decades. Scientists have successfully demonstrated in numerous ways the ability to be able to control the climate and weather. How...
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...Causes of Climate Change Climate change is a long-term shift in weather conditions identified by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators. Climate change can involve both changes in average conditions and changes in variability, including, for example, extreme events. The earth's climate is naturally variable on all time scales. Factors that cause climate change can be divided into two categories - those related to natural processes and those related to human activity Natural Causes The Earth's climate can be affected by natural factors that are external to the climate system, such as changes in volcanic activity, solar output, and the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Human Causes Very few people doubt that it is normal for there to be climate change. The rotation of the earth on a tilted axis leads to this, as well many natural events, like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes. However, human activities are having a much greater impact on climate change. For example, the jump in earths’ population from 1950 through 1985 more than doubled from 2.5 billion to over 5 billion. (Meyer, 1996: 24) The importance of this growth is a drain on the Earths’ resources causing even more altering. It is not as much the altering of these resources that are causing climate change but the type of human activities which are taking place, and the way in which they are impacting the climate. The earth is naturally surrounded by gases the added human processes...
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...Pole to Pole I came to know how the power of sun drives our world’s climate and the life giving cycle of water. How animals adapt to the climate of planet earth. Also learned about the climate zones and how the sun shapes the earth’s climate as a whole. The animals shown in the film adapt to their environment depend on many things like the animals that live in the severe cold weather (very low temperature) such as polar bears and caribou have thick furs. The caribou specifically has hollow winter hair and the polar bear has many layers including fur which helps them stay warm in the cold climate in which they live in. Amur leopard also lives in cold weather but they do not have fur as thick as the polar bears. Another animal that lives in such a severe cold weather are penguins, since they live more together in groups, they densely pack themselves together to keep warm. This happens by the body temperature that radiates out of a penguin and helps warm another. On the other hand, the animals that live in the rainforest live a life without much difficulty because there is a lot of rain falling, which helps grow plants and once those plants are eaten by herbivores, then the carnivores have something big and healthy to eat. Moreover, the rain is the ultimate reason for the animals living in the rainforest to survive easily compare to the animals living in the severe cold weather. As the availability of food, water and a habitat become accessible in the rainforest for them to live...
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...Explain how different factors can influence the variations in global biodiversity (10 marks) The biodiversity of the planet Earth is the total variability of life forms. There are around 1.9 million extant species. There are many factors that can influence the variations in global biodiversity which can be either physical or human. The size of an area heavily decides the variations in biodiversity. The bigger the area, the larger the biodiversity, as large continuous biomes can support a wider range of species and extensive boundaries can encourage migration. Also, a larger area is more susceptible to a variety in climate, which can support a variation in species. A good example of this factor taking place is the Amazon Rainforest. This vast area of 5,500,000 sq.km located in the Amazon Basin of South America has the largest collection of animal and plant species in the world, as wet tropical forests are the most species-rich biome. It is home to 10% of the world’s known biodiversity. History and age shows that older and least disturbed ecosystems, is where there is generally higher biodiversity, especially in the tropics, where there are few physical constraints on productivity. Older ecosystems have a greater biodiversity as there is a longer time period for new species to evolve. Not only for new species, but also for migratory species such as birds. Disturbed ecosystems, where deforestation and land reclamation occurs, decreases biodiversity by destroying habitats and...
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