Define climate. What are its components? - ANSWER-the longterm, prevailing weather
conditions in a particular area. The major components of climate are temperature,
precipitation, sunlight, and wind.
What are the two scales of climate discussed in this class? - ANSWER-macroclimate:
patterns on the global, regional and local level
microclimate: very fine patterns encountered by the community of organisms that live in
a specific niche
What determines global climate patterns? - ANSWER-Determined largely by input of
solar energy, and the planets movement in space.
What are the effects of bodies of water on the climate climate? - ANSWER-bodies of
water are regional, local and and seasonal effects on climate.
Ocean currents influence climate along coasts of continents by heating or cooling
overlying air masses
Because of high specific heat of water, oceans, large lakes tend to moderate the climate
of nearby land
What is climate change? - ANSWER-Climate is the average weather at a given point and
time of a year, over a long period (typically 30 years).
We expect the weather to change a lot from day to day, but we expect the climate to
remain relatively constant.
If the climate doesn't remain constant, we call it climate change.
, The key question is what is a significant change -and this depends upon the underlying
level of climate variability
Ice cores- store past samples of the atmosphere
What is climate change? - ANSWER-- Since the beginning of the 20th century, scientists
have been observing a change in the climate that can not be attributed to any of the
'natural' influences of the past only. This change in the climate, also known as global
warming, has occurred faster than any other climate change recorded by humans and
so is of great interest and importance to the human population.
-a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from
the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of
atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.
Causes of climate change - ANSWER-Greenhouse gases
Atmospheric Aerosols
Land use change
What is global warning? - ANSWER-- Global warming or climate change is the gradual
increase of the average temperature of the Earth
- The average temperature of the Earth's surface is around 59 ̊F or 13 ̊C.
- Greenhouse Gases in the atmosphere hold in heat
Without these gases, the Earth's surface temperature would drop to around 0 ̊F.
- Earth is naturally insulated by these heat-trapping, greenhouse gases
- a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally
attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
What good things do greenhouse gasses do? What would happen without them? -
ANSWER--Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hold in heat
-Without these gases, the Earth's surface temperature would drop to around 0 degrees
F.
- without them it was a really cold place
What are the bad things greenhouse gases do when there are to much of them? -
ANSWER-- Earth can heat up and becomes non healthy levels, makes it harder for
organisms to live the way they typically live
- increasing temp is not good
- trap in all thermal rays
- greenhouse gases help insulate earth and when there are to many up them it is bad
What are the main greenhouse gases? - ANSWER-water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous gas, Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)
Water Vapor - ANSWER-The most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG), however because
it spends just a short time in the atmosphere, and humans have a very little impact on
the amount of water in the atmosphere, it is not considered the most important GHG
conditions in a particular area. The major components of climate are temperature,
precipitation, sunlight, and wind.
What are the two scales of climate discussed in this class? - ANSWER-macroclimate:
patterns on the global, regional and local level
microclimate: very fine patterns encountered by the community of organisms that live in
a specific niche
What determines global climate patterns? - ANSWER-Determined largely by input of
solar energy, and the planets movement in space.
What are the effects of bodies of water on the climate climate? - ANSWER-bodies of
water are regional, local and and seasonal effects on climate.
Ocean currents influence climate along coasts of continents by heating or cooling
overlying air masses
Because of high specific heat of water, oceans, large lakes tend to moderate the climate
of nearby land
What is climate change? - ANSWER-Climate is the average weather at a given point and
time of a year, over a long period (typically 30 years).
We expect the weather to change a lot from day to day, but we expect the climate to
remain relatively constant.
If the climate doesn't remain constant, we call it climate change.
, The key question is what is a significant change -and this depends upon the underlying
level of climate variability
Ice cores- store past samples of the atmosphere
What is climate change? - ANSWER-- Since the beginning of the 20th century, scientists
have been observing a change in the climate that can not be attributed to any of the
'natural' influences of the past only. This change in the climate, also known as global
warming, has occurred faster than any other climate change recorded by humans and
so is of great interest and importance to the human population.
-a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from
the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of
atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.
Causes of climate change - ANSWER-Greenhouse gases
Atmospheric Aerosols
Land use change
What is global warning? - ANSWER-- Global warming or climate change is the gradual
increase of the average temperature of the Earth
- The average temperature of the Earth's surface is around 59 ̊F or 13 ̊C.
- Greenhouse Gases in the atmosphere hold in heat
Without these gases, the Earth's surface temperature would drop to around 0 ̊F.
- Earth is naturally insulated by these heat-trapping, greenhouse gases
- a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally
attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
What good things do greenhouse gasses do? What would happen without them? -
ANSWER--Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hold in heat
-Without these gases, the Earth's surface temperature would drop to around 0 degrees
F.
- without them it was a really cold place
What are the bad things greenhouse gases do when there are to much of them? -
ANSWER-- Earth can heat up and becomes non healthy levels, makes it harder for
organisms to live the way they typically live
- increasing temp is not good
- trap in all thermal rays
- greenhouse gases help insulate earth and when there are to many up them it is bad
What are the main greenhouse gases? - ANSWER-water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous gas, Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)
Water Vapor - ANSWER-The most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG), however because
it spends just a short time in the atmosphere, and humans have a very little impact on
the amount of water in the atmosphere, it is not considered the most important GHG
