WGU C267 - Climate Change, Questions and answers, 100% Accurate 2024

What is the Climate? - -The mean of Earth surface conditions. Climate does not equal weather Climate Zones - -Regions of similar conditions What creates the climate? - -1. Starts with insolation and ends with energy balance 2. Energy & matter exchanged among surface components What is a blackbody curve and what does it represent? - -Energy vs. wavelength. Shift is a function of temperature What gases cause the 'greenhouse effect'? - -H2O, CO2, CH4, O3, N2O, CFC's. Two types of matter exchange - -Water and Carbon Water - -Reservoirs (storage): Ocean, atmosphere, vegetation, etc. Fluxes (Movement): Evaporation, precipitation, etc. Carbon - -Reservoirs and fluxes Climate Forcing - -Some factor that changes the energy balance. Positive Climate Forcing - -Forcings make Earth warmer Negative Climate Forcing - -Forcings make Earth cooler