EAPS 111 Exam 3|71 |Review | Questions with 100% Correct Answers | Verified | Latest Update

Which parts of the earth system are involved with the climate system? - ️️Oceans, cryosphere (ice and snow), biosphere (animals and plants), pedosphere (soil), lithosphere (rocks). All of these elements together compose the climate system, whose individual components and processes are connected and influence each other in diverse ways. What is the primary energy source for the climate system? - ️️Solar energy (green house gases and orbit). What influence does the ocean have on the climate of nearby continents? - ️️Ocean currents move vast amounts of heat across the planet - roughly the same amount as the atmosphere does. Heat transport is more localized and channeled into specific regions. What are the ways that plate tectonics can affect climate? - ️️When tectonic plates shift, the creation of the volcanic eruptions increases the degree of carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the atmosphere. This is what leads to a rise in the temperature levels globally. Also, mountains have a large influence on regional climates, so converging plate boundaries play a role here as well. How does climate influence tectonics? - ️️Rate of erosion goes up related to climate, so this affects the height of uplift. Slopes reflect balance of uplift and intense erosion may allow lateral movement of material. How do changes in Earth's orbit drive drive short term (less than 1 million years) climate change? Is it predictable and cyclic? What are the three components of orbital variations that generate much of cyclic climate change? - ️️The three main components are described in the Milankovitch cycles, which are Eccentricity, Tilt, and Precision. These orbital variations help us predict changes, it is not perfectly cyclic, but it does follow a relative pattern. Can orbital variations explain recent climate change? If not, what else is involved? - ️️The rapid increase in global temperatures is predicted in these variations, but not to the extent that we are