Global Climate Change
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Created by:
Rae0fSunshine on March 7, 2012
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41 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 trap, space | The greenhouse effect describes the property of certain gases in the atmosphere to _____ the reflected light from the earth's surface rather than allowing it to return to _______. |
| CH₄, N₂O | The gases responsible for this effect in order of volume are: CO₂, ______, H₂O, ______, and CFCs. |
| 0.5 | Global temperature measurements indicate a _____ºC temperature increase over the past 150 years. |
| thermal, glacier, ice | Sea levels have risen approx. 20 cm over the past century due to _______ expansion. Future increases will be due to ______ and ____ sheet melting. |
| CO₂ | _____ levels are the highest they have been in 500,000 years. This has been attributed to the burning fossil fuels and deforestation. |
| sea, 2.9 | The highest projected increase in ____ level in the next 100 years would be 88 cm (___ ft). |
| ice, tree, sediments | Previous global temperatures and CO₂ are determined by studying ____ cores, ____ and coral growth rings, and lake ____________. |
| positive, CO₂, temperatures | Studies of evidence dating back 500,000+ years show a _________ correlation between atmospheric ____ levels and global _____________. |
| -forestation, 1 | CO₂ -Source: burning fossil fuels, de____________ -GH Strength: ___ -Duration (yrs): 100 |
| live, de- | CH₄ -Source: ____ stock, natural gas, ___composition -GH Strength: 23 -Duration (yrs): 23 |
| internal | N₂O -Source: ________ combustion, fertilizers -GH Strength: 296 -Duration (yrs): 118 |
| CFCs, air, 15 | _____ -Source: styrofoam, _____ conditioning -GH Strength: 900-8300 -Duration (yrs): _____ |
| wet, temperate | Ecosystems most affected will be coral reefs, coastal ____lands, _________ seas, arctic and alpine tundra, and high elevation mountaintops. |
| cold, pest, oxygen, tropical, currents | Besides sea level increases, global warming may cause: - increased drought, more severe weather -failure of _____ weather crops -increased ____ populations -decreased ________ levels in aquatic ecosystems -greater productivity of _______ crops and forests -disruption of ocean _______ from meltwater possibly causing global cooling |
| positive | There are several possible ______ feedback mechanisms which may accelerate global warming. |
| snow | (positive) ______ pack will decrease which will decrease the earth's reflectiveness (albedo). |
| methane | (positive) Thawing methane hydrates will release _________ - a powerful greenhouse gas. |
| CO₂ | (positive) Warmer oceans will hold less ____. |
| negative | There are also some ________ feedback scenarios which may decrease global warming. |
| tree | (negative) Increased CO₂ and longer growing seasons will increase _____ growth, trapping more carbon. |
| albedo | (negative) Increased cloud cover will increase the earth's _______. |
| CO₂ | Carbon sequestering involves capturing _____ and storing it underground or in deep oceans or maximizing the natural uptake of CO₂ (by planting more trees). |
| credits, sequester | Carbon _____ are investments that companies can make in CO₂ _______ projects in order to offset that companies' CO₂ productions. |
| greenhouse, developing | The Kyoto protocol is an international treaty that penalizes countries for producing excessive __________ gases. One criticism of the treaty is that it exempts ___________ nations such as China and India from penalties and therefore is ineffective. |
| China, capita | ______ produces more greenhouse gases per ______ than any other nation. |
| O₃, O₂ | Ozone (___) is formed in the stratosphere where ultraviolet radiation catalyzes the following reaction: 3___→2O₃. |
| ultraviolet | ___________ radiation is absorbed during the process and shielded from the earth's surface. |
| chlorofluorocarbon, ClO | ________________ (CFCs) breakdown in the stratosphere releasing a free chlorine atom. This Cl atom reacts with O₃ forming O₂ and a ____ molecule. |
| Cl | The ClO molecule then reacts with a free oxygen atom, releasing the ___ atom to continue decomposing O₃ molecules. |
| strato- | Levels of O₃ in the ______sphere has declined by approx. 50% since the 1950s. |
| Antartica | Polar wind effects combined with CFCs causes a dramatic thinning of the O₃ over _______ every winter (August-November). |
| freon, refrigerant, air | _______ is the most commonly manufactured CFC. It has been used since the 1930s as a __________ and a carrier for aerosols. In the 1940s, freon was phased out of aerosols, and in the 90s, it was phased out of automative ____ conditioners. |
| ozone | The Montreal and Copenhagen protocols called for the reduction of the production of CFCs and other _______-depleting chemicals (ODCs) worldwide. |
| -plankton | The effects of O₃ depletion on the environment include: -reduction in phyto___________ population which is the basis for aquatic food chains -decreased photosynthesis |
| skin, food | The effects of humans include: -increased ____ cancer and cataracts -decreased productivity of certain _____ crops |
| habitat, species | The biggest threats to endangered species in order of impact are: -_________ destruction -over-harvesting -invasive __________ -pollution and climate change |
| low, genetic | Species that are vulnerable to extinction are those that have ____ reproductive rates, limited tolerance ranges, occupy very specific niches, are at the top of the food chain, and have limited ______ diversity. |
| fish | Percentages of species facing premature extinction are _____ (34%), mammals (24%), reptiles (20%), plants (14%), and birds (12%). |
| edge, predators | Biodiversity can be preserved primarily by forming reserves. This includes avoiding fragmentation by roads and urban centers which disrupts ecosystems by creating more ____ habitats which increases edge species and harms species with a wide range such as top level __________. |
| unintentionally | Invasive species may be intentionally introduced such as kudzu vines (used for erosion control) or ____________ introduced such as fire ants. Tighter regulations and inspections of ships can reduce the incidence of invasive species. |
| hunting | Over-harvesting and poaching can be controlled by enforcing ________ and fishing regulations and prohibiting the sale of endangered species products. (ivory) |
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