LMSW/ASWB > EXAM REVIEW > Stony Brook University ATM 102 Midterm Exam Review (All)
ATM 102 Midterm Review 01 Introduction to Climate and Climate Change Climate: is the broad average of temperature, precipitation, wind direction, and more for a given region. Climate applies to lo... ng-term (years and longer) changes. Weather: is the variability of the same variables on time-scales of hours to weeks. A 1°C temperature change means nothing as far as weather is concerned, but is a very significant change with respect to climate. Earth’s average temperature is 15°C (59°F), and much of the surface ranges between 0° and 30°C (32° and 86°F) Geologic Time: Most climate change occurs on time-scales longer than a human lifetime – we focus on events that last decades, or shorter. Earth is 4.5 billion years old Climate System: -Air, water, ice, land, and vegetation -Things that cause climate to change are referred to as forcing mechanisms, the effect is frequently referred to as the response. Climate Forcing: 1) Tectonic processes – related to the Earth’s internal heat and processes that change the shape of the surface of the earth (mountain building, slow motion of the continents, opening and closing of oceans). Time scales of millions to hundreds of millions years 2) Earth-orbital changes – variations in how our planet orbits the sun affects the amount of solar radiation the planet receives. Time scales of tens to hundreds of thousands of years. 3) Changes in the strength of the Sun – the amount of energy our sun emits is not constant through time. This too affects the amount of solar radiation we receive. Time scales of billions of years to decades. 4) Anthropogenic – the effect of humans on climate. This is a byproduct of industry, agriculture, and other human activities, primarily through greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4), sulfate particles, and soot. Time scales of decades to centuries. Climate Response: -Each part of the climate system responds to forcing with a characteristic response time. -Forcing is slow in comparison to response. If forcing is slow enough, climate tracks the forcing. Ex: Continents moving north or south a rates of centimeters per year. Average continental temperature easily keeps pace. -Forcing is fast in comparison to response. If forcing is too fast, climate barely responds because it can’t respond fast enough. Ex: Total solar eclipse darkens an area for less than an hour – that area’s surface temperature barely changes. - Forcing and response have similar time scales. Never reach equilibrium. Frequency of the forcing determines the magnitude of the response. Ex: much of what actually happens in the real world. Climate forcing and response: -Climate forcing rarely simply turns on and off. -More commonly, changes occur in smoother cycles. -Daily heating and cooling - strongest solar heating at noon, but warmest temperatures occur 3-4 hours later -S [Show More]
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