Earth system feedbacks, cycles, and tipping points 0.0 / 5 ? GeographyEarth & Ocean systemsUniversityNone Created by: AnnaFHarrisonCreated on: 13-01-18 09:59 What is the cryosphere? sea-ice, glaciers, and ice caps 1 of 22 What determines the amount of incoming solar radiation? the sun's intensity/Earth's distance from the sun 2 of 22 What determines the amount of reflected solar radiation? The Earth surface's albedo (e.g. affected by the presence of ice) 3 of 22 What is back radiation, and what is it governed by? the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the earth's surface - dependent on emissivity (increases with less greenhouse gas emissions) 4 of 22 What is a sunspot? A patch on the sun's surface that appears dark by contrast to the rest of the sun 5 of 22 What is Maunder Minimum and what did it cause? a prolonged sunspot minimum (1645-1715) - coincides with Little Ice Age 6 of 22 What 3 components of Earth's system contribute to the formation and disassociation of ice ages? incoming solar radiation (S), albedo (alpha), emissivity 7 of 22 Define "precession" axis tilt relative to orbit 8 of 22 Define "obliquity" axis tilt & seasons 9 of 22 Define "eccentricity" Earth's orbit around the sun 10 of 22 How do ice age cycles relate to carbon dioxide variations? Lower concentrations indicate colder peiods 11 of 22 In which period did snowball Earth occur? Triassic 12 of 22 What is the 8.2 ka event? The most recent abrupt climate cooling in the North Atlantic 13 of 22 What is the last Deglaciation? abrupt climate changes introduced large amount of fresh water from glacial bodies into the northwest Atlantic 14 of 22 What are Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events? rapid climate change fluctuations during the last glaciation 15 of 22 What is the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum? One of the most intense intervals of global warming (believed to have caused changes to the carbon cycle - increase in lysocline) 16 of 22 What triggered changes in the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum? Changes in ocean circulation warmed deep waters, destabilised methane hydrates 17 of 22 What happened to carbon and oxygen concentration during the paleo-eocene thermal maximum? lighter carbon isotopes increased as heavier isotopes decreased, oxygen isotope rations increased 18 of 22 Evidence for a snowball Earth dropstones, paleomagnetic data, decrease in carbon isotope radios (extinction of photosynthetic life), 19 of 22 What is the temperature threshold of a snowball Earth? minus 10 degrees C. 20 of 22 What does the Clausius-Clapeyron relationship state? The saturation vapour pressure of water increases with temperature (non-linear) 21 of 22 Describe the Hot limit's positive feedback loop increased temperature holds more water vapour, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, causing further heating and evapouration. 22 of 22
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