GC 170 1st Edition Exam 3 Study Guide Midterm study guide Content 10 multiple choice Q s 20 points total 14 short answer Q s 10 points each 140 total 2 short essays 20 points each 40 total Total points 200 Short Essay Questions The Greenhouse effect understanding the cartoon and effects of the Greenhouse Effect No atmosphere No GE The earth would be freezing 1 Incoming Solar Radiation 2 Radiation absorbed at the surface earth s temperature increases 3 Earth emits longwave radiation based on earth s temperature 4 If there is no atmosphere then all longwave radiation transmitted out to space Normal atmosphere GE 1 Sun emits shortwave radiation Mostly UV visible light some IR 2 Earth absorbs shortwave radiation earth s temperature increases 3 Earth emits longwave radiation Wien s Law which states that it is based on its temperature 4 Greenhouse gases absorb outgoing longwave radiation 5 Greenhouse gases re emit the longwave radiation back towards the earth 6 Lower atmosphere is heated Increased CO2 levels Enhanced greenhouse effect Has to do with how much CO2 humans are putting into the air 1 Sun emits shortwave radiation Mostly UV visible light some IR 2 Earth absorbs shortwave radiation earth s temperature increases 3 Earth emits longwave radiation Wien s Law based on its temperature 4 MORE greenhouse gases absorb outgoing longwave radiation 5 Increased Greenhouse gases emit MORE longwave radiation back towards the earth 6 earth becomes warmer temperature increases The Keeling Curve the history of the measurements what it shows and why it is important for understanding an enhanced greenhouse effect o Scientists were wondering about CO2 levels in the atmosphere o Project to calculate levels of CO2 in the air started by Dave Keeling in Pasadena CA in 1958 Too much influence from the industry Project moved around the United States to find fluctuations in CO2 levels throughout the day Except in the middle of the afternoon everywhere there were 310 ppm s o The project is now situated in an observatory on top of a tall mountain in Hawaii Mauna Loa No industries No nearby cities Far from vegetation No inversion layers o Fluctuations Late summer CO2 stored in leaves Low Points Winter Leaves have decayed CO2 in air High Points o This is important to global change because More CO2 creates an enhanced Greenhouse effect Warmer temperatures Short Answer Questions Multiple Choice Organized in Lectures Lecture 3 Electromagnetic spectrum and radiation Shorter Wavelengths o Higher frequency o Higher energy Longer wavelengths o Lower frequency o Lower energy The sun emits shortwave radiation UV which is visible to infrared The earth emits longwave radiation 100 IR Lecture 4 Radiation Laws Planck Function Distribution of energy o Intensity of radiation to the wavelengths emitted by a blackbody emits at ALL wavelengths Wien s Law o One wavelength where a blackbody emits a maximum amount of radiation related to temperature The maximum radiation flux peak occurs at a wavelength that is inversely related to the temperature o As the earth s temperature warms the peak and whole curve shifts to the left Stefan Boltzmann Law o Total energy emitted is proportional to the temperature of the body o Sensitive to temperature because it is proportional to the fourth power Lecture 5 Atmospheric Structure o Ozone layer is located in the stratosphere o Greenhouse gases occur in the troposphere as well as temperature CO2 and H2O are the most common greenhouse gases NH4 is also a greenhouse gas o Line represents temperature Starting from top Increasing thermosphere Decreasing mesosphere Increasing stratosphere Decreasing troposphere Processes of Heat Transfer o Convection transfer of thermal energy within a fluid by means of movement or circulation in gases or liquids example clouds in the troposphere heating water Process of heat transfer upwards in the atmosphere Phase change the transition between different states Liquid Solid Gas o Radiation the transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic radiation The only process that does not require movement of atoms or molecules to facilitate the transfer o Conduction transfer of thermal energy between or through objects by way of direct contact Most effective in solids Lecture 7 The greenhouse Gases Greenhouse Gases o Triatomic structure that allows them to absorb and re emit longwave radiation o Process causes vibration bending and rotation of atomic bonds o Greenhouse gases do not react to incoming shortwave radiation i e let visible light pass through Atmosphere o Incoming solar radiation passes through molecules o Outgoing longwave radiation also passes through these molecules Do not react to outgoing longwave Absorption Spectrum o Incoming UV absorbed by ozone layer in the stratosphere o Visible light allowed to pass through to the earth surface o Longwave radiation absorbed and re emitted back towards the earth surface o The atmospheric window allows narrow band of longwave radiation to pass through the atmosphere Lecture 8 9 The Energy Budget Solar radiation o Reflected by clouds atmosphere surface o Absorbed by atmosphere surface Longwave radiation o Radiated upwards The surface Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere o Radiated downwards Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and clouds Lecture 10 Modern processes a Atmospheric circulation i Hadley Cell circulation 1 Incoming solar radiation goes down towards earth 2 Heats up ocean and land 3 Warm air rises convection and uplift through humid air and water vapor 4 Convergence Area of low pressure at the surface surface winds move towards this area 5 Equator Intertropical Convergence zone 6 Divergence Cool air sinks from up in the troposphere a Surface winds flow away at the surface which creates high pressure b At areas of high pressure warm air diverges at the surface i Prevents condensation cloud formation ii Environment becomes very dry desert 7 Polar Front zone a Zone of converging air from equator and poles i Very cold and dense air ii Air flows away from north pole iii Warm air rises up cool air sinks below warm air 8 Jet Stream a Current of upper level winds moving west to east i Pushes storms across the polar front b Caused by strong temperature and pressure gradient in upper atmosphere c Changing with warming temperatures i Poles are warming relative to the equator ii Less temperature gradient between poles and equator iii Becoming wavier iv Moves slower weather patterns becoming more persistent ii Upper