GHY 1011 Final Exam Questions and Answers 2023 with
complete solution
weather vs. climate
weather: what is currently happening
climate: what has occurred over recorded history regularly
climatic norm
3 decade averages of climatological variables
climate system
the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the land surface and the biosphere,
forced or influenced by various external forcing mechanisms, the most important of
which is the sun
climate science
the interdisciplinary study of the climate
observed climate change indicators
melting ice, change in cloud cover, warming oceans, sea level rise, etc.
lithosphere/geosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle
atmosphere
relatively thin envelope of gases and tiny suspended particles surrounding the planet
that is divided into four layers:
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
thermosphere
hydrosphere
all the waters on the earth's surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including
water over the earth's surface, such as clouds
cryosphere
consists of various forms of frozen water at the planet's surface
components of the cryosphere
snow, sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, ice sheets, icebergs
biosphere
the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth (or analogous
parts of other planets) occupied by living organisms
rotation/revolution
rotation: daily spinning that takes 24hrs
revolution: going around the sun that takes 1yr
effects of earth's rotation
the cause for the differences in daytime and nighttime as it spins on its axis
equinoxes
when the days are equally split between the winter and summer solstice
solstices
the shortest/longest day of the year
solar elevation at noon (SEN)
, angle above horizon at local noontime
SEN calculations
90 - ArcDistance
angle of incidence
the angle at which the sun's rays strike the earth's surface
isolines
map where the lines connect areas of equal value
atmospheric composition
nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone, neon, helium, krypton,
methane, hydrogen, and nitrous oxide
vertical construction of the atmosphere
top to bottom: thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere and troposphere
climatic anomoly
departures from the long-term average
positive vs. negative feedback loops
many variables in the climate system are linked together in complex forcing/response
chains interactions between variables involve feedback loops that either amplify
(positive feedback) or weaken (negative feedback) fluctuations in climate
in-situ observations
on-site observations
satellite remote sensing
sensors observing earth from orbiting spacecraft measure selected wavelengths of the
electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted by the Earth's climate system
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): formed in 1988 by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme
(UNEP), they
evaluates the state of climate science and is composed of three working groups and a
task force
numerical model
consists of many mathematical equations that simulate the processes under study
electromagnetic radiation
both a form of energy and a means of energy transfer, travel as waves
electromagnetic spectrum
composed of different forms of radiation
visible spectral band
ROYGBIV all between 0.4 and 0.71 micrometers
wavelength
distance between successive wave crests
frequency
number of crests that passes a given point in a specified period of time
solar vs. terrestrial radiation
solar: short-wave, high intensity, mostly in the visible portion of the EM spectrum
(source is the sun)
terrestrial: long-wave, lower intensity (source: earth atmosphere system)
insolation
complete solution
weather vs. climate
weather: what is currently happening
climate: what has occurred over recorded history regularly
climatic norm
3 decade averages of climatological variables
climate system
the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the land surface and the biosphere,
forced or influenced by various external forcing mechanisms, the most important of
which is the sun
climate science
the interdisciplinary study of the climate
observed climate change indicators
melting ice, change in cloud cover, warming oceans, sea level rise, etc.
lithosphere/geosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle
atmosphere
relatively thin envelope of gases and tiny suspended particles surrounding the planet
that is divided into four layers:
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
thermosphere
hydrosphere
all the waters on the earth's surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including
water over the earth's surface, such as clouds
cryosphere
consists of various forms of frozen water at the planet's surface
components of the cryosphere
snow, sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, ice sheets, icebergs
biosphere
the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth (or analogous
parts of other planets) occupied by living organisms
rotation/revolution
rotation: daily spinning that takes 24hrs
revolution: going around the sun that takes 1yr
effects of earth's rotation
the cause for the differences in daytime and nighttime as it spins on its axis
equinoxes
when the days are equally split between the winter and summer solstice
solstices
the shortest/longest day of the year
solar elevation at noon (SEN)
, angle above horizon at local noontime
SEN calculations
90 - ArcDistance
angle of incidence
the angle at which the sun's rays strike the earth's surface
isolines
map where the lines connect areas of equal value
atmospheric composition
nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone, neon, helium, krypton,
methane, hydrogen, and nitrous oxide
vertical construction of the atmosphere
top to bottom: thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere and troposphere
climatic anomoly
departures from the long-term average
positive vs. negative feedback loops
many variables in the climate system are linked together in complex forcing/response
chains interactions between variables involve feedback loops that either amplify
(positive feedback) or weaken (negative feedback) fluctuations in climate
in-situ observations
on-site observations
satellite remote sensing
sensors observing earth from orbiting spacecraft measure selected wavelengths of the
electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted by the Earth's climate system
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): formed in 1988 by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme
(UNEP), they
evaluates the state of climate science and is composed of three working groups and a
task force
numerical model
consists of many mathematical equations that simulate the processes under study
electromagnetic radiation
both a form of energy and a means of energy transfer, travel as waves
electromagnetic spectrum
composed of different forms of radiation
visible spectral band
ROYGBIV all between 0.4 and 0.71 micrometers
wavelength
distance between successive wave crests
frequency
number of crests that passes a given point in a specified period of time
solar vs. terrestrial radiation
solar: short-wave, high intensity, mostly in the visible portion of the EM spectrum
(source is the sun)
terrestrial: long-wave, lower intensity (source: earth atmosphere system)
insolation
