The concrete, buildings, and metal have a lower albedo than rural areas with trees and
vegetation.
metal absorbs solar radiation
Consult the above diagram. Which of the following processes cool the Earth's surface
and transport heat to the atmosphere? Select more than one response
Earth's surfaces with high albedo
thermals
Back radiation
surface radiation
reflection by clouds, aerosols and atmosphere
radiation reflected by Earth's surface
evapotranspiration
Cools earth’s surface:
Reflection by clouds etc
earth’s surfaces with high albedo
NOT thermals –heats surface
NOT back radiation – heats
NOT surface radiation – heats
Radiation reflected by Earth’s surface
Evapotranspiration
Heat the atmosphere:
thermals
Reflection by clouds etc
earth’s surfaces with high albedo
NOT back radiation
radiation reflected by Earth’s surface
surface radiation
evapotranspiration
1) 452 W/m2: emitted from thermals (24) + evapotranspiration (78) + surface radiation (350) ; 2)
235 W/m2 :emitted by atmosphere & clouds (195) + energy passing through the atmospheric window
(40)
1) 492 W/m2: emitted from thermals (24) + evapotranspiration (78) + surface radiation (390) ; 2) 342
W/m2 :emitted by atmosphere & clouds (195) + energy passing through the atmospheric window
(40) + reflected solar radiation (107)
2)
1) 342 W/m2: emitted from incoming solar radiation; 2) 342 W/m 2 :emitted by outgoing surface
radiation
1) 522 W/m2: emitted from thermals (24) + evapotranspiration (78) + surface radiation (390) +
reflected by surface (30) ; 2) 342 W/m2 :emitted by atmosphere & clouds (195) + energypassing
through the atmospheric window (40) + reflected solar radiation (107)
1.
A) earths surfaces with high albedo
evapotranspo
Thermals
B) second one
C) 522 or 235 ( third or second.. but probably third 522)
D. oxygen
2.
A ) The _________ latitude has the highest winter albedo because ____________________.
High albedo= high reflectivity= low absorbption=light roofs=trees not metal
65-70 .. because the surface is covered in snow and ice
Snow = high albedo
b) Consult Tables 1 and 2 above. The _________ latitude has the least seasonal variation in
albedo because______________.
20-25 .. of minimal surface variability and seasonality
c) With increasing atmospheric temperatures, sea ice melting will be more pronounced during
summer months at high latitudes.
I. Will this increased melting of sea ice result in a positive or negative feedback loop? Select:
POSITIVE LOOP or NEGATIVE LOOP
II. Explain, using the concept of albedo. (answers should be concise and precise)
I.
II.
With increased atmospheric temperatures, melting of sea ice would result in a positive
feedback loop. Once sea ice melts, this causes more sea ice to melt, and thus more
warming of the atmosphere.
Sea ice has a larger albedo than water. Sea ice is white, making it bright and having high
reflectivity. This means that the absorption of solar radiation is low, making the surface
cold. Whereas, if temperature increases causing the melting of sea ice to increase, the
surface will turn to water and have a lower albedo. With a liquid water surface, this makes
the surface darker. With a darker surface, less sunlight is being reflected back to space.
The surface will have more radiation absorbing, which makes the surface warm and
warms the atmosphere and thereafter, more sea ice melts.
Sea ice has a large albedo = high reflectivity= low absorption = cold surface
Water has lower albedo = more absorption = warmer .. more sea ice melts
d) Some models predict that an increase in high-altitude clouds will result in cooling, while an
increase in low-altitude clouds will result in warming.
Select the correct word-pairing that best completes the following sentence.
High-altitude clouds will _________________ planetary albedo and low-altitude clouds will
______________ surface radiation.
Absorbs = low albedo=warm
Increase .. ….absorb more
3) A) 1. garnet
2. green
3. less
4. peak
b) No, it is not likely that given the most ambitious of these pledge cases that a global
temperature rise limit to 2 degrees Celsius or less in the twenty-first century could be met. The
range of the pledge cases does not touch the green level which is the only level where the global
temperature rise is limited to 2 degrees Celsius or less. The lowest value in the range of pledge
cases is 2.5, so this condition could not be met.
c) i.
430- 390.5= 39.5
39.5/1.97 = 20.05
i) 390.5 ppmv + 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+
1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97+ 1.97 = 429.9 ppmv
It would take 20 years to reach a concentration of 430 ppmv CO2 at an annual growth rate of
1.97ppmv.
ii) 430- 390.5= 39.5
39.5 ppmv * 2.13 PgC = 84.135 PgC
iii) One expected environmental impact that could be related to a 2 degree Celsius increase in
global average temperature would be sea ice melting. Sea level will rise and animals in the Arctic
may no longer have ice to live on. This melting and exposure of water changes the albedo,
making it lower, and thus warming the surface and atmosphere more and more. Melting sea ice
is a continuous loop of warming the atmosphere. Also, another impact would be that when the
temperature of the sea increases so quickly, the fish may die off. Or if phytoplankton are
affected by the water temperature and they die, every living thing that ate this phytoplankton
will no longer have food and they will die also. This is a continuous chain, and could impact a
mass extinction.
d) a
#1. A) Max. CO2 (SP): October / Spring; B) Min CO2 (SP): March/ Summer;
#2. A) Max CO2 (BA): May/Spring; B) Min. CO2 (BA): August/Summer
#1. A) Max. CO2 (SP): December /Spring; B) Min CO2 (SP): March/ Summer;
#2. A) Max CO2 (BA): April/Spring; Min. CO2 (BA): September/Summer
#1. A) Max. CO2 (SP): November / Fall; B) Min CO2 (SP): September/ Summer;
#2. A) Max CO2 (BA): May/Summer; B) Min. CO2 (BA): September/Summer
#1. A) Max. CO2 (SP): OCTOBER /FALL; B) Min CO2 (SP): February/WINTER
#2. A)Max CO2 (BA): April/Spring; B) Min. CO2 (BA): September/Summer
ANSWER # 3. i) and ii) in the Essay Box space provided below. Your response to both questions
should NOT exceed 250 words.
3. i) Explain why, in any given year, there are seasonal (wave-like) fluctuations in atmospheric CO2
concentrations.
3. ii) Does Barrow, Alaska have larger or smaller fluctuations in annual atmospheric CO 2 concentrations than
the South Pole?
Select One: LARGER
or SMALLER
Fluctuations
Explain the reason(s) behind this difference in amplitude.
i) In any given year there are seasonal fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations
because of vegetation growth. In the summer months trees or plants use carbon dioxide to grow
because they are autotrophs. These trees or plants absorb carbon dioxide, so the concentrations in the
atmosphere decrease. However, in the winter months the trees or plants do not grow as much or
absorb carbon dioxide. These plants and trees are not photosynthesizing, but there is still an input of
carbon dioxide, as there is all year, so the concentrations of carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere.
ii) Barrow, Alaska has larger fluctuations in annual atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations than the
South Pole. Barrow, Alaska is located in the northern hemisphere, which is where the rich population
lives. The Northern hemisphere, including Canada, the United States, and Europe, releases carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere by doings of human activity. We are the ones who are putting much of the
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, however it does not remain there. Carbon dioxide is
homogeneously over the planet, but because it is released in the northern hemisphere, which is at the
time a large increase in concentration, this gas then moves which causes a larger decrease of
concentration compared to the southern hemisphere.
4. i) What do the decadal changes in annual average atmospheric CO2 concentrations over
the 30-year period (1975 to 2005) indicate? (maximum: 2-sentence answer)
i) The decadal changes in annual average atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations over the 30 year
period indicate there has been an increase in carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. This
increase is caused by human activity releasing carbon dioxide in the last three decades.
ii) It is often useful to track the amount of carbon residing in, or being exchanged between
the atmosphere and the ocean, land or biota. Use the following conversion CO2 (ppmv) to
Carbon (mass),
1 ppmv CO2 = 2.13 petagrams of carbon (PgC) or gigaton of carbon (GtC)
to calculate the total amount of carbon added to the atmosphere from 1975 to 2005 for the
South Pole and Barrow. Show your work
i)
Calculate the average rate of increase of atmospheric carbon, in petagrams per year,
between 1975 and 2005 for the South Pole and Barrow. Show your work
iii)
South Pole
14.3 ppmv * 2.13 petagrams = 30.459 petagrams
14.6 ppmv * 2.13 petagrams = 31.098 petagrams
18.3 ppmv * 2.13 petgrams = 38.979 petagrams
30.359 + 31.098 + 38.979 /3 = 33.479 petagrams
Barrow
13.7 ppmv * 2.13 petagrams = 29.181 petagrams
15.1 ppmv * 2.13 petagrams= 32.163 petagrams
18.5 ppmv* 2.13 petagrams = 39.405 petagrams
29.181+ 32.163+ 39.405 / 3 = 33.483 petagrams
i) The decadal changes in annual average atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations
over the 30 year period indicate there has been an increase in carbon dioxide being
released into the atmosphere. This increase is caused by human activity releasing
carbon dioxide in the last three decades.
ii) South Pole 14.3ppmv + 14.6ppmv + 18.3ppmv = 47.2ppmv * 2.13 PgC = 100.536 PgC
Barrow 13.7ppmv + 15.1ppmv + 18.5ppmv = 47.3 ppmv * 2.13 PgC = 100.749 PgC
iii) South Pole 100.536 PgC / 30years = 3.3512 PgC/year
Barrow 100.749 PgC / 30years = 3.3583 PgC/year
iv) Hawaii 379.8ppmv - 331.1ppmv = 48.7 ppmv * 2.13 PgC = 103.731 PgC / 30 = 3.4577
PgC/year
If you take Hawaii's change in carbon content (3.4577) and subtract the South Pole's
carbon content(3.3512), you will get a 0.1065 difference. Which is 10.65 % difference.
Just the same, if you subtract Alaska's carbon content (3.3583) from Hawaii's, you will
get a 0.0994 difference, which is a 9.94% difference. Therefore, the difference is e) 9 to
10 %.
The results of the above comparison between the hemispheres suggest that there was a
greater addition of atmospheric carbon dioxide over the 30-year period in the Southern
hemisphere where there are volcanoes. In Hawaii, volcanoes occur continually and
therefore there would be a greater concentration of carbon dioxide.
iv) During the same time period (1975-2005), annual mean carbon dioxide measurements at
Mauna Loa, Hawaii went from 331.1 ppmv (1975) to 379.8 ppmv (2005) and, from these
measurements, 104 petagrams of carbon were added to the atmosphere. How does the
change in carbon content for this period at Mauna Loa compare to those of the South Pole
and Barrow, Alaska?
SELECT ONE: a) exactly the same
to 8%
e) 9 to 10%
a difference between: b) 0 to 2%
c) 3 to 5%
d) 6
What do the results of the above comparison between the hemispheres suggest regarding
additions of atmospheric carbon dioxide over the 30-year period? (maximum: 2-sentence
answer)
Iv) 379.8 – 331.1 = 48.7 ppmv