Earth's Climate System

Question 1

Greenhouse Gases

Answer 1

• Are any gas in the atmosphere that absorb energy
• The most important are CO2 and H2O
• Less significant are methane (CH4), tropospheric ozone and nitrous oxide (NO2)

Question 2

Fossil Fuels

Answer 2

• a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

Question 3

The Climate System

Answer 3

• Made up of complex set of components that interact with each other to produce Earth’s climate.
• Earth is able to maintain near constant temperatures and support life

Question 4

Reasons for water increasing

Answer 4

• Ice caps are melting

- Thermal expansion of water, heat goes up, water goes up

Question 5

Sun

Answer 5

• Source of all energy

Question 6

Ozone

Answer 6

• It is O3
• It has a sharp, strong odour (like chlorine)
• It is a highly reactive (strong oxidizer)

Question 7

Atmosphere

Answer 7

• Troposphere - where weather occurs. Air in here is 78% N2, 21% O2 and the remaining 1% is a mixture of other gases.
• Stratosphere - airplanes travel here because air is calmer. Ozone layer is here too.
• Mesosphere - where meteors burn up.
• Thermosphere - where the ISS is located
• Exosphere - where you’ll find most satellites.

Question 8

Ozone layer (Stratosphere) good

Answer 8

• The ozone layer prevents most of the dangerous Uv rays from the Sun to pass to us.
• UV radiation not only causes sunburns and skin cancer (in animals… including humans) but it can also be harmful to plants.

Question 9

Ozone layer (Troposphere) bad

Answer 9

• When ozone is found here it has toxic and corrosive effects (a main component of smog)
• This is why Ontario introduced the Drive Clean program

Question 10

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)

Answer 10

• CFCs “attack” the ozone and cause it to split.

- contain only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine

Question 11

Hydrosphere

Answer 11

• Includes all water (solid, liquid and gas form) on Earth

Question 12

Lithosphere

Answer 12

• Is the Earth’s crust (rock, soil, minerals)

Question 13

two main chemical reactions

Answer 13

• Photosynthesis, takes Carbon dioxide, water, and light to make sugar (or glucose) and oxygen
• Cellular respiration, takes oxygen and sugar, to make carbon dioxide, water, and energy