SCI1300 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Sunspot, Sea Salt, Soot
29 Aug 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Volcanos, emission of aerosols: emit particles into atmosphere, particles reflect and absorb solar radiation, reducing amount reaching the surface, this temporarily cools the climate by a few tenths of a degree for a few years. Emission of greenhouse gases: prior to industrialisation, 280ppm, now almost 410ppm. Emission of aerosols from human activity: aerosols are small particles in the atmosphere, can be directly emitted into atmosphere by natural processes e. g. desert dust, sea salt, also by human activity, mostly through combustion- soot, sulphates. Land use change: human activity changes the land surface and therefore its albedo. Warmer bodies lose more energy through radiation. Therefore, a warmer earth emits more radiation, thereby cooling. This negative feedback keeps the earth system stable. Water vapour is often close to its condensation point in the atmosphere. If the earth cooled, some water vapour would be lost as rain or snow, as the atmosphere could hold less.
