Weather vs. Climate Quiz

Weather vs. Climate

• Weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions (days to weeks), encompassing temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind.
• Climate represents long-term average weather patterns (30 years or more) in a region. It determines the types of plants and animals that can survive there.
• Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.

Climate Zones and Ecoregions

• Climate zones are determined by temperature, precipitation, and plant/animal communities.
• Ecoregions are broader, also considering human activities, soil types, and landforms, in addition to climate and organisms.

Factors Affecting Climate

• Proximity to large bodies of water moderates temperature.
• Latitude (distance from the equator) influences solar radiation intensity and temperature.
• Ocean and air currents distribute heat globally.
• Land formations and elevation impact local climates.

Solar Energy and the Greenhouse Effect

• The sun is Earth's primary energy source.
• About 70% of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by Earth's surface, warming it.
• The rest (30%) is reflected back into space.
• The absorbed energy is re-radiated as infrared radiation (heat).
• The greenhouse effect is a natural process where greenhouse gases and clouds absorb and re-radiate some of this infrared energy back towards Earth, maintaining a habitable temperature.
• Without the greenhouse effect, Earth's average temperature would be -18°C. With it, it's ~15°C.

Greenhouse Gases

• Greenhouse gases are atmospheric gases composed of two or more elements. Examples include CO2, CH4, N2O, and H2O.
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Represents 0.038% of the atmosphere.
• Pre-Industrial levels: 280 ppm.
• Current levels: 385 ppm.
• Oceans and vegetation act as carbon sinks.
• Water Vapor (H2O): Accounts for ~2/3 of the greenhouse effect.
• Methane (CH4): ~23 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, primarily from natural sources and/or agriculture.
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O): ~300 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, primarily from industry and agricultural sources.

Feedback Loops and Anthropogenic Impacts

• Feedback loops are processes where one change results in additional impacts that reinforce the initial condition.
• Anthropogenic greenhouse gases are those emitted by human activities.

Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Sources

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Primarily from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and deforestation.
• Methane (CH4): Associated with agriculture (livestock, rice paddies), coal mining, and landfills.
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O): Found in fertilizers and livestock feed.

Evidence of Climate Change

• Rising Temperatures: Global average temperatures have increased by 0.6 °C since 1970. Canada has seen a 1°C rise in the last 55 years; parts of the Yukon have experienced a substantially greater increase (2.5°C).
• Melting Glaciers and Ice Sheets: Glaciers are shrinking worldwide. Greenland's ice melt is accelerating.
• Rising Sea Levels: Melting land ice contributes significantly to rising sea levels, which threatens coastal areas. Ocean ice melt does not.
• Changes in Severe Weather: Increased frequency and intensity of heat waves, storms.
• Changes in Precipitation Patterns: Some regions experience more rainfall, others less, which can alter water resources and agriculture.
• Shifting Seasons: Earlier snowmelt, longer growing seasons, fewer cold days in some regions, and changes in timing of biological processes (migration, breeding).
• Changing Ecosystems: Species adapting to changing conditions by migrating or shifting ranges, affecting biodiversity.