The Climate System
It is a system that has five key components, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere (this includes the oceans, fresh water, rivers, lakes, and groundwater), the biosphere (living things and soils), the cryosphere (ice sheets, sea ice, and mountain glaciers) and finally the lithosphere (the surface of the Earth's crust).
http://worldoceanreview.com/en/wor-1/climate-system/earth-climate-system/
The Water Cycle
Solar radiation causes water to evaporate from the surfaces of the hydrosphere, and also from the biosphere. The water vapour condenses in the atmosphere to form clouds, and water returns to the surface through precipitation. On reaching the surface, water returns to the hydrosphere, it can enter the cryosphere. Sunlight on the cryosphere can melt snow and ice or transform it directly into vapour in a process called 'sublimation' from ice sheets, show fields, and glaciers.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmos/hydro.htm
Human feedback
There are three main feedbacks which are:
Evaporation occurs when solar radiation heats the surface of bodies of water. The evaporated water is transformed from the liquid to the gas phase and stored in the atmosphere. The molecules of water vapour in the atmosphere absorb heat radiation coming from the Earth below, causing them to vibrate. Then they re-emit heat radiation, some of which comes back down to the surface, resulting in further warming. This increased warming in turn increases the amount of evaporation in an amplifying process, which we call a positive feedback. If we increase temperature, then evaporation increases.
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http://worldoceanreview.com/en/wor-1/climate-system/earth-climate-system/
The Water Cycle
Solar radiation causes water to evaporate from the surfaces of the hydrosphere, and also from the biosphere. The water vapour condenses in the atmosphere to form clouds, and water returns to the surface through precipitation. On reaching the surface, water returns to the hydrosphere, it can enter the cryosphere. Sunlight on the cryosphere can melt snow and ice or transform it directly into vapour in a process called 'sublimation' from ice sheets, show fields, and glaciers.
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http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmos/hydro.htm
Human feedback
There are three main feedbacks which are:
- Water vapour feedback
- Ice Albedo feedback
- Radiation feedback
Evaporation occurs when solar radiation heats the surface of bodies of water. The evaporated water is transformed from the liquid to the gas phase and stored in the atmosphere. The molecules of water vapour in the atmosphere absorb heat radiation coming from the Earth below, causing them to vibrate. Then they re-emit heat radiation, some of which comes back down to the surface, resulting in further warming. This increased warming in turn increases the amount of evaporation in an amplifying process, which we call a positive feedback. If we increase temperature, then evaporation increases.
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http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704194504575031404275769886
The Ice Albedo feedback
If we take an area of ocean that is mostly covered by sea ice, say in the Arctic, much of the solar radiation that is reaching the surface will be reflected back into the atmosphere by the highly reflective ice. The ocean's surface, on the other hand, will reflect some solar radiation, but it tends to absorb more than it reflects. So if we warm the system up and this melts some sea ice, we'll still have some reflection from the remaining sea ice. But where open water is exposed we'll get much more absorption of incoming sunlight as heat going into the ocean.
http://ossfoundation.us/projects/environment/global-warming/myths/images/arctic/icealbedo.jpg/view
Radiation feedback
All objects give off radiation, but the warmer a body is the more radiation it gives off. And when a warm body gives off more heat radiation, that cools it down. This phenomenon is known as the Stefan Boltzmann effect or the Planck feedback. The Climate system is a system that self-regulates thanks to a mixture of positive and negative feedback. They link together the different components of the climate system.
The Ice Albedo feedback
If we take an area of ocean that is mostly covered by sea ice, say in the Arctic, much of the solar radiation that is reaching the surface will be reflected back into the atmosphere by the highly reflective ice. The ocean's surface, on the other hand, will reflect some solar radiation, but it tends to absorb more than it reflects. So if we warm the system up and this melts some sea ice, we'll still have some reflection from the remaining sea ice. But where open water is exposed we'll get much more absorption of incoming sunlight as heat going into the ocean.
 |
http://ossfoundation.us/projects/environment/global-warming/myths/images/arctic/icealbedo.jpg/view
Radiation feedback
All objects give off radiation, but the warmer a body is the more radiation it gives off. And when a warm body gives off more heat radiation, that cools it down. This phenomenon is known as the Stefan Boltzmann effect or the Planck feedback. The Climate system is a system that self-regulates thanks to a mixture of positive and negative feedback. They link together the different components of the climate system.
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