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environmental science, note: height = height above ground, altitude =…

- - - - thermosphere
      - mesosphere
      - stratosphere
      - troposphere
  - - - heat (heated surface heats are, distriputed by wind)
      - nutrients (wind causing ocean currents)
      - water vapour (means areas get rainfall)
  - - - Carbon dioxide
        
        Combustion of FF, ploughing of soil, draingage of marshes/bogs
      - Methane
        
        anaerobic respiration by microbes in padi fields, landfill + livestock intensines + leaks from natural gas fields and pipelines
      - Oxides of nitrogen
        
        Oxygen + nitrogen reacting in high temps eg. in vehicle engines, released into atmo. in vehical exhausts + fertilizer use
      - Chlorofluorocarbons
        
        aerosol propellants, fire extinguishers, refrigerators, solvents
      - Tropospheric ozone
        
        photochemical breakdown of NO2 + subsequent reactions with oxygen
  - - - ecological changes
        
        changes in abiotic factors = affect species survival eg. temp, rainfall - eg. plants growing faster = more food BUT also more toxin build up in caterpillars from leaves, wetlands may grow or shrink, changes in the timing of ecological events eg. migration, flowering, nesting, changes in species distribution, may colonise new areas slower than leaving, suitable habitats may be unavailable or no bio.corridors, loss of interdependent communities etc. + little movement between isolated communities
      - changes in climatic processes:
        
        increased temps = changes atmo. pressure and evaporation
        
        Wind pattern changes:
        
        jet streams (strong, high wind) caused by differences in temp and density, slowing = weather remains over an area, creating longer, more intense weather eg. longer droughts, more flooding etc.
        
        Rainfall pattern changes:
        
        increased temps = more evapoT = more rainfall, too hot = no condense, too cold = no evapoT, wind transports humidity = increased rainfall in some areas and reduced in others
      - Changes in the cryosphere
        
        warmer temps = increased ice melt BUT increased Et = more precipitation eg. snow, BUT super cold areas = low snowfall as precipitation falls before it gets there
        
        warmer temps = increased snow + ice melt + reduced time it lasts = reduced albedo = reduced sunlight reflected -> +ve feedback
        
        Land ice:
        
        warmer temps = front of glacier melt faster than movement forward = retreats
        
        meltwater from surface flow down crack = lubricate = moves quicker than RoMelt = glacier extends (BUT: volume of ice still decrease if snowfall does not increase where glacier is formed)
        
        loss of ice shelves
        
        land ice flows into sea + breaks off = iceberg
        
        as sea levels rise, land ice doesn't need to move as far before it breaks off -> breaking off = glaciers/ ice sheets behind may flow more rapidly to sea
        
        ice lakes - melt water collecting on glacier surface can cause sudden flooding if front wall breaks (more glacier melt = more flooding)/
        
        rivers: less snow more rain = more uneven flow,
        
        snowmelt = more even river flow, BUT, if snow accumulates and melts at once eg. in spring = big increase in river flow
      - Sea level rise
        
        Melting LAND ice:
        
        LAND ice melt = increase volume of water = sea level rise
        
        thermal expansion:
        
        warmer temps = increased k.e. of water molecules = take up more space = sea level rise
      - changes in ocean currents
        
        driven by processes:
        
        winds causing surface to move
        
        evapo. cause water to flow in, replacing lost water
        
        heating or cooling changes the density of surface water = affects waters ease of sinking
        
        evapo. or inflow of freshwater = change salinity = affect density
        
        north atlantic conveyor: warmer temps cause greenlands land ice to melt = reduce salinity = reduce density = less likely to sink - reduce pull/ flow rate = warm water not being brought up from the south = NW climate cools