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Energie Balance, Hydrological and Carbon Cycles

20 important questions on Energie Balance, Hydrological and Carbon Cycles

The sun emits radiation at lower wavelengths than the Earth. The balance is optained if the Earth emits radation at a temprature of around (emission temprature):

255 K (-18C)

The surface temprature is higher than the emission temprature beceause of:

The presence of some minor constituent in the atmosphere which could absorb infrared radiation. This is the so called green house effect.

The temperature in the northern hemisphere is higher during June, July and August (boreal summer) beceause:

The solar rays are closer to the vertical.

Integrated over the whole year the solar flux received at the surface is higher at the equator than at high latitudes:

The local imbalance between received en emitted flux on an annual mean basis is compensated for by the heat transport by the ocean and the atmosphere.

The amplitude of the seasonal cycle (summer minus winter tempratures) can reach 50 K on land compare to 5 to 10 K over the ocean beceause of different heat stores. True or false?

True

At middle latitudes arround 40N the atmosphere and the ocean transport roughly the same amount of heat poleward. True or False?

False. The atmosphere transports much more heat poleward than the ocean at middle latitudes, whilst in tropical regions between 20S and 20N the ocean plays a larger role.

The oceans transport roughly the same amount of heat northward in the North Pacific as in the North Atlantic. True or Fals?

False. Beceause of the deep water formation in the North Atlantic and not in the North Pacific, the ocean transports much more heat northward in the North Atlantic.

Over the ocean, the latent heat flux is generally larger thant the sensible heat flux. True or False?

True. The evaporation of water requires a large amount of energy. When water is available (such as over the oceanic surfaces or on relatively wet land areas the latent heat flux thus is generally a dominant term is the surface heat balance.

Most of the water that falls as rain over land comes from evaporation over the oceans. True or False?

False. Evaporation is large over the ocean, but the net transfer from ocean to land corresponds to about 35% of the total precipitation over land.

To avoid a strong surface salinity drift, precipitation should be locally more or less equal to evaporation over oceanic surfaces. True or False?

False. Strong imbalances in the freshwater fluxes at the surface can be compensated by ocean transport. Over land the imbalance is generally smaller and compensated by river runoff.

Over land, evapotranspiration is always limited by soil moisture availability. True or False?

False. In many continental regions, this is indeed the case, but evaporation requires energy, and in some wet regions, this is the limiting factor (as over the oceanwhere the water availability is never limiting.)

The oceans are a much lagere reservoir of carbon than the atmosphere beceause:

Most of the stock of carbon is stored as bicarbonate and carbonate ions.

The air-sea flux of CO₂ is a function of the difference in partial pressure of CO₂ between two media. The regional variations of this flux are mainly due to:

Variations in the p^co2 of the ocean due to biological activities and oceanic circulation.

The alkalinity is a measure of the excess of bases in sea water. If alkalinity increases p^co2 of the water:

Decreases and there is a tendency to transfer CO₂ from the atmosphere to the ocean.

Photosynthesis in the ocean tends to lower the surface DIC.

Yes. The surface DIC decreases as a result of photosynthesis beceause a fraction of the organic matter is exported out of the surface layer.

Formation of calcium carbonate in the ocean induces:

An increase in p^co2.

The subduction of oceanic sediments induces:

A release of CO_2. At a higher temprature calcium reacts with silicon dioxide to produce calcium-silicate rocks, inducing a CO₂ release.

Weathering of calcium silicate rocks because of the action of the carbonic acid contained in water tends to induce:

An uptake of carbon from the atmosphere.

The transport of weathering products by rivers to the ocean helps to compensate for the loss of calcium carbonate by sedimentation. True or False?

This is the end of the long inorganic carbon cycle which takes place over million of years.

The current methane concentration in the atmosphere is controlled by:

The natural emissions by wetlands and biomass burning. These are the main sources of methane.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Systeem aarde: kennis voor klimaat

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Energie Balance, Hydrological and Carbon Cycles

20 important questions on Energie Balance, Hydrological and Carbon Cycles

The sun emits radiation at lower wavelengths than the Earth. The balance is optained if the Earth emits radation at a temprature of around (emission temprature):

The surface temprature is higher than the emission temprature beceause of:

The temperature in the northern hemisphere is higher during June, July and August (boreal summer) beceause:

Integrated over the whole year the solar flux received at the surface is higher at the equator than at high latitudes:

The amplitude of the seasonal cycle (summer minus winter tempratures) can reach 50 K on land compare to 5 to 10 K over the ocean beceause of different heat stores. True or false?

At middle latitudes arround 40N the atmosphere and the ocean transport roughly the same amount of heat poleward. True or False?

The oceans transport roughly the same amount of heat northward in the North Pacific as in the North Atlantic. True or Fals?

Over the ocean, the latent heat flux is generally larger thant the sensible heat flux. True or False?

Most of the water that falls as rain over land comes from evaporation over the oceans. True or False?

To avoid a strong surface salinity drift, precipitation should be locally more or less equal to evaporation over oceanic surfaces. True or False?

Over land, evapotranspiration is always limited by soil moisture availability. True or False?

The oceans are a much lagere reservoir of carbon than the atmosphere beceause:

The air-sea flux of CO2 is a function of the difference in partial pressure of CO2 between two media. The regional variations of this flux are mainly due to:

The alkalinity is a measure of the excess of bases in sea water. If alkalinity increases pco2 of the water:

Photosynthesis in the ocean tends to lower the surface DIC.

Formation of calcium carbonate in the ocean induces:

The subduction of oceanic sediments induces:

Weathering of calcium silicate rocks because of the action of the carbonic acid contained in water tends to induce:

The transport of weathering products by rivers to the ocean helps to compensate for the loss of calcium carbonate by sedimentation. True or False?

The current methane concentration in the atmosphere is controlled by:

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The air-sea flux of CO₂ is a function of the difference in partial pressure of CO₂ between two media. The regional variations of this flux are mainly due to:

The alkalinity is a measure of the excess of bases in sea water. If alkalinity increases p^co2 of the water: