Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
absorbs and releases energy more slowly than air and this is the fundamental
basis for the seasonal predictions that are the focus of interest of the Climate
Prediction Center whose website is at http://www.cpc.noaa.gov. Even if
seasonal predictions were not possible, presumably short-term prediction
would still be possible, and weather forecast centers such as the National
Weather Service at http://www.cpc.noaa.gov would still exist.
(g) 'Greenhouse warming' is predicted to increase near-surface air tempera-
tures. Since 70% of the Earth is covered with ocean, this likely will increase
surface evaporation rates because the saturated vapor pressure is a strong
function of temperature. Putting more water into the air as water vapor will
likely enhance the Earth's overall hydrologic cycle by increasing the moisture
available for release by precipitation processes. At first sight, the effect will be
greatest at the poles because the projected temperature increases are greatest
there. However, saturated vapor pressure is a non-linear function of tem-
perature and the rate of change in saturated vapor pressure with temperature
is more than twice as large at 29°C (typical of sea surface temperature at the
equator) than it is at 0°C (typical of sea surface temperature at the poles).
Answer 5
The answers below give one opinion but, as is generally the case in politics,
different people have different opinions. If your opinions differ, discuss them with
your instructor.
(a) The RWD Party is probably using the banner C.
Malleable
has Hadley
Circulation similar to on Earth. Having looked through a telescope at their
sister planet, RWD Party followers notice that the resulting falling air
currents at approximately 30°N and 30°S of the equator suppress the
formation of precipitation and give rise to warm deserts when this occurs
over continents, e.g. the Sahara Desert. Their proposal is to remove the
continents at this band of latitudes.
(b) The RTS Party is probably using the banner A. The oceans on
Malleable
are
currently arranged to inhibit the inclusion of cold polar water in oceanic
circulation towards the equator. Looking through a telescope, followers of
the RTS Party notice that on their sister planet Earth, there is a marked
difference in the general shape of continental areas between the two
hemispheres. Those in Earth's Northern Hemisphere are similar to those
on
Malleable
and inhibit inclusion of polar water in oceanic circulation.
However, the more open nature of the continents in the Earth's Southern
Hemisphere allows cold polar water to penetrate towards the equator in the
western Pacific and Atlantic oceans. On average, this reduces the sea
surface temperature of equatorial western oceans in the Earth's Southern
Hemisphere, and this in turn inhibits the production of tropical storms in
these regions. The RTS Party argues for opening the channels that link
