Application Exercises 15/02/2017

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Question 1.

Although the amount of energy leaving Earth’s surface is more than the solar energy striking the surface, Earth does not cool rapidly because greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap and return some of the radiation. Greenhouse gases like CO2 and H2O can absorb infrared radiation to vibrate their bonds and subsequently re-emit this radiation in all directions. Some of this radiation goes back to the surface or other greenhouse gas molecules, preventing energy from escaping into space and keeping the Earth warm. Without greenhouse gases, Earth would cool rapidly to temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius.

Question 2.
The picture shows 2 men up to their chest in snow saying “This winter has lowered my concerns about global warming…” However, having a low temperature does not indicate the absence of global warming. In fact, as global warming intensifies, higher temperatures are affecting precipitation levels. This means that higher temperatures allow for more moisture to collect in the air in the form of water vapor. This increased water vapor will return to earth as part of the water cycle in the form of snow or rain, which will result in drastic changes in weather patterns and higher occurrences of severe snowstorms or floods. Therefore, the increased volume of snow should be a cause for concern instead of disregarding the presence of global warming.

Question 3.

High humidity can be present in the air. When the radio-waves travel through the air , energy is lost when the waves hit and rotate the water molecules.

In order to achieve successful transmission over long ranges, extreme amounts of energy would be needed to compensate for the loss therefore the microwave radar devices were not successful.

Question 4.

In the short run, air quality will be a serious problem.When the air quality worsens, it will affect our daily activities. It can also lead to possible health problems like breathing problems or lung diseases especially to those who suffer from respiratory problems or to kids and the elderly people.
In the long run, global warming will pose a serious problem.Global warming has caused the increase in sea levels, warmer temperatures, melting of polar ice caps and also causing extreme weather events such as hurricanes,typhoons and droughts. All these factors will affect the way of living for most people and it will be hard to recover them to its original state.