What is radiative forcing? Describe some warming and cooling forcing agents

What will be an ideal response?


"Radiative forcing is the influence a particular factor has on the energy balance of the atmosphere-ocean-land system. The factors can be positive, leading to warming, or negative, leading to cooling, as they affect the energy balance. If the factors change over time, they can lead to change in the climate."
Positive examples include increasing levels of water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, soot, and high-flying clouds.
Negative examples are increasing levels of particulates, sulfate aerosols, low-lying clouds, snow and ice (increases planetary albedo), and ozone depletion and volcanic eruption.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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A wave that falls over and forms white caps is called a

a) Breaker b) Surfer c) Tsunami d) None of the above

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World cities

A) did not exist until the twentieth century. B) were initially intimately involved with imperialism and colonialism. C) typically do not change in influence over time. D) would not include small cities like Brussels.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What kind of metamorphism will occur if the temperature is 800°C and the depth of metamorphism is 7 km?

A) Hydrothermal B) Contact C) Regional D) Subduction zone

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Starting from rest, the distance a freely falling object will fall in 0.5 s is about

A) 0.5 m. B) 1.0 m. C) 1.25 m. D) 5.0 m. E) none of the above

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences