What are some natural ways in which particles can enter the atmosphere? What is the effect of these particles on the climate?
What will be the ideal response?
ANSWER: Particles can enter the atmosphere in a variety of natural ways. For example, wildfires can produce copious amounts of tiny smoke particles, and dust storms sweep tons of fine particles into the atmosphere. Smoldering volcanoes can release significant quantities of sulfur-rich aerosols into the lower atmosphere. And even the oceans are a major source of natural sulfur aerosols, as tiny drifting aquatic plants—phytoplankton—produce a form of sulfur (dimethylsulphide, DMS) that slowly diffuses into the atmosphere, where it combines with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide, which in turn converts to sulfate aerosols. Although the effect these particles have on the climate system is complex, the overall effect they have is to cool the surface by preventing sunlight from reaching the surface.
You might also like to view...
Although traditional agriculture is common in many parts of the world, the United States primarily uses ____________________ agriculture for food production.
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).
In the years after World War II, this country emerged as the hegemonic power
A) Soviet Union B) Britain C) China D) United States E) Japan
Eurasia is a world leader in the production of
A) natural gas. B) nuclear energy. C) petroleum. D) geothermal energy.
What results from the work of cut banks to laterally erode the landscape?
A. valley deepening B. a braided stream channel C. valley widening D. the growth of a delta E. valley lengthening