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All 10 Flashcards — Water and climate regulation
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Question
List four ways water regulates climate.
Answer
High specific heat capacity, latent heat transfer (evaporation/condensation), ocean currents, water vapour greenhouse effect, and albedo effects of ice/snow.
💡 Hint
Give distinct mechanisms.
Question
What property of water helps stabilise temperature, and how?
Answer
High specific heat capacity: water absorbs lots of heat with little temperature change, so oceans buffer climate.
💡 Hint
Heat sink.
Question
How can water vapour act as a positive feedback?
Answer
Warming increases evaporation, raising atmospheric water vapour, which strengthens the greenhouse effect and causes further warming.
💡 Hint
More vapour = more heat trapped.
Question
State the latent heat effect of evaporation and condensation.
Answer
Evaporation absorbs heat (cooling). Condensation releases heat (warming).
💡 Hint
Absorb vs release.
Question
Why does melting ice often accelerate warming?
Answer
Melting reduces surface albedo, exposing darker water/land that absorbs more solar radiation, increasing warming (ice–albedo feedback).
💡 Hint
Lower albedo → warmer.
Question
How do ocean currents regulate climate in one sentence?
Answer
They move heat from the tropics toward the poles and return cooler water toward lower latitudes, redistributing energy.
💡 Hint
Transport heat.
Question
Why is water vapour important in climate?
Answer
It is a greenhouse gas that traps heat, and it can increase as temperatures rise, strengthening warming feedbacks.
💡 Hint
Greenhouse gas.
Question
How do oceans act as carbon sinks, and what is one drawback?
Answer
Oceans absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, reducing atmospheric warming, but increased CO2 dissolving can contribute to ocean acidification.
💡 Hint
Sink with side effect.
Question
What’s the best structure for outline questions on climate regulation by water?
Answer
Give several distinct mechanisms as separate points (one per sentence), such as specific heat capacity, latent heat transfer, currents, greenhouse effect, and albedo.
💡 Hint
One mechanism per sentence.
Question
What is the climate effect of ice and snow, and why?
Answer
Ice and snow reflect solar radiation due to high albedo, producing a cooling effect.
💡 Hint
High reflectivity.
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Full study notes for Water and climate regulation
Topic 4.1 hub
Water systems
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