Quiz 21: Climate Change

Weather is a long-term average of climate.

Nitrogen and oxygen make up <50% of the atmosphere.

The last glacial minimum ended approximately 15,000 years ago.

The troposphere is the lowest layer in the atmosphere.

Geoengineering refers to large-scale intentional efforts to modify the climate.

The mesosphere contains the ozone layer.

Albedo is the percentage of radiation reflected from the surface.

One way in which concentrations of CO₂ millions of years ago can be reconstructed is from the density of stomata in fossilized leaves.

Plate tectonics has no effect on climate change.

The study of ancient climates is called paleoclimatology.

An increase in greenhouse gas concentrations corresponds to a positive forcing.

There is some evidence that increases in greenhouse gas concentrations are responsible of the vast majority of global warming over the last century.

Agriculture and biodiversity will be enhanced with increased global temperatures.

The instrumental temperature record is temperature records from direct measurement.

Moving away from fossil fuels will remove 200 billion tons carbon from our atmosphere over the next 15 years.

Thermal expansion can cause sea level rise.

In the last century, human activities have caused dramatic increases in concentration of many greenhouse gases.

Global temperature trends are typically taken as the average over the entire planet.

Volcanic activity releases particles and particle forming gases into the atmosphere each year.

The ionosphere plays little role in determining climate.

Which of the following is a factor in the Earth's atmosphere? A) composition B) electromagnetic radiation C) albedo D) geoengineering

Which of the following atmospheric gases are derived from both natural processes and anthropogenic processes? A) oxygen B) carbon dioxide C) argon D) water vapor

Which of the following layers of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer? A) mesosphere B) troposphere C) stratosphere D) ionosphere

What is the role of the ozone layer? A) It reflects heat to the surface. B) It blocks all electromagnetic radiation from space. C) It creates a warm blanket around the Earth. D) It protects the surface from ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

The _____ is the Earth's primary source of energy. A) Sun B) stratosphere C) volcanic emissions D) weather

The Sun transmits its energy to Earth in the form of _____. A) solar radiation B) electromagnetic radiation C) visible light D) yellow energy

The percentage of radiation reflected from a surface is referred to as its _____. A) altitude reflection B) ozone layer C) albedo D) solar radiation

Heat energy from solar radiation absorbed at the Earth's surface is known as _____. A) geothermal energy B) solar heat C) blackbody radiation D) terrestrial radiation

Without this, the Earth would warm up rapidly due to the absorption of solar radiation. A) emission of infrared radiation B) albedo C) greenhouse effect D) atmosphere

The Earth is warm due to _____. A) albedo B) greenhouse gases C) blackbody radiation D) all are correct

The Earth's average climate is determined by its _____, the balance between the amount of energy entering and exiting the Earth system. A) solar balance B) blackbody radioactivity C) radiative balance D) anthropogenic forcing

The roundness of the Earth's orbit is known as it's _____ A) rotational balance B) variation C) variblity D) eccentricity

The month in which the Earth makes its closest approach to the Sun is known as the _____, which varies on a 19,000 year cycle. A) perihelion B) axial tilt C) wobble D) eccentricity

The orbital theory of climate is also known as _____. A) Orbital Theory B) Milankovitch Theory C) Orbital Climate Theory D) Maunder Minimum

_____ are important concepts in climate science. They are factors that amplify or decrease the rate of a process. A) Albedos B) Latitudes C) Feedbacks D) Variablities

_____ is the most abundant and important greenhouse gas. A) O₂ B) O₃ C) CO D) CO₂

NO₂ and CH₄ are important greenhouse gases due to their strong _____ of solar radiation. A) absorption B) reflection C) potential D) trapping

Greenhouse gases can survive in the atmosphere for different amounts of time, which is known as _____. A) decay curve B) atmospheric lifetime C) global warming potential D) abundance factor

Why is water vapor an extremely important greenhouse gas? A) It decreases the amount of precipitation and energy in the atmosphere. B) It concentrates the amount of carbon absorbed in the oceans. C) It reflects UV radiation. D) It strongly absorbs IR radiation.

Cloud droplets and _____, which are small particles suspended in the atmosphere, together relfect around 23% of the incident solar radiation back to space. A) atmospheric aerosols B) dust C) volcanic emissions D) combustion products

Which of the following is released by volcanic activity into the atmosphere? A) water vapor B) SO₂ C) CO D) NO₂

_____ can alter the surface albedo of the Earth and affect ocean circulation on a million-year time scale. A) Faulting B) Mountain building C) Plate tectonics D) Volcanic eruptions

Paleoclimate studies require that scientists find paleoclimate _____, materials that have retained a unique signature of the ancient climate conditions. A) models B) air bubbles C) records D) proxies

Which of the following is not a paleoclimate proxy? A) insect trapped in amber B) tree rings C) ice cores D) all are proxies

Two ways in which concentrations of CO₂ million of years ago can be reconstructed is from the density of stomata in fossilized leaves and _____ A) isotopic content of carbon in fossils B) ice cores C) tree rings D) orbital changes of the Earth around the Sun

By what means do we know that greenhouse gas concentrations have varied quite dramatically over the geologic record? A) oxygen isotopes B) ice cores C) carbon isotopes D) tree rings

The last glacial maximum ended _____ years ago. A) 150 B) 1500 C) 15,000 D) 150,000

_____ works by measuring temperatures deep in the ground and using our understanding of heat transfer in materials to infer what the surface must have been in the past. A) Climate modeling B) Feedback loops C) Solar forcing D) Borehold thermometry

At this point in time global mean temperatures begin to increase substantially and quite rapidly. A) industrial revolution B) bronze age C) at the close of the glacial maximum D) the invention of the internal combustable engine

Models of climate are only able to reproduce the warming over the last century only if _____ are added. A) solar radiation B) greenhouse gases C) population changes D) plate tectonics

_____ has been responsible for around 50% of the sea level rise over the last century. A) A dip in the jet stream B) Change in the Gulf Stream circulation C) Melting and loss of ice D) Extreme weather events

Between 1961 and 2003 mean sea level rose _____. A) 1.8 cm B) 3 mm C) 0.3 mm D) 1.8 mm

_____ is the increase in the volume that results from increased ocean temperatures. A) Sea floor spreading B) Thermal expansion C) Ice sheet melting D) Decadal variability

The _____ is an international panel of scientists that assesses the evidence for and effects of climate change. A) IPCC B) GWA C) GSA D) EPA

Climate change will affect human populations in all but the following ways: A) famine due to crop failure B) flooding due to sea level changes C) increased extreme weather events D) all are correct

How will agriculture be impacted by climate change? A) increase markets B) alter the need for irrigation C) agriculture will not be impacted D) increase diversity

As more CO₂ dissolves in the ocean the _____ increases. A) sea level B) fish size C) concentration of H⁺ D) number of reefs

_____ refers to large-scale intentional efforts to modify Earth's climate. A) Geoengineering B) Climate modeling C) Climate construction D) Biospheric engineering

_____ refers to geoengineering efforts to control the amount of solar radiation being absorbed by the Earth system and reflecting it back to space. A) Solar reflection engineering B) Solar radiation management C) Radiation sequestering D) Solar storage

The most straightforward way to decrease emissions of CO₂ is to _____. A) use low-energy appliances B) recycle C) increase fuel economy D) move away from using fossil fuels