env sci quizzes for exam 2
Since pre-industrial times, Earth's average temperature has increased roughly ___________.
1 degree celsius
What is the average rate of annual sea level rise?
3.3 mm
Since 1979, tropical expansion has occurred at a rate of approximately _________ miles per decade?
30
What two data sources conclusively tell us that sea level is rising?
?global warming and internal variability
Causes of tropical expansion include all of the following except:
An increase in the Earth's average albedo
Which of the following is NOT true regarding CO2 and climate?
CO2 levels in the atmosphere have begun to stabilize and even decrease slightly.
The Hadley Cell's role in tropical expansion has been:
Extending farther poleward
Identify two negative outcomes of tropical expansion:
It could cause drought and water shortages in some places and crop failures in others.
Which of the following is NOT NECESSARILY a property of an air mass?
It must have a warm front at its leading edge.
Your reading for this week discussed how native tribes are leading the way in planning for climate change. Drawing on the reading, discuss one reason why tribes are at the forefront of climate adapation.
Many tribes are weaning themselves off of using fossil fuels! Since stopping the use of fossil fuels they are learning to rely on solar power putting them ahead of many countries that have started to introduce solar power but still rely on fossil fuels such as America.
The video for today ("Science at the Top of the World") shows scientists using ice cores to identify which of the following climatic changes in the Southern hemisphere:
a drying out of the andes related to a poleward shift of the westerlies
It can be said that along all the fronts in a midlatitude cyclone, ___________.
air rises
Where is the largest continental ice sheet?
antartica
Which of the following air masses can be identified as being "very stable"?
arctic
Fronts are located ________.
at the edges of air masses
Milankovitch cycles are roughly 100,000 year cycles in the Earth's climate, caused by ______________
changes in the earths orbit and tilt
Which type of front typically produces the fastest rise of air?
cold front
If an air mass with a relative humidity of 100% is cooled, what process will most likely result?
condensation
Of the air masses below, the coldest, driest ones are ___________.
continental polar (cP)
Which of the following air masses rarely affects North America?
equatorial
A higher dewpoint temperature means that there is less actual water vapor in the air.
false
Evaporation happens most rapidly when air is still (not moving).
false
If an air parcel is colder than the air surrounding it, it will tend to rise.
false
Over the past 4.5 billion years, the Earth's climate has remained stable until about 100 years ago.
false
Positive feedbacks are defined as processes that are beneficial for the climate and ecosystems
false
Sea level is rising, but the rate of rise is decreasing, or slowing down.
false
Some of the driest areas on Earth are on windward sides of mountain ranges.
false
Volcanic eruptions tend to lead to a short-term increase in global temperatures.
false
When air rises, saturated air cools at a greater (faster) rate than unsaturated air.
false
When water evaporates, latent heat is released.
false
Where in the world is the most rapid decline in ice, as measured by weight and volume?
greenland
The first climate refugees, people who have been displaced due to a changing climate, were located where in the United States?
gulf coast, louisiana
Which of the following is NOT a climate proxy?
historical measurements of temperature
A midlatitude anticyclone _______________.
is associated with sunny, dry weather
The graph that shows increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over time, with seasonal ups and downs, is called the _____________.
keeling curve
Calm, fair weather is most likely to result from a ____________.
midlatitude anticyclone
Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?
nitrogen
When neither air masses displaces the adjacent one, their boundary is called a(n) __________.
stationary front
Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that humans emit primarily through _________.
synthetic fertilizer use
Where on Earth is experiencing the most rapid warming?
the arctic
Where on earth would you expect to find the largest total amounts of water vapor in the air?
the itcz
Which of the following is NOT an ideal air mass source region?
the rocky mountains west of colorado springs
What is the name of phenomenon that describes warmer ocean water taking up more volume?
thermal expansion
A cold winter night is typically a stable air situation.
true
Frontal precipitation is most characteristic of the middle latitudes.
true
Ice core data shows evidence of multiple cycles of alternating glacial and interglacial periods.
true
Relative humidity is a measure of how close air is to saturation.
true
Since the 1970s, the Sun's energy has been going down, while the Earth is getting warmer. This indicates that changes in solar output are unlikely to be a cause of climate change in recent decades.
true
Some of the highest rates of sea level rise are occurring in the western Pacific near Kiribati
true
The lifting condensation level is the altitude at which rising air is cooled to the dew point.
true
The stability of air is determined by its temperature relationship to the surrounding air.
true
The warmer the air, the more water vapor it can hold.
true
When air sinks, it heats up by compression.
true
When the temperature of an air mass is equal to its dewpoint, relative humidity is 100%.
true
When water condenses, it releases heat energy and heats the surrounding air.
true
Which type of front causes many hours of steady rain?
warm front
Which art of Antarctica is melting the most rapidly?
west antartica
Midlatitude cyclones and anticyclones function as migratory weather systems in the _____________.
westerlies