Midterm Exam #1 GEOG 110
The continuous instrumental record of the concentration of atmospheric CO2 began in [1958] at [Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii] when Earth's CO2 concentration was [315 ppm].
1958, Mauna Loa Observatory, 315 ppm
At the start of the Industrial Revolution approximately [200] years ago, the concentration of atmospheric CO2 was approximately [280 ppm].
200, 280 ppm
By how much has the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere increased since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century? Select one: a. 135 ppm b. 180 ppm c. 415 ppm d. 280 ppm
The correct answer is: 135 ppm
The graph below shows temperature change and CO2 data from the Vostok ice core in Antarctica. What is the approximate atmospheric CO2 concentration during each of the glacial climate intervals (when glaciers were at their fullest extent)? Select one: a. 280 ppm b. 410 ppm c. 360 ppm d. 180 ppm
The correct answer is: 180 ppm
The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is measured at several observatories around the globe, notably at Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Which of the following is closest to the present concentration of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere as of January 2021? Select one: a. 185 ppm b. 280 ppm c. 415 ppm d. 360 ppm
The correct answer is: 415 ppm
Which of the following is evidence for a warmer climate approximately 50 million years ago? Select one: a. 50 million-year-old fossils of tropical animals and plants are found in places that are much colder today such as the Canadian Arctic b. Milankovitch Cycles from 50 million years ago caused much higher solar insolation c. historical records taken by thermometer at that time show much higher temperatures d. polar ice cores from that time show an absence of CO2 in the air bubbles trapped in the ice
The correct answer is: 50 million-year-old fossils of tropical animals and plants are found in places that are much colder today such as the Canadian Arctic
Most greenhouse gases have some concentration that occurs naturally, and some contribution that is anthropogenic. However, there is one group of GHGs that is entirely synthetic. Which of these greenhouse gases does NOT occur naturally on Earth? Select one: a. Methane b. CFCs c. Nitrous oxide d. carbon dioxide
The correct answer is: CFCs
Which of the following most closely describes the range in concentrations of atmospheric CO2 during most of the Holocene (in other words, over the past 10,000 years of Earth's history) until the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s? Select one: a. CO2 remained within a +/- 10 ppm range b. CO2 remained within a +/- 0.1 ppm range c. CO2 remained within a +/- 1 ppm range d. CO2 concentrations varied by 100s of ppm
The correct answer is: CO2 remained within a +/- 10 ppm range
Compare CO2 concentrations in the Holocene (up to pre - industrial times) to CO2 concentrations millions of years ago: Select one: a. Even before the recent human-induced rise, CO2 concentrations at the start of the Industrial Revolution were already much higher than for most of the past 50 million years Earth's history b. Pre-Industrial CO2 (280 ppm) is approximately the average concentration that Earth has experienced during most of the past 50 million years c. Much of the past 50 millions years of Earth's history before the Pleistocene experienced CO2 concentrations that were two- to ten-times greater than the Pre-Industrial concentration. d. We have no information about past atmospheric CO2 concentration older than what is preserved in air bubbles trapped in polar ice
The correct answer is: Much of the past 50 millions years of Earth's history before the Pleistocene experienced CO2 concentrations that were two- to ten-times greater than the Pre-Industrial concentration.
When was the last time in Earth's history that atmospheric CO2 concentrations were above 400 ppm and thus similar to concentrations today ? Select one: a. More than 60 million years ago back in the time of the dinosaurs b. During each of the previous interglacial episodes of the past 400,000 years c. Several million years ago, when the Greenland Ice Sheet began to form d. During the Medieval Warm Period, approximately 1000 years ago
The correct answer is: Several million years ago, when the Greenland Ice Sheet began to form
The Serbian scientist Милутин Миланковић (transcribed into English as Milutin Milankovitch) famously determined how variations in Earth's orbit around the Sun have led to strong influences on incoming solar radiation, and thus on global climate, over time. Which of the following pairs of drawings best described the eccentricity component of these Milankovitch Cycles? Note that the Earth and Sun are shown much larger than their actual size relative to the size of Earth's orbit.
The correct answer is: a
Greenhouse gases are very effective at ___________ Select one: a. reflecting infrared radiation without absorption b. converting visible light into infrared radiation c. absorbing infrared radiation d. absorbing visible light
The correct answer is: absorbing infrared radiation
As a very broad and long-term generalization, global climate and CO2 concentrations ______. Select one: a. are largely unrelated, as global climate appears random in the context of atmospheric CO2 b. are negatively correlated, with cooler global climates exhibiting higher CO2 concentrations c. are positively correlated, with times of warmer climate characterized by higher CO2
The correct answer is: are positively correlated, with times of warmer climate characterized by higher CO2
Why are water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) called Greenhouse Gases? Select one: a. because they are transparent to infrared radiation but opaque to visible light b. because they emit a green light when exposed to infrared radiation c. because they absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation d. because they are commonly added to the air in greenhouses
The correct answer is: because they absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation
Although global average temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentration have been both higher and lower than today at times in Earth's past, the key difference between the pre-history and the past 200 years is: Select one: a. changes in temperature and CO2 have never before occurred at such a rapid rate b. unlike today, previous changes in CO2 were associated with only small changes in temperature c. prehistoric species were all better adapted to changing temperatures and CO2 than humans are d. changes in temperature and CO2 have never before been positively correlated
The correct answer is: changes in temperature and CO2 have never before occurred at such a rapid rate
What does the term anthropogenic mean? Select one: a. only detected in places of high human population b. only found on other planets c. naturally occurring d. created or caused by human activities
The correct answer is: created or caused by human activities
Albedo is the percentage of incoming solar radiation that is simply reflected back to space without absorption. On Earth today, albedo is approximately 30%. During the Ice Ages of the Pleistocene when more of the Earth's surface was covered by ice and snow, was albedo greater or less than today? Select one: a. less than b. about the same as today c. we do not know about albedo in the past d. greater
The correct answer is: greater
Which of the following is used to tell us about CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere from millions of years ago? Select one or more: a. direct measurements of air samples by teams of scientists b. gas bubbles trapped in marine sediments c. air bubbles trapped in polar ice cores d. indirect proxies such as fossils, tree rings, and chemical signatures in sediments
The correct answer is: indirect proxies such as fossils, tree rings, and chemical signatures in sediments
Which of the following best describes the geographic pattern of temperature changes during the past 60 years? Select one: a. land surfaces are warming more than the oceans; in a few places the oceans are actually getting cooler b. Both land and ocean have increased in temperature by the same amount c. The land is warming substantially, while everywhere in the oceans is getting cooler d. The oceans are warming more than the continents; in a few places the continents are getting cooler
The correct answer is: land surfaces are warming more than the oceans; in a few places the oceans are actually getting cooler
How do climate scientists use ice cores to determine atmospheric temperatures from thousands of years ago in Greenland and Antarctica? Select one: a. measurement of oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of the ice b. measurement of dust particles trapped in the ice c. direct measurement of temperature from thermometers installed in the ice d. measurement of CO2 in air bubbles trapped in the ice
The correct answer is: measurement of oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of the ice
Which of the following describes a major pattern in global climate change over the past million years that has emerged from climate science research? Select one: a. that temperatures and CO2 concentrations have been largely out-of-phase throughout the past, with high temperatures corresponding to low CO2 and vice versa b. that temperatures and CO2 concentrations were frequently above modern levels during much of the past million years c. that temperatures and CO2 concentrations rise and fall together in a repeating saw-tooth pattern, completing a cycle once every 100,000 years d. that global temperatures and CO2 concentrations have been essentially unchanged for nearly a million years, without much change until the past 150 years
The correct answer is: that temperatures and CO2 concentrations rise and fall together in a repeating saw-tooth pattern, completing a cycle once every 100,000 years
What are the goals of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC)? Select one: a. to conduct original scientific research on weather and climate change b. to search for the Abominable Snowman c. to promote public literacy on environmental issues in the developing world d. to assess scientific information on human-induced climate change, its impacts, and options for mitigation and adaptation
The correct answer is: to assess scientific information on human-induced climate change, its impacts, and options for mitigation and adaptation
Which of the following are common and relatively abundant greenhouse gases? Select one: a. ozone (O3) and various chlorofluorocarbons b. hydrogen (H2) and helium (He) c. nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2) and argon (Ar) d. water vapor (H2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)
The correct answer is: water vapor (H2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)
Since 1990 the IPCC has released five major assessment reports. Which of the following are conclusions of these assessment reports (choose all that apply)? Select one or more: a. Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased due to human activities b. Global average temperatures have increased, rising by approximately 1° C over the past 100 years c. Today's temperature and CO2 concentrations are unprecedented in Earth history d. Ice and snow cover in polar and high mountain regions has decreased
The correct answers are: Global average temperatures have increased, rising by approximately 1° C over the past 100 years, Ice and snow cover in polar and high mountain regions has decreased, Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased due to human activities
When put together, the variations in Earth's orbit strongly control the amount of incoming solar radiation that Earth's receives from the sun. As a result, we observe a close match between insolation predicted through Milankovitch Cycles, and (choose all that apply): Select one or more: a. temperatures recorded through proxy records in Antarctic ice cores b. the advance and retreat of major continental ice sheets, such as those that covered much of northern North America and Europe until approximately 18,000 years ago c. concentrations of past atmospheric CO2 revealed in bubbles trapped in ice cores d. the frequency of eruptions of large volcanoes
The correct answers are: temperatures recorded through proxy records in Antarctic ice cores, the advance and retreat of major continental ice sheets, such as those that covered much of northern North America and Europe until approximately 18,000 years ago, concentrations of past atmospheric CO2 revealed in bubbles trapped in ice cores
The correct answer is: [Water] is the natural material that is most important for transporting energy in the global heat engine that is atmospheric and ocean circulation. Very generally, this heat engine moves an excess of energy from [the Equator] towards [the North and South Poles] to account for the imbalance between incoming and outgoing radiation.
Water, the Equator, the North and South Poles
The correct answer is: The Greenhouse Effect operates in Earth's [atmosphere] where [infrared radiation] radiating up from Earth's surface is absorbed and then re-radiated in all directions including back down to Earth's surface. This in effect recycles [infrared radiation] and adds extra energy in addition to the insolation that Earth receives from the Sun.
atmosphere, infrared radiation, infrared radiation
The Hockey Stick Diagram, created by UMass scientists Raymond Bradley and Michael Mann and their colleague Malcolm Hughes, shows the global temperature anomaly for the past 1000 years. Which of the following graphs is most similar to the Hockey Stick Diagram: a. a b. b c. c d. d
b, graph shows temperature slightly decreasing from 1000 to 1600, then it begins to increase steadily at around 1650
We know about the source of the CO2 added to the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution through carbon isotopes. The low ratio of 13C/12C tells us that the source must be [biologically derived, such as from living biomass, soils, or fossil fuels like coal and petroleum] and the decreasing abundance of 14C over time tells us that the source must be [very old, such as from volcanoes, the deep ocean or fossil fuels like coal and petroleum]. The only source consistent with all carbon isotopes is [fossil fuels].
biologically derived, such as from living biomass, soils, or fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, very old, such as from volcanoes, the deep ocean or fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, fossil fuels
The concept of [black body radiation] describes that an objects emits electromagnetic radiation in wavelengths determined by that object's temperature. Due to this, [the Sun] emits mostly visible light, while most outgoing radiation from [the Earth] is in the form of infrared radiation.
black body radiation, the Sun, the Earth
Among the various greenhouse gases, [carbon dioxide] contributes the most to the Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Index [AGGI] and thus to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect
carbon dioxide
This figure shows the Earth and Sun in three different arrangements in space. Which of these is the correct arrangement during summer in the Northern Hemisphere? Note that the relative sizes and distance between the Sun and Earth are not to scale in these images.
duplicate question - see other study set. Picture shows northern hemisphere facing the sun, earth is slightly tilted to the right.
The correct answer is: Within the Hadley Cell, most heat energy is carried at [high up in the atmosphere (high altitude)] where winds are carrying air [from the Equator towards the Poles].
high up in the atmosphere (high altitude), from the Equator towards the Poles
Before the start of direct sampling at scientific observatories, the main source of data about the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere thousand of years ago comes from [ice cores] which tell us that the rate of increase in CO2 and other GHGs in recent decades is [unprecedented ] over the past 12,000 years of the Holocene.
ice cores, unprecedented
Earth's global heat engine is fueled by a surplus of energy at low latitudes compared to high latitudes. This surplus is caused by [more] incoming solar energy relative to outgoing heat energy near the Equator, and [more] outgoing heat energy compared to incoming solar energy near the Poles.
more, more
The three gases that together make up nearly 100% of Earth's atmosphere are nitrogen, argon and [oxygen].
oxygen
The oceans and atmosphere are very effective at transporting heat energy, mainly due to the remarkable capacity for [water] to store heat energy. This is especially true in the [temperate climate zone] where a succession of alternating high and low pressure weather systems in the atmosphere and strong warm-water ocean currents move heat from the tropics towards the poles.
water, temperate climate zone
