Natural Disasters 11-13
About when did glaciers on the highest mountains and in Greenland begin melting more rapidly?
1930
Approximately when did the rapid increase in human-produced atmospheric CO2 begin?
1950
What percentage of electrical power in the U.S. is generated from nuclear sources?
20 percent
As of 2015, what is the approximate CO2 level in Earth's atmosphere?
400
Which best represents the thickness of Earth's atmosphere?
A piece of paper on a basketball
Which of the following is NOT a layer of Earth's atmosphere?
Allosphere
Where is the largest trading program for greenhouse gases, operating since 2005?
European Union
Active alluvial fans are always marked by meandering streams.
False
As Earth's atmosphere warms, increased precipitation over the oceans will cause dry areas to become wetter.
False
Decreasing numbers of available food plants is the primary reason moose in northern climates are dying off in record numbers.
False
After a major rainstorm in a humid climate and with no overland flow to a stream, why does the stream level rise almost immediately?
Groundwater seeps down to raise the water table and forces older groundwater out into the stream.
Why does a stream bottom erode more deeply when its water level rises in a flood?
Its water level rises, so water velocity increases and it can carry more sediment.
Judge the following sentence: Even though water vapor has the greatest effect as a greenhouse gas, it is not normally discussed as one BECAUSE water vapor is completely natural and we have no control over it.
The assertion and reason are both correct.
Judge the following sentence: Temperatures have risen faster in the oceans than on the continents BECAUSE the ocean has a greater heat capacity than land.
The assertion is incorrect but the reason is correct.
How would a hydrograph for a drainage basin change if major urban growth were to occur upstream?
The hydrograph would be higher and narrower.
What is the expected outcome on regional precipitation as a result of global warming?
Tropical wet regions will get wetter and mid-latitude dry regions will get drier.
Debris flows are most common in mountainous areas such as the U.S. southwest.
True
Lahars carry volcanic material, making them different from mudflows of clay.
True
Which is NOT a consequence of permafrost thawing?
absorption of methane gas
Greenhouse gases include all of the following except ____.
argon
If a 100-year floodplain was flooded in 2003, when should we expect the next 100-year flood?
at any time
If human-caused CO2 emissions were completely halted today, how long would it take for significant temperature drop to occur in the upper atmosphere?
at least one thousand years
Which of the following plants or animals have benefitted from global warming?
black spruce
In a single year, which of the following is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide into Earth's atmosphere?
coal-fired power plants
Shortages of freshwater in some locations are caused by all of the following EXCEPT ____.
decreased amount of freshwater evaporating from oceans and falling on land
Global warming is likely to decrease incidence of insect infestation in many areas.
false
Grain sizes increase downstream as slope decreases in a stream channel.
false
High-gradient bedrock channels generally have shallow, wide cross-sections.
false
In the best-case scenario (strict mitigation), temperatures in the U.S. desert southwest are predicted to rise 5 degrees Celsius by late century.
false
Natural gas was the largest fuel source in the United States in 2013.
false
Researchers estimate that black carbon may account for about one-half of all global warming
false
The amount of solar radiation reaching the top of Earth's atmosphere changes in 30-year cycles.
false
The atmosphere was 25°C to 30°C cooler during the last ice age relative to modern times.
false
Because freshwater is denser than seawater, seawater floats on top of freshwater
false
Sea-level rates of rise are more than double at cold regions compared with tropical latitudes.
false
The USGS, projecting a moderate rate of climate change, predicted the disappearance of two-thirds of the world's polar bears by 2020.
false
What are an example and an effect of a high-albedo surface?
glacial ice; keeps Earth cool
What keeps a stream flowing year-round, even though it may not rain for many months?
groundwater flow from the adjacent ground into the stream
Which is NOT a proposed geoengineering solution to mitigate climate change?
increasing the storage of carbon in the lower atmosphere
Which factors contribute to sea-level rise from global warming?
melting land ice and heating and expansion of sea water
The most dramatic global warming is occurring in which regions?
polar regions
What changes upstream from a site would NOT likely lead to a higher and shorter hydrograph?
reforestation for a Christmas tree farm
What contains the largest reservoir of carbon?
rock
Which factor CANNOT be used to determine the depth of a debris flow in a canyon it moved through?
the maximum height of sand eroded from the valley sides
A gaining stream is more likely to be found in a wet climate.
true
A glacial outburst flood typically originates from a lake.
true
A hyperconcentrated flow has between 20 and 47 percent sediment by volume.
true
Based on a stringent mitigation scenario for future fossil fuel consumption, temperatures in the Arctic are expected to rise by at least 2°C, and under a minimal mitigation scenario would rise by about 5°C by mid-century.
true
Changes in local ocean salinity due to melting glaciers could alter the path and strength of the Gulf Stream.
true
Incoming solar radiation is short-wave, while radiation outward from the Earth is long-wave.
true
Major eruptions of volcanoes emit large amounts of CO2 and CH4, but their total contribution to atmospheric levels is small.
true
Negative radiative forcing refers to more outgoing than incoming radiation.
true
Non-greenhouse gases make up more than 99.9% of the dry atmosphere.
true
Past and future human actions influence the rate at which temperatures will rise in the future
true
The amount of water vapor in the clouds contributes to changing albedo.
true
Tree-ring patterns from desert areas are not useful for climate studies because moisture is more determinative for tree growth than temperature.
true
As Earth's atmosphere warms, populations in northern climates will likely experience more droughts and floods.
true
Extreme weather events such as torrential rainfall are expected to become more frequent with climate change.
true
Photovoltaic solar panel farms perform better and produce electricity more cheaply than solar-thermal technology.
true
The U.S. National Research Council believes global warming will cause sea level to rise between 0.3 and 1.2 m by 2100.
true
The consequences of climate change may include cooling in some areas.
true
The increase in energy demand in the U.S. is 1-2 percent per year, but in China it is 10 percent per year.
true
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2014 estimated that Earth's average surface temperature would likely rise by how much above preindustrial levels by 2050?
two degrees Celsius
A river slope or gradient adjusts to what three factors that it has no control over?
water velocity, grain size of sediment, and amount of sediment
Which area is LEAST likely to have a flash flood?
western Washington state
Why are the deposits of streams graded with the largest boulders or pebbles at the bottom?
As the water slows after a flood, the largest boulders drop out first.
Which statement about mitigation of climate change is FALSE?
Conservation is an expensive way to reduce carbon output used in power production.
A student was asked the question, "What are the major components of the Milankovitch cycle?" The student answered, "The important components of the Milankovitch cycle are variations in Earth's orbit from nearly circular to elliptical, changes in the tilt of Earth's axis of rotation, and variations in solar output due to sunspots." How would you rate this answer?
GOOD: The student's answer was incomplete by one component and included a component that was incorrect.
Why are buried oil and gas pipelines vulnerable to damage during a flood?
If the oil and gas are shut off, the pipe becomes lighter and can float to the bankfull level.
Which of the following is the best example of a positive feedback effect?
Melting ice exposes the dark surface of the ocean, which reflects less of the sun's energy than ice. This heats the water and in turn, melts more ice.
If a side stream feeds coarse gravel into a river with a sandy bottom, what does the river do about it?
The slope of the riverbed builds up until it is steep enough to transport the size of gravel supplied, or until a flood carries it downstream.
Why are flash floods more common in dry climates than wet climates?
The soil is less permeable.
Why do braided streams form in a dry climate instead of meandering streams?
The stream has too little water to carry the total sediment supplied.
Why is it warmer in the northern hemisphere in July than it is in December?
The sun's rays shine more directly on the northern hemisphere in the summer than in the winter.
What does NOT cause an area of rapids on a stream?
higher than normal water in the stream bed
How do debris flows tend to move?
in surges or waves, leading with coarse boulders
Which change is NOT expected as a result of global warming?
increase in the flow of the warm Gulf Stream toward Europe
According to analysis of air in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores, global temperature has ____.
increased and decreased in cycles over the past 400,000 years
Approximately when did Earth's atmospheric temperature begin rising?
late 1700s
Which is NOT an impact of global warming on humans?
longer snowpack runoff times
Local differences in sea level rise rates are associated with all of the following EXCEPT ____.
presence of barrier islands
What caused the catastrophic 1997 flood along the Red River in North Dakota?
thawing to the south of the frozen north-flowing river that backed up water behind the ice to the north
What is the pH level of the oceans predicted to be by 2050?
7.95
Which country would lose 17% of its land if the sea level were to rise by one meter?
Bangladesh
Which crop has benefited from global warming?
California walnuts
What was the relationship between Earth's temperature and incoming solar radiation between 1998 and 2014?
Earth's temperature rose slowly during a period of weaker solar energy.
An ice dam is more likely to occur in fall, when temperatures begin to drop.
False
What do the vast majority of climatologists who have carefully examined the data agree on regarding human-induced global warming?
Human-induced global warming has begun and is increasing.
How does urbanization of the upstream drainage area for a floodplain affect the 100-year flood level?
It raises flood height.
Which of the following positive feedback effects is NOT a result of Arctic thawing and glacial melting?
Melting permafrost leads to increased photosynthesis.
What are oxbow lakes and how do they form?
Oxbow lakes are cut-off meanders, left behind as a flooding stream takes a shorter path downstream.
A debris flow can contain less than 40 percent sediment.
false
A small sea-level rise along a steep coast translates to a very large landward migration of the shoreline.
false
An expanding sunspot reduces solar radiation.
false
Decreasing SO2 pollution, which contributes to acid rain and respiratory diseases, will decrease the rate of global warming.
false
Warmer oceans dissolve more CO2 than the cold water of the Arctic
false
The effect of aerosols can be best described as ____.
reflecting sunlight and cooling the atmosphere
All of the following diminish the reliability of recurrence intervals EXCEPT ____.
separating different meteorological conditions
How are tree rings used as proxy data to provide an indirect record of past climate conditions?
Tree rings are thicker and the wood is denser when growing conditions are better.
Which of the following would NOT be likely if global warming continues?
a general lowering of mean sea level