Ocean102

A Congressional act passed in 2009 which authorizes federal research funding of ocean acidification through NOAA, NASA, and NSF goes by which acronym?

FOARAM

Human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests, have greatly intensified the natural greenhouse effect by increasing the concentration of H2O in the atmosphere.

False

The IPCC is the scientific organization that funds and performs most research on climate change.

False

True or False? Based on satellite estimates, Arctic Ocean primary production is consistently decreasing over large areas.

False

True or False? CO2 emissions continue to increase in developing countries due primarily to an increase in holiday travel.

False

True or False? If seawater density decreases with depth, the water column is stratified.

False

True or False? Reflectivity is higher in dark surfaces, absorption is higher in light surfaces

False

True or False? The current concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest it has ever been on our planet.

False

All of the following are evidence that melting sea ice is negatively impacting the health of polar bears

Increase in number of ice dens abandoned Decrease in average size of adult males. Increases in the number of polar bear drownings. Decrease in cub survival rates.

Positive feedbacks tend to:

Increase the magnitude of a change in the same direction as the original change

Which processes cause surface seawater to increase in density?

Sea ice formation and surface water evaporation

Examples of evidence of sea level rise in Tuvalu include which of the following?

Sea water bubbling up through coral during high tides Crop damage Tide gauge data

Which of the following statements about indigenous people in the Arctic are correct? Select all that apply.

Traditionally, indigenous peoples lived primarily from hunting, fishing, herding, and gathering wild plants for food. Indigenous peoples have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years. Indigenous people found many different ways to adapt to the harsh Arctic climate, developing warm dwellings and clothing to protect them from frigid weather.

According to the IPCC, about a third of coastal land will be lost to sea level rise in the next 100 years

True

Both natural and anthropogenic factors are responsible for changes in Earth's climate.

True

Changes in the shape of Earth's orbit around the sun can result in either a warming or cooling of Earth.

True

Climate change can be caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors.

True

Climate change includes global temperature rise and everything else that increasing greenhouse gas amounts will affect.

True

Climate is defined as how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.

True

Climate is the usual or long-term average weather of a place.

True

Communities of microorganisms can live in small brine pockets within sea ice.

True

Hundreds of millions of people will be impacted directly by a 1 m sea level rise.

True

Major volcanic eruptions can result in either a warming or cooling of the planet.

True

Oceans contain approximately 97% of the all the water on the planet.

True

Proxies can be combined to produce temperature reconstructions longer than the instrumental temperature record.

True

The Arctic is warming at a rate of almost twice the global average.

True

The IPCC warns that extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent and severe as global temperatures rise.

True

The commercial shipping industry would benefit from an ice-free Arctic because the shipping route between the North Pacific and North Atlantic would be much shorter and faster.

True

The oceans have absorbed approximately 90% of the increased heat and 30% of the anthropogenic CO2 in the climate system.

True

To date, most climate-related sea level rise is attributed to thermal expansion.

True

True or False? A carbon footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the primary footprint (measure of direct emissions of CO2) and the secondary footprint (measure of the indirect CO2 emissions).

True

True or False? Coral reefs are sensitive to ocean acidity and some reefs may disappear within 20 to 30 years.

True

True or False? For transportation, native people in the Arctic often travel by sleds pulled by a pack of dogs.

True

True or False? In both Bering and Barents Seas, recent shifts in the distribution of boreal fishes are associated with changes in bottom water temperature and loss of sea ice.

True

True or False? Most Indigenous people today live in modern homes with modern appliances.

True

True or False? Rising seas dramatically increase the odds of damaging floods from storm surges.

True

True or False? Sea ice is considered an insulator because sea ice acts as barrier between cold Arctic air and relatively warmer surface water.

True

True or False? The Bering Sea had little ice during most of the 2018/19 winter and 2019 spring seasons.

True

True or False? The Chukchi Sea experienced very early melt onset and rapid ice loss in spring 2019, and by the end of summer 2019 reached one of the lowest ice extents in the satellite record for the region.

True

True or False? The average annual surface air temperature north of 60 o N for October 2018-August 2019 was the 2nd warmest since 1900.

True

True or False? The main reason for the decline is U.S. emissions of CO2 since 2006 is the transition from coal to natural gas for electricity generation.

True

True or False? The only way to stop ocean acidification is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.

True

True or False? The unprecedented rate and global reach of Arctic change disproportionally affect the people of northern communities, further pressing the need to prepare for and adapt to the new Arctic.

True

True or False? Warming in the Arctic will likely negatively impact hunters but positively impact fishermen.

True

True or False? When carbon dioxide mixes with ocean water, an acid is formed.

True

Usually temperature, salinity, and pressure distributions cause ocean water density to increase with depth.

True

Albedo feedbacks are strongest when:

Two surfaces differ widely in their ability to reflect sunlight

What physical characteristics of the Arctic make climate feedbacks possible?

ice coverage

The total melting of Arctic sea ice will result in a sea level increase of ______ meter(s). Fill in the blank with the best choice from the list below.

0

The difference between a pH of 3 and a pH of 2 is a difference in how many H+ ions?

10 x's more H+

What is the residence time of carbon, or the average amount of time one carbon atom resides in a reservoir, in the deep ocean?

100,000 years

What percentage of animal protein intake by the global population comes from fisheries?

20%

The concentration of free H+ in seawater has increased by about how much?

25%

In total, about _________ people live in the Arctic.

4 million

Referring to the figure above, what is the maximum predicted sea level change by the year 2100?

6.6 feet

What percentage of the planet is covered with ocean?

70%

Carbon footprint is defined as

A measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce.

On average, how long does it take for a parcel of water to travel around the world as part of the global conveyor belt?

About 700-1000 years

Sound travels farther in what pH water?

Acidic

Which of the following is NOT considered an essential nutrient for photosynthesis or phytoplankton growth?

Aluminum (Al)

According to the video, how much carbon dioxide mixes into the surface ocean each day?

Approximately 22 millions tons

Select all that apply. Which of the following statements about change in the Arctic are correct?

Arctic sea ice extent at the end of summer 2019 was tied with 2007 and 2016 as the second lowest since satellite observations began in 1979. Satellite estimates showed ocean primary productivity in the Arctic was higher than the long-term average for seven of nine regions, with the Barents Sea and North Atlantic the only regions showing lower than average values. August mean sea surface temperatures in 2019 were 1-7°C warmer than the 1982-2010 August mean in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, the Laptev Sea, and Baffin Bay.

Which reservoir turns over, or exchanges, CO2 the fastest?

Atmosphere

How does the melting of sea ice contribute to sea level change?

Break up of the floating ice shelves will allow a faster flow of ice on land into the oceans, thereby providing an additional contribution to sea level rise.

Which if the following are actions that you could take to reduce your personal carbon footprint? Select all that apply.

Buy local foods that are in season Recycle more Make your home more energy efficient Travel less

Which carbonate species do calcifying organisms rely on to build their shells?

Carbonate

When CO2 dissolves in water, it reacts with water to form different carbon species. Which of these species is very reactive and readily dissociates?

Carbonic acid (H2CO3)

Which country is currently the largest emitter of CO2?

China

Which of the following statements about climate models is not correct?

Climate models cannot be used to forecast future weather events.

Which of the following is a proxy used to reconstruct past oceanic conditions? Select all that apply.

Corals Tree rings Air bubbles in ice cores Ocean sediments

Arctic sea ice provides all of the following ecosystem functions

Deflects sunlight due the high reflectivity of ice Barrier against severe storms Habitat for large mammals like polar bears

Thermohaline circulation is driven by changes in

Density

Which of the following is an example of a short-term climatic event?

El Nino

Between 1990 and 2010, which of the following activities contributed the most to CO2 emissions in the U.S.?

Electricity generation and transportation

The global ocean is not uniformly a source or sink for atmospheric CO2, but rather different regions of the ocean vary in whether they act as a local source or sink. What ocean regions are considered to be sources of CO2 to the atmosphere? Select all that apply:

Equatorial regions Coastal upwelling zone

The region of the water column where there is sufficient sunlight to carry out photosynthesis is called?

Euphotic zone

As global temperatures increase and sea ice melts, the albedo (reflectivity) of the planet is decreased. This will cause temperatures to _____________ and is an example of a ___________ feedback. Fill in the blanks with the best word choice from the list below.

Increase; positive

Which choice(s) below describe the positive feedback loop found in the Arctic? Select all that apply.

Increased clouds and moisture trap heat released from Earth. Exposed land and ocean aborb more solar radiation.

Which of the following are currently being observed in the ocean atmosphere system? Select all that apply.

Increasing sea surface temperatures. Increasing sea surface acidity. Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

What is the main difference between weather and climate?

Length of time period

Which of the following is a cost of sea level rise?

Loss of agricultural lands. Monetary cost of securing shorelines. Loss or degradation of fresh water sources Monetary cost of relocating people from flooded cities.

Which choice(s) below describe the negative feedback loop found in the Arctic? Select all that apply.

Melting ice increases moisture in the atmosphere, causing clouds that cool the atmosphere by blocking more sunlight.

What is the largest potential source to future sea level rise?

Melting of ice sheets

Select all that apply. Which of the following statements about changes on land in the Arctic are correct?

North American Arctic snow cover in May 2019 was the fifth lowest in 53 years of record.

Where will light attenuate more rapidly?

Nutrient rich coastal temperate waters

What important role to the oceans play in global climate?

Oceans aborb, store and transport heat and greenhouse gasses

How many groups of indigenous people live in the Arctic?

Over 40

What are the sources of oxygen in the ocean? Select all that apply:

Photosynthesis Atmospheric mixing

Which of the following are potential actions that could help the ocean "defend" itself against rising acidity and temperatures? Select all that apply.

Practicing sustainable fishing practices. Reducing nutrient pollution in coastal areas. The establishment of Marine Protected Areas.

Oxygen concentration in a water column varies with depth. What causes oxygen concentration to increase at deep depths (below 1,000 m)? Pick the BEST answer.

Pressure & Temperature

Inuits use sea ice for all of the following

Protection from storms Travel Hunting ground

Which organisms are considered to be the most vulnerable to ocean acidification? Check all those that apply:

Pteropods Coral reefs Coccolithophorids Bivalves

What factors control how much gas can be held in a solution? Select all that apply.

Temperature Salinity Pressure

How is the Arctic tundra changing? Select all that apply.

The Arctic tundra is experiencing increased greenness. The Arctic tundra is experiencing increased permafrost warming.

Island nations like Tuvalu and the Maldives are especially vulnerable to sea level rise because:

The average elevation of the islands is only a few feet above sea level.

How does the melting of sea ice lead to sea level rise?

The break up of sea ice will allow a faster flow of ice on land into the oceans, thereby providing an additional contribution to sea level rise.

Why do model simulations underestimate the sea level rise observed during the 20th century?

The physics and dynamics of ice sheet melt are not well understood or quantified.

Which country emits the largest amount of CO2 per capita?

USA

Using ice core data, scientists can reconstruct the historical record of all of the following

Volcanic activity Precipitation Wind patterns Temperature

A thinning sea ice cover can increase air temperatures because:

Warmth from the ocean can more effectively seep through the ice and warm the air above

Which of the greenhouse gasses below has the highest concentration in Earth's atmosphere.

Water Vapor

The global ocean conveyor belt could slow down if:

a large influx of fresh water entered into the Atlantic from glacial melting

In climate change, a feedback loop is the equivalent of a vicious or virtuous circle - something that accelerates or decelerates a warming trend. A positive feedback ______ a temperature rise, whereas a negative feedback ______ it. Fill in the blanks with the best word choice from the list below.

accelerates; decelerates

When CO2 is dissolved into the ocean, the concentration of carbonate(CO3-2) ________________ and the concentration of bicarbonate (HCO3-)_________________.

decreases; increases

The mass of a glacier ______ when the accumulation of snow and ice during the winter months is larger than ice melt during summer months. Fill in the blank with the best word choice from the list below.

increases

When water is heated, it's volume ______. Fill ink the blank with the best word choice from the list below.

increases

Hurricane activity is predicted to increase as the temperature of the surface ocean ______, because their source of energy is ______ which is evaporated from the ocean surface. Fill in the blanks with the best word choice from the list below.

increases; water vapor

The _________ is the region of the water column where density increases rapidly with water depth. Fill in the blank with the best choice from the list below.

pycnocline

Select all that apply. The new normal Arctic is characterized by:

warming sea surface long-term losses in the extent and thickness of the sea ice cover loss of mass of ice in the Greenland Ice Sheet and Arctic glaciers

Earth's temperature depends on the balance between energy entering and leaving the planet's system. When incoming energy from the sun is absorbed by the Earth system, Earth ______. When energy is reflected back into space, Earth ______. Fill in the blanks with the best word choice from the list below.

warms; cools

The oceans are able to store large amounts of heat because

water has a high specific heat