Chapter 1
The Little Ice Age (LIA) can best be described as:
distinct regional cooling caused
Climate model projections for the year 2100 are most uncertain due to:
economic uncertainty
250 million years ago during the Permian Period:
extinction rates were high
For most of the past 8,000 years the climate has been warming.
false
Ocean circulation changes may be a significant cause of the global warming in the past 30 years.
false
The "hockey stick" temperature reconstruction is based solely on tree ring data.
false
The oceans absorb about 50% of the excess heat in the climate system.
fasle
How long does it take for continental drift to cause climate change?
millions of years
During the 8,000 years before 20th century, global average temperature has:
slowly cooled
In China, what percentage of its citizens own cars 1%
10% 5% 25%
The human influence on climate change is most apparent after which year?
1975
Which year begins the period where climate models cannot match the observed climate with natural factors alone?
1975
How many years must be used to determine anthropogenic warming trends?
30 or more
Scientists are concerned that global average temperature by the year 2100 could increase by:
4 deg C
What percentage of the atmosphere by volume do greenhouse gases make up?
5% 25% 20% 1%
Which of the following statements best describes the impact of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo on climate?
Cooling due to massive output of aerosols
Climate change has resulted in: More intense heat waves More serious fires Stronger floods All of the above
D
Greenland's area can be best described as being comparable to: Manhattan Four times the size of the state of Texas The United States About 1.5 times the area of the United States
D
Most of the observed rise in global sea level in the past 60 years is due to: Ice sheet melt Subsidence Thermal expansion Glacier melt
D
The best way to obtain global air temperature just above the oceans is: Satellite data Buoys Ship reports All of the above combined
D
What percentage of the Earth's surface is covered by permanent ice and snow? 50% 33% 17% 25%
D
Which factor is the most important control on glacier size? Winter temperatures Summer precipitation Summer temperatures Winter precipitation
D
Which of the following does NOT influence the air temperature inferred from NASA and NOAA satellites? Time of day Orbital drift Sensor variation Infrared radiation interference
D
Approximately, how much have global temperatures warmed over the 1901-2000 annual average?
0.6 deg C
The difference in incoming vs. outgoing radiation at the top of the atmosphere is about: 7.5 Wm-2 -0.75 Wm-2
0.75 Wm-2 -7.5 Wm-2 D
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
65 million years ago, climate was warmer than today
The oceans absorb ________ of the excess heat in the climate system.
80% or more
21,000 years ago at the end of the last glacial advance, sea levels were: 1 km higher than today 120 m lower than today 120 m higher than today 1 km lower than today
A
If satellites can measure the planet's energy imbalance, why do we still need global thermometer measurements? The imbalance is at the limit of satellite instrument resolution. Satellites can only measure temperatures during the day. Satellites can only measure temperatures during the night. Satellites cannot cover the entire globe.
A
Melting permafrost: Causes a positive feedback mechanism for warming Releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas Releases CO2 All of the above
A
Stochastic means: Cooling Warming Random Cyclical
A
The largest international data set of global temperatures is maintained by: National Climate Data Center (NCDC) Climate Research Unit (CRU) University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) Goddard Institute for Space Sciences (GISS)
A
The projected sea level rise over the next 100 years by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report is: 6 m or more 1.7 - 3.1 mm 1 - 2 m 18 - 59 cm
A
Which of the following inhibits hurricane formation and strength? Warm SST El Niño AMO None of the above
A
Which of the following statements about sea ice is NOT true? Multi-year ice in the Arctic is now gone. Annual ice returns every winter and is thin. Melting sea ice has not increased global sea levels. Sea ice volume is a better indicator of climate change than sea ice extent
A
Which region of the United States is expected to experience the greatest flooding due to climate change? West Coast Southeast Southwest Upper Midwest
A
Which of the following best represents the IPCC A2 emission scenario?
A very heterogeneous world with continuously increasing global population and regionally oriented economic growth that is more fragmented and slower than in other storylines
Which IPCC emission trajectory is considered to be "worst-case" scenario?
A2
Arctic sea ice is predicted to be gone during summer as early as the year: 2015 2050 2020 2030
B
How do air balloons measure air temperatures? On board thermometers On board satellites On board microwave detectors On board barometers
B
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is: Grounded on bedrock and considered to be unstable Grounded on ocean floor and considered to be very stable Grounded on ocean floor and considered to be unstable Grounded on bedrock and considered to be very stable
B
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is: Grounded on ocean floor and considered to be very stable Grounded on ocean floor and considered to be unstable Grounded on bedrock and considered to be very stable Grounded on bedrock and considered to be unstable
B
The best indicator of the impact of climate change on sea ice is a change in: Sea ice extent Sea ice volume Sea ice albedo Sea ice thickness
B
The current rate of global sea level rise is: 3.1 mm/year 1.8 mm/year 3.1 m/year 1.8 m/year
B
The minimum number of years for a temperature base period should be at least: 50 years 100 years 10 years 30 years
B
The region in the Northern Hemisphere showing the greatest evidence of climate change is: Arctic Tropics Mid-latitude land Mid-Latitude ocean
B
The trend in global air temperature increase measured by satellites and ground-based instruments is between: 0.10 - 0.13°C per decade 0.14 - 0. 17°C per decade 0.18 - 0. 21°C per decade 0.22 - 0. 25°C per decade
B
Which of the following organizations uses the longest base period for calculating global temperature anomalies? Climate Research Unit (CRU) National Climate Data Center (NCDC) University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
B
Over the past one million years, the sun's radiant energy has ________.
Been fairly constant
If all the ice on East Antarctica were to melt, the expected rise in global sea level would rise: 7 m 21 m 3 m 60 m
C
If incoming vs. outgoing radiation at the top of the atmosphere is balanced, then climate change is likely due to: Satellites An increase in greenhouse gases Internal variability A decrease in greenhouse gases
C
If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet melted or collapsed, the expected global sea level rise is: 1-2 m 5-6 m 10 m or greater 3-4 m
C
Most of the melting Arctic sea ice has been caused by: Changing wind currents Changing water currents Polar bears Rising water temperatures
C
The Larsen B Ice Shelf collapsed from the: Alaska Greenland Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctic Ice Sheet
C
Which of the following statements about Antarctica is true? Sea ice growth can add 50% to Antarctica's area. It is about four times the size of Texas. It contains about 90% of the world's freshwater. All of the above are true.
C
Why are the sea level rise projections of the IPCC NOT reassuring? Rising sea level is a positive feedback to global warming. These values would completely submerge Florida. These values are likely too high. These values are likely too low.
C
Scientists know humans are the source of the excess atmospheric carbon dioxide by measuring:
Carbon isotope ratios
Where in Greenland is ice actually increasing? West South North
Central If all the ice on Greenland were to melt, the expected rise in global sea level would rise: 3 m 7 m 100 m 21 m D
The 2000 year temperature record is often referred to as the "hockey stick" because:
Climate generally cooled for much of the period followed by a sharp rise in temperature
The great ocean conveyor belt is primarily driven by:
Cold, salty water sinking in the Northern Atlantic Ocean
Which of the following organizations does NOT report global temperature anomaly data? Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) Climate Research Unit (CRU) Goddard Institute for Space Sciences (GISS) The Weather Channel (TWC)
D
Which of the following statements about temperature anomalies is NOT true? Choosing a different base period will skew the values. Location of thermometers will skew the values. They are remarkably uniform up to distances of 1,200 km. They are always much smaller in value than actual temperatures.
D
Which statement about observed climate change is true? The Amazon Forest has warmed the most. Daytime temperatures have warmed the most. Evening temperatures have warmed the most. Low latitude locations have warmed the most.
D
The most likely cause of the end of the Little Ice Age is:
Decreased volcanic eruptions and increased solar radiation
Which of the following does NOT increase atmospheric carbon dioxide?
Decreasing ozone
Precession is the term used to describe changes in:
Direction of the tilt in Earth's rotation
As increases in greenhouse gases continue, it is expected that days will warm faster than nights. True False
F
Global air temperature change is plotted as actual physical temperature in degrees Celsius—the international standard. True False
F
The location of a thermometer (high altitude, near airports, in countryside, etc.) greatly influences the long-term temperature anomaly. True False
F
The minimum number of years to consider as a base period should be at least ten years. True False
F
Which of the following statements about recent climate change is true?
Heat waves have increased while cold spells have decreased
Which statement about climate change best represents the view of most scientists?
Humans are causing most of the recent observed climate change
Which of the following does NOT contribute to global sea level rise in the long term?
Ice melt Warmer ocean temperatures Increased sea ice coverage Growth of undersea mountain chains C
Which of the following is the strongest evidence that our climate is gaining energy?
Increased ocean heat content
Currently, the planet is in a climate period known as:
Interglacial
Carbon dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas because:
It traps outgoing radiation from Earth
An example of positive feedback is:
Melting snow cover and decreased ice sheet size
Eccentricity is the term used to describe changes in:
Shape of Earth's orbit around the sun
Which of the statements below is most accurate?
Surface temperatures over land are warming faster than that over the oceans.
Climate change can cause both drought and floods. True False
T
It is possible that the Arctic Ocean could be ice free during summers by the year 2030. True False
T
Melting permafrost can act as a positive climate feedback. True False
T
Sea level is falling in some regions such as the Eastern Pacific and Western Indian Oceans. True False
T
Sea surface temperature is a good approximation of air temperatures just above the ocean. True False
T
The most unstable portion of Antarctic ice is the Antarctica Peninsula. True False
T
Which statement below is NOT true about climate models?
They are very accurate at regional scales
Which of the following is an example of a negative radiative forcing?
Volcanic Eruption
Weather and climate differ in that:
Weather is day to day while climate is long-term averages in weahter
Scientists refer to man-made climate change as:
anthropogenic
During the previous 50 million years, climate has been in a long-term (tectonic) ________ trend.
cooling
Which of the following is NOT evidence that our climate is warming, especially in the past 30 years?
increased number of sunspots
The best indicator that the planet is gaining heat is:
increases in ocean heat content
The following has NOT influenced global air temperatures in the past 100 years:
plate tectonics
Which of the following is NOT considered proxy climate data?
satellite data
Obliquity is the term used to describe changes in:
tilt of the earth's axis of rotation
It is possible that global temperature could rise by 3-4°C by the year 2100.
true
Radiative forcing is the imbalance between incoming and outgoing radiation at the top of the atmosphere.
true
The greatest uncertainty in projecting global temperatures for the year 2100 is due to economic and technological unknowns.
true
The polar regions are warming faster than tropical regions which is expected in a greenhouse gas warmed world.
true
To project future climate change caused by humans, scientists need to understand past natural causes of climate change.
true
Climate change is easier to predict than weather change.
ture