Climate Change Midterm True/False
As increases in greenhouse gases continue, it is expected that days will warm faster than nights.
False
During the past 30 years, sunspots have contributed about 90% to the observed rise in average global temperature.
False
Earth's climate system only includes atmosphere, ice, and oceans.
False
For most of the past 8,000 years the climate has been warming.
False
Greenhouse gases are known as trace gases and make up about 15% of the gas molecules in the air by volume.
False
Greenhouse gases heat the atmosphere by reflecting outgoing solar radiation.
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 Coriolis effect will deflect moving air to the right of its intended path in the northern hemisphere.
False
The ITCZ average position is near the equator but it moves northward during northern hemisphere winter.
False
The minimum number of years to consider as a base period should be at least ten years.
False
The oceans absorb about 50% of the excess heat in the climate system.
False
The region between the Hadley and Ferrel Cells features a warm, wet climate.
False
A greater number of sunspots increases total solar irradiance.
True
Aerosols can both absorb and reflect energy.
True
Although a powerful greenhouse gas, water vapor is not causing global warming because it does not remain in the air for very long.
True
Although the Earth receives 1,368 Wm-2 of energy from the sun at the top of the atmosphere, only 342 Wm-2 is actually heating the planet at any given time.
True
Atmospheric and oceanic circulation work to stabilize Earth's climate.
True
Climate change can cause both drought and floods.
True
Climate change is easier to predict than weather change.
True
During an El Niño, warmer water and lower pressure slide eastward across the Pacific Ocean.
True
It is possible that global temperature could rise by 3-4°C by the year 2100.
True
It is possible that the Arctic Ocean could be ice free during summers by the year 2030.
True
Melting permafrost can act as a positive climate feedback.
True
Radiative forcing is the imbalance between incoming and outgoing radiation at the top of the atmosphere.
True
Sea level is falling in some regions such as the Eastern Pacific and Western Indian Oceans.
True
Sea surface temperature is a good approximation of air temperatures just above the ocean.
True
Solar energy is responsible for the majority of energy that is within the climate system.
True
The engine that drives the thermohaline circulation is sinking waters in the North Atlantic Ocean.
True
The enhanced greenhouse effect occurs primarily because adding more CO2 to the atmosphere causes the top of atmosphere radiating location to be at a higher, colder altitude.
True
The global circulation of the oceans is determined by a combination of surface wind flow and water density differences.
True
The greatest uncertainty in projecting global temperatures for the year 2100 is due to economic and technological unknowns.
True
The most unstable portion of Antarctic ice is the Antarctica Peninsula.
True
The polar regions are warming faster than tropical regions which is expected in a greenhouse gas warmed world.
True
The sun emits electromagnetic energy toward Earth and the other planets.
True
To project future climate change caused by humans, scientists need to understand past natural causes of climate change.
True
When the North Atlantic Oscillation is in the negative phase, the eastern US can experience very cold winters.
True
Tropical cyclones tend to form where sea surface temperatures are at least 27°C and upper-level winds are diverging.
true
Global air temperature change is plotted as actual physical temperatures in degrees celsius-the international standard.
false
the location of a thermometer greatly influences the long term temperature anomaly
false
