EVRN 148 KU ch 11 climate questions

The younger dryas involved in cooling of 10 degrees Celsius in the North Atlantic region that occurred over a period of _______. This cooling event was caused by _____. a. a decade; the melting of large ice sheets in north america b. 1,000 to 2,000 years; a meteorite that crashed to earth in present-day mexico c. 100,000 years; methane gas produced in the digestive tracts of dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex d. 20,000 years; eruption of a mega volcano in western north america

A decade; the melting of large ice sheets in North America

The falling of permafrost from rising temperatures in the Arctic is expected to a. slow climate change via a negative feedback loop as carbon dioxide becomes trapped in the thawed soils b. accelerate climate change via a positive feedback loop as carbon dioxide and methane are released from these soils c. slow climate change via a positive feedback loop as carbon dioxide becomes trapped in the thawed soils d. accelerate climate change via a negative feedback loop as carbon dioxide and methane are released from these soils

Accelerate climate changes via a positive feedback loop as carbon dioxide and methane or released from these soils

Based on your understanding of projections of future climate change which of the following statements is true? a. climate change is a natural process unaffected by human activity so there is little we can do to affect it b. the amount of 21st-century warming is mostly controlled by the oceans and land and how these two systems respond to a warming climate c. the amount of 21st-century warming is already set in place and no amount of societal change can affect it d. the amount of 21st-century warming will depend to a large degree on the speed with which we reduce the emission of greenhouse gases

Amount of 21st century warming will depend to a large degree on the speed of which we reduce the emission of greenhouse gases

which of the following scenarios would result in a negative feedback loop? a. As the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and temperature increased, more carbon is available for plants to take up during photosynthesis causing increased uptake of carbon dioxide by plants b. increased air temps in polar regions result in the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps c. increased air temps in polar regions result in the thawing of permafrost (frozen soil), releasing methane that has been trapped in the permafrost for millennia d. increased global atmospheric temps cause an increase in evaporation of water from earth's surface, resulting in more water vapor in the atmosphere

As the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and temperature increased, more carbon is available for plants to take up during photosynthesis causing increased uptake of carbon dioxide by plants

Which of the following most accurately describes average global temperature changes since 1900? a. avg global temps have steadily climbed since 1900 b. avg global temps declined during the first half of the 20th century but have increased rapidly since then c. avg global temps climbed during the early 1900s and late 1900s, with a 20-year period of relative stability between 1950 and 1970 d. avg global temps have been relatively stable since 1900 but are much higher than they were during the 1800s

Average global temperatures climbed during the early 1900 and late 1900s, with a 20-year period of relative stability between 1950 and 1970

All the following are mitigation strategies to deal with climate change except a. using carbon sequestration technologies b. decreasing the use of fossil fuels in the production of electricity c. building sea walla to protect coastal areas from storm surges d. using less electricity

Building sea walls to protect coastal areas from Storm surges

Which of the following is a greenhouse gas that does not naturally occur in the atmosphere? a. nitrous oxide b. methane c. carbon dioxide d. CFCs

CFCs

Which of the following choices which molecules in order from most to least powerful in terms of their climate forcing impact during the 20th century a. carbon dioxide > methane > halocarbons > aerosols b. methane > carbon dioxide > aerosols > halocarbons c. carbon dioxide > methane > aerosols > halocarbons d. aerosols > methane > halocarbons > carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide > methane > halocarbon > aerosols

They were given the task of deciding what to do to reduce overall warming, which forcing would you focus your efforts on reducing in order to have the largest potential influence a. carbon dioxide b. methane c. solar radiation d. aerosol cloud effects

Carbon dioxide emissions

Which of the following scenarios is protected by the ipcc if we were to dramatically reduce our Global greenhouse gas emissions immediately a. a decrease in global temps to those prior to the industrial revolution b. the leveling off of global temps to an avg near those currently being experienced across the globe c. a leveling off and eventual decrease in global temps over the next century d. continued global warming, but less warming than would occur without greenhouse gas reduction

Continued global warming, but less warming than would occur without greenhouse gas reduction

What would happen to global temperatures if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? a. earth's temp would be 2-5˚C cooler b. there would be little change in the temp bc greenhouse gases are present in very low concentration in the atmosphere c. earth would be very hot d. earth would be very cold

Earth would be very cold

General circulation models suggest that a. earth's climate would avg 3.78˚C colder without the human-induced forcing that are keeping the atmosphere warm b. oceans have warmed much more rapidly than originally predicted c. most of earth's recent warming trend cannot be attributed to natural and human-induced forcings d. earth's recent warming trend cannot be explained solely by natural forcings

Earth's recent warming Trend cannot be explained solely by natural forcings

What is a potential Regional benefit of a slight increase in atmospheric temperatures during the 21st century? a. increased air temp would decrease the prevalence of temp-sensitive pathogens such as malaria and smallpox b. polar bears would be limited in their ability to hunt in the ocean, forcing them onto land and allowing a greater number of them to be hunted and used by the Inuit, Yupik, and other Eskimo peoples c. improved agriculture would allow for increased food production d. a higher sea level would create more shallow areas for fish spawning and fishing

Improved agriculture would allow for increased food production

Scientists use several types of analysis to demonstrate that human activities are responsible for warming. Which of the following is not an analysis that shows that human activity is responsible for warming? a. the use of temp profiles through the stratosphere and troposphere to indicate that warming is due to accumulation of greenhouse gases, not increased solar radiation b. the measurement of global temps using satellite observations to determine that global temps are rising c. the use of general circulation models to rep both past global temps with natural forcings only and past global temps with natural forcings and human forcings together, followed by an eval of which representation is closest to actual past measured temps d. a quantitative analysis of different types of forcings to indicate that human factors result in larger forcings than do changes in solar radiation

Measurements of global temperatures using satellite observations to determine that global temperatures are rising

As polar see ice disappears do to warming, this will result in ____ at Earth's surface, which then functions as a _____ to climate change. a. more energy absorption; positive feedback b. less light absorption; negative feedback c. less energy absorption; negative feedback d. more energy absorption; negative feedback

More energy absorption; positive feedback

Analysis indicates that only approximately 2% of the net climate forcing of the atmosphere since 1750 is a result of ______. a. natural changes in solar energy reaching Earth b. desertification c. the burning of fossil fuels d. human-induced increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases

Natural changes in solar energy reaching Earth

Combustion of coal produces _______, which tends to have a cooling effect on the climate a. soot b. water vapor c. carbon dioxide d. sulfate aerosols

Sulfate aerosols

What line of evidence most strongly suggests that current global climate change as a result of increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rather than increased solar radiation? a. both the stratosphere and troposphere are experiencing temp increases. since greenhouse gases occur at similar concentrations in both layers of the atmosphere, the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations is the most likely cause of global warming b. greenhouse gases accumulate in the stratosphere, causing the observed increases in temp of this layer in the atmosphere c. temps in the stratosphere are actually decreasing, suggesting that the atmosphere is not warming bc of increased solar radiation d. we know that greenhouse gas concentrations in the troposphere are increasing, and we know that greenhouse gases retain heat

Temperatures in the stratosphere are actually decreasing, suggesting that the atmosphere is not warming because of an increased solar radiation

Which of the following most accurately describes global temperature patterns over the past 12,000 years? a. Temperatures increased over a period of two or three thousand years, leveled off, then declined gradually over the past several thousand years, so today's temps are actually considerably cooler than temps were 6,000 years ago b. Temperatures increased over a period of two to three thousand years, leveled off, declined gradually over the past several thousand years and then recently increased rapidly to the highest level of that time period c. temps have been steadily increasing over that time period d. temps steadily declined through most of that time period and have only recently begun recovering from the "Little Ice Age" that has spanned the past 10,000 years

Temperatures increased over a period of two to three thousand years, leveled off, declined gradually over the past several thousand years and then recently increased rapidly to the highest level of that time period

Which of the following describes the global warming potential of a gas? a. the amount of heat a gas can trap in the atmosphere in a certain amount of time b. the atmospheric concentration of a gas, multiplies by its average lifespan c. the amount of heat a gas can trap in the atmosphere in a certain amount of time, multiplies by its atmospheric concentration d. the amount of heat a gas can trap in the atmosphere in a certain amount of time, multiplied by its average lifespan

The amount of heat a gas can trap in the atmosphere in a certain amount of time

All of the following are predicted to directly result from rising global temperatures except a. the increased acidity of oceans b. the increased frequency of heavy precipitation events c. rising sea levels d. the melting of greenland's ice sheets

The increased acidity of oceans

All of the following are proxy records of global temperature except a. thermometer readings b. glacial ice cores c. ocean and lake sediments d. width of tree rings

Thermometer readings

Some people have said that water vapor is a more powerful greenhouse gas that industrialized produce Gases such as carbon dioxide, and for this reason, we shouldn't worry about the rising concentrations of industrially produced greenhouse gases. What is wrong with this claim? a. the release of water vapor to the atmosphere is controlled by the temp of the oceans and is therefore unrelated to climate b. water vapor is present only int he troposphere and this means it can't change climate c. water vapor is actually not a greenhouse gas d. water vapor has a short residence time in the atmosphere and therefore cannot serve as a forcing for climate change

Water vapor has a short residence time in the atmosphere and therefore cannot serve as a forcing for climate change

How do I know what global temperatures were before we had a widespread network of thermometers? a. we know this mostly from records in texts and records kept by human societies b. we can determine this by looking at the patterns of tree rings or the isotopes of certain elements that very with temp c. we know this by measuring temps through the atmosphere bc the upper atmosphere records older temps than the surface atmosphere d. we have no records from this period

We can determine this by looking at the patterns of tree rings or the Isotopes of certain elements that vary with temperature

One of the projections of the effects of climate change is an increase in the intensity of extreme events such as floods and droughts. Would this be important to human society and why or why not? a. no, extreme events happen infrequently and therefore have little impact on humans b. there is no way to tell; bc these are projections and not observations, we can't eval their impacts on society c. yes, extreme events are difficult to plan for and place a large amount of stress on human systems and infrastructure d. maybe, but it's impossible to know whether or not floods or drought would affect society

Yes, extreme events are difficult to plan for and place a large amount of stress on human systems and infrastructure

Which of the following four things would we have to intensify in order to cool the climate a. carbon dioxide b. aerosol cloud effects c. nitrous oxide d. solar radiation

aerosol cloud effects

all of the following are components fo Milankovich cycles except a. changes in the tilt of earth relative to the sun b. changes in the shape of earth's orbit around the sun c. changes in the amount of wobble in earth's rotation d. changes in the distance and shape of the moon's orbit around earth

changes in the distance and shape of the moon's orbit around earth

All of the following are associated with the warmest periods of the past 500 million years of Earth's history except? a. lush vegetation b. extinction rates far exceeding modern-day extinction rates c. atmospheric carbon dioxide levels far greater than those of today d. the lack of polar ice caps

extinction rates far exceeding modern-day extinction rates

Precipitation is generally expected to _____ across the globe during the 21st century, and areas over water expected to experience a ______ temperature increase than areas over land a. increase; smaller b. decrease; smaller c. increase; greater d. decrease; greater

increase; smaller

One concern with a warming climate is how it will affect ecosystems. And one scenario that scientists are studying, a warming Arctic climate will melt permafrost, which will then that stimulate the decomposition of frozen organic matter, thus increasing the release of large quantities of CO2 + CH4 and causing further warming of the climate. This scenario would be an example of which of the following? a. industrial greenhouse gas production b. a sequential feedback loop c. an uncontrolled ecological cascade that will have impacts on the Arctic but little effect on climate d. positive feedback loop

positive feedback loop

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere when a. infrared radiation from the sun is converted to shortwave radiation b. shortwave radiation from the sun is absorbed by earth's surface and reradiated as infrared radiation c. shortwave radiation from the sun is absorbed by the molecules in the atmosphere d. heat being emitted by the sun enters earth's atmosphere

shortwave radiation from the sun is absorbed by Earths surface and reradiated as infrared radiation

the sun releases energy across the electromagnetic spectrum. Which forms of electromagnetic energy from the sun affect climate ? a. energy with the longest wavelengths, such as microwaves and radio waves b. energy with the shortest wavelengths, such as gamma waves c. shortwave radiation, such as visible light d. all forms, from the longest wavelengths to the shortest wavelengths

shortwave radiation, such as visible light

Which of the following areas has experienced the greatest surface temperature increase since 1900? a. siberia and northern canada b. the north atlantic c. the southern US and mexico d. the south pacific

siberia and northern canada

albedo is the measure of a surfaces ability to reflect solar radiation. Which of the following has the highest albedo? a. the snow on top of a dormant volcano b. the vegetation growing along a trail leading to the summit of a dormant volcano c. the red car that the hiker parked at the trailhead leading to the summit of a dormant volcano d. the black rock on top of a dormant volcano

the snow on top of a dormant volcano

urban heat islands occur in metropolitan areas where the air temperature is several degrees warmer than the surrounding rural areas. How can the concept of a climate forcing be used to explain the urban heat island phenomenon? a. higher temps in urban areas allow for an extended growing season, allowing people with urban gardens the ability to grow a wider variety of crops than can be grown in the surrounding rural areas b. the extensive use of energy in urban areas produces "waste heat" that is retained in the atmosphere c. because of increased fossil fuel combustion in urban areas, the air contains higher concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. as a result, the air more readily retains heat than air in rural areas d. urban areas contain vast expanses of paved surfaces and other surfaces that absorb shortwave radiation and reradiate it as heat. Rural areas tend to be more heavily vegetated so reflect more shortwave radiation.

urban areas contain vast expanses of paved surfaces and other surfaces that absorb shortwave radiation and reradiate it as heat. Rural areas tend to be more heavily vegetated so reflect more shortwave radiation.

which of the following is an example of an aerosol? a. volcanic ash b. water c. carbon dioxide d. nitrogen gas

volcanic ash

Which of the following greenhouse gases is short-lived and exhibits the most variation in atmospheric concentrations from season to season? a. nitrous oxide b. methane c. water vapor d. carbon dioxide

water vapor