Geography 221 Final
What percentage of the World's total primary energy supply is provided by renewables?
13%
The Total solar irradiance (TSI) recieved at the top of Earth's atmopshere is
1368 wm^-2
When the temp of a substance is doubed the energy emitted increases by
16x
What percentage of the Earth's surface is covered by permanent ice and snow?
17%
The projected seal level rise over the nest 100 years by the IPCC Fourth assessment report is:
18-59 cm
During the Pleistocene Epoch (2.58 mya - 12,000 ya) what were the lowest values of CO2?
180 ppm
The human influence on climate change is most apparent after what year?
1975
Which year begins the period where climate models cannot match the observed climate with natural factors alone?
1975
What global temperature increase is the sfe target set by the IPCC?
2 degrees celsisus.
In order for soil to be considered permafrost it must be frozen for
2 years
World energy demand is growing at a rate of:
2-3% per year.
Climate sensitivity is the measure of how much average global air temperature will change as a result of CO2 increases to this concentration
560 ppm
What is the max. safe level of CO2 in the atmosphere according to the IPCC?
570 PPM
half life of carbon 14
5740 years
if all the ice on East antartica were to melt the expected rise in global sea level would rise
60m
Increases in Co2 alone do not explain the sudden increase of global temps during the PETA. What is the prime suspect cause for the PETA?
Methane gas bursts from the ocean.
A in SMART stands for
achievable
Which of the following is NOT considered an advantage that nuclear has over solar power?
Much safer
Which of the following will reduce ghg emissions from agriculture?
Mulching biomass and mixing into soil, eating less red meat, better use of fertilizers
Which of the following statements about sea ice is not true?
Multi-year ice in the artic is now gone
The largest international data set of global temperatures is maintained by
National Climate Data Center
which of the following could sabotage a climate message?
causing too much concern worry
Which of the following organizations uses the longest base period for calculating global temperature anomalies?
National Climate Data center
In Europe which energy source is used the most?
Natural Gas
What is NOT true abuot melting glaciers in the Himalaya Mts?
Negative feedback to warming
Which of the following rivers does NOT flow from the Himalaya Mts?
Nile
Which of the following US states relies heavily on coal for its energy so politicians there are under great pressure to not pass emissions laws?
Ohio
The Hubbert curve shows us that
Oil has passed peak supply
The surface winds located undrneath the Ferrell cells are known as
Prevailing Westerlies
Brief cold snaps are known as
Stadials
True/False: Both population growth and poverty are major drivers of climate change today
True
True/False: Carbon cap and trade is a market based solution to mitigate emissions by rewarding companies that emit less than their cap. NO taxes on the public are imposed in this scheme.
True
True/False: Carbon capture and storage is one of the 4 major areas of activity involving carbon wedges
True
True/False: China and India are now producing 4 times more CO2 than in 1980
True
True/False: China uses more coal than any other country in the world.
True
True/False: Climate chnage is easier to predict than weather.
True
True/False: Colorado and Ohio are critical swing states in the federal elections and both states rely on coal for much of their energy needs
True
True/False: Coral bleaching events have been closely associated with El Nino events
True
True/False: During an El Nino, warmer water and lower pressure slide eastward across the pacific ocean
True
True/False: During the previous 800k years, climate has changed dramatically due to Milankovitch cycles
True
Which of the follwing is NOT considered a method to mitiagate the impact of climate change?
Using corn for ethanol
How well has Bangladesh responded to the threat of climate change?
Very effectively
True/False: For many developing countries, the easiest and cheapest way to lift their citizens from pverty is to invest further in the extraction of fossil feuls.
True
True/False: Fossil leaves with large rounded edges typically form in wetter climates
True
True/False: Global warming causes boht increased drought and increased flooding
True
True/False: Igneous rocks are evidence of past volcanic activity
True
True/False: Isotopes of an atom conatin the name number of pretons but different number of neutrons
True
True/False: It is possible that global temperature could rise by 3-4 degrees celsisus by the year 2100.
True
True/False: It is possible that the Artic Ocean could be ice free during summers by the year 2030
True
True/False: Large ice sheets are associated with lower sea levels
True
Which of the following 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 "worst case scenario"
A2
Which major ocean feature does not direct and deflect deep ocea currents?
Abyssal Plains
What is NOT true about ice core data from Antartica and Greenland
Are older than the rock record
The region in the Northern Hemisphere showing the greated evidence of climate chage is
Artic
During the Cretaceous period, Co2 levels were about
As much as eight times higher than today.
The sum total of all living organisms on the planet is known as
Biosphere
True/False: MOdels project that ghg's will grow by as much as 84% by 2050 if global economic development continues without doing anything to limit emissions
True
True/False: Malaria is a serious health risk that is getting worse due to climate change
True
True/False: Melting permafrost can act as a positive climate feedback
True
True/False: Most glaciers in the Himalayas are losing ice but some are actually increasing in size.
True
True/False: Near the surface of the oceans, phytoplankton prefer to absorb 12C thus leaving waters enriched in 13C.
True
True/False: Nuclear power causes fewer deaths per year than any fossil fuel energy source
True
True/False: Nuclear power is considered to be the safest and least damaging energy technology that is capable of producing power quickly and efficiently to meet emission reduction targets.
True
True/False: One barrier to climate change action is that only a hanful of US politicians are trained as scientists and find the scientific arguments difficult to understand.
True
True/False: One limitation to using newer forms of energy in the US is the agng power grid which will require trillions of dollars to upgrade.
True
True/False: Radiative forcing is the imbalance between incoming and outgoing radiation at the top of the atmosphere.
True
True/False: Renewable energy sources include those that derive their energy directly or indirectly from the sun or from within the earth
True
True/False: Sea level rise can actually cause fresh water below the ground to become saltier and undrinkable.
True
Which of th following isotopes can be used to infer past seawater pH values?
Boron
Which of the follwing statements about global warming is most accurate?
Both drought and floods will increase
True/False: Sea levels are falling in some regions such as the eastern apcific and western indian oceans
True
True/False: Solar energy is responsible for the majority of energy rht is within the climate system
True
True/False: Some scientists think that the catastrophic Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Anomaly (PETA) is very similar to what could happen today due to massive releases of greenhouse gases by human activities.
True
True/False: The PETA catastrophe actually helped the evolution of mammal species which eventually paved the way for humans to evolve.
True
True/False: The Paleocene Epoch (65.5 to 55.8 mya) was a hothouse world with very high levels of Co2 and CH4 due to extensive volcanism.
True
True/False: The Pliocene Epoch (5.33 to 2.58 mya) offers scientists the best example of where climate may be headed today
True
True/False: The United states is the largest consumer of oil and second largest consumer of coal in the world.
True
True/False: The average person in the united states consumes about five times the energy as the average person in a developing country
True
True/False: The engine that drives the thermohaline circulation is sinking waters in the North atlantic Ocean
True
True/False: 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
True/False: The global ciruclation of the oceans is determined by a combination of surface wind flow and water density differences
True
True/False: The media have unwitingly helped to create climate science confusion by offering false balance
True
True/False: The most unstable portion of Antartic ice is the Antartic Peninsula
True
True/False: The sun has been the strongest single factor controlling Earth's climate
True
True/False: The two ecosystems that are most at risk from climate change are the Amazon Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef
True
True/False: The δ18O values found in ice cores are lower than that found in marine shells.
True
True/False: There are many states in the US who have adopted renewable portfolio standards but the federal government has not adopted these sta dards for the nation.
True
True/False: To project future climate change caused by humans, scientists need to understand past natural causes of climate change
True
True/False: Tree rings offer a good temperature estimate of past climate as far back as 10,000 years but this relationship breaks down during the present time (after 1960).
True
True/False: Water from melting glaciers in the Himalaya Mountains is used by more than 1 billion people
True
True/False: Water shortages in the Middle East are likely to affect Jordan and Palestinians more so than Israel
True
True/False: When India collided with Asia, CO2 levels began a long-term decrease.
True
True/False: When permafrost melts, it acts as a positive feedback for global warming
True
True/False: When the North Atlantic Oscillation is in the negative phase, the eastern US can experience very cold winters
True
True/False: Wide tree rings are an indication of rapid tree growth
True
True/False: a greater number of sunspots increases total solar irradiance
True
True/False: although a powerful ghg water vapor is not causing global warming bc it does not remain in the air for very long
True
True/False: climate change can cause both drought and floods
True
True/False: sea surface temperature is a good approximation of air tmeperatures just above the oceans
True
True/False:The polar regions are warming faster than the tropical regions which is expected in a greenhouse gas warmed world.
True
The amount of carbon 14 in a sample reveals 25% parent atoms and 75% daughter atoms. How many half-lives have occurred?
Two
Which country currently uses a carbon tax to reduce emissions?
UK
The Kyoto Protocol was not signed by
USA
Which of the following climate change messaging techniques is likely to be well-recieved by a majority of americans?
Uncertainties are acknowledged, using trusted messengers, community-based approaches instead of national programs
Which country uses the most energy?
United States
Why is "clean coal" NOT a reality?
Unproven on the scale required, safe storage of capture carbon has proven to be difficult, too expensive
Which of the following is true about artifical carbon capturing trees?
Use solar, wind, or nuclear power to keep wind flowing across them. A large problem is what to do with the carbon that is captured. Relatively inexpensive chemicals are used.
In the next ten years, which of the following countries will become totally dependent on imported oil, thus greatly decreasing its national security?
China
Which country below has increased its GHG emissions the most since the late 20th century?
China
Which country consumes the largest amount of coal in the world?
China
True/False: Most of the emissions that come from the transportation sector are from air travel.
False
True/False: Ocean circulation changes may be a significant cause of the global warming in the past 30 years.
False
True/False: Oil is the primary source of electricity generation in the world
False
True/False: Oil shales are formed in regions where there were forests and swamps
False
True/False: The "hockey stick" temperature reconstruction is based solely on tree ring data.
False
True/False: The ITCZ average postition is near the equator but it moves northward during northern hemisohere winter
False
True/False: The Medieval climate Anomaly was a period of rising global temperatures comparable to today's warming.
False
True/False: The US imports most of its oil from Mexico and Saudi Arabia
False
Which ocean current is most responsible for transporting heat from the tropics toward the poles?
Gulf stream
Which of the following statements about anthropgenic climate change best reflects the position of corporate stakeholders?
Actin should be delayed until there is more certainty
The technical resources needed by a community to respond to climate change is known as
Adaptive Capacity
Which of the following statements about aerosols is not true?
Aerosols can inhibit cloud formation
True/False: The United States and most of Europe were opposed to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) goals to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
False
True/False: The location of a thermometer (high altitude, near airports, in countryside, etc) greatly influences the long-term temperature anomaly
False
True/False: The oceans absorb about 50% of the excess heat in the climate system.
False
True/False: The region between the hadley and ferrel cells featurs a warm and wet climate
False
True/False: The rise of temps in the past several decades is most noticeable in the tropical regions
False
True/False: The two main geoengineering tech areas include energy efficiency and conservation (EEC) along with solar radiation management.
False
True/False: The younger dryas event featured a rapid spike upward in Northern atlantic temperatures
False
True/False: When co2 levels increase in the atmosphere, plant stomata increases
False
Which of the folliwng has NOT been a cause of the decline of the nuclear power plant construction in the US in the past 30 years?
Fatalities associated with accidents.
Name the circulation cell that spans the 30-60 degree latitude belt
Ferrell
Which of the following is not evidence that our climate is warming especially in the past 30 years?
Increased number of sunspots.
Which of the following is the strongest evidence that our climate is gaining energy?
Increased ocean heat content.
Which of the following events in bangladesh is NOT expected to be increased by global warming?
Increased rise supplies that grow on flooded land
Which of the following is NOT considered a factor in caused the Little Ice Age to end?
Increased volcanism.
What happens to the δ18O value in carbonate shells as water temperature cools?
Increases
Which of the following is NOT true about mountain building?
Increases CO2
What is the current trend for methane concentration in the atmosphere?
Increasing
Which of the following is NOT responsible for global sea level rise?
Increasing volcanic eruptions
Which of the following is the 2nd most emitted ghg?
Methane
Which of the following is a carbon wedge?
Apply carbon management strategies to keep more carbon in the soil. Plant new forest over an area the size of the United States. Halt global deforestation in 50 years.
Which is the simplest way to decrease emissions from cars and trucks?
increase gas mileage
True/False: Tropical cyclones tend to form where sea surface temperatures ar at least 27 degress celsius and upper-level winds are diverging
true
True/False: atmospheric and oceanic circulation work to stabilze earth's climate
true
True/False: social scientists have concluded that a national effort to reduce ghg emissions is more effective than a community-based approach
true
In the western pacific, tropical cyclones are known as
typhoons
which region of the united staes is expected to experience the greatest flodding due to climate change?
upper midwest
The combination of converging trade winds and ekman pumping along the equator results in
upwelling and nutrient rich water
The enhanced greenhouse effect will cause the stratosphere to:
cool
according to milankovitch cycles, earth's climate should
cool for the next 8000 years
depletion of the ozone in the stratosphere causes
cooler stratosphere
The dark portion of sunspots are
cooler than surroundings
The surface water under the ITCZ is typically
cooler than surroundings
During the pervious 50 million years, climate has been in a long term tectonic ___________ trend:
cooling
During la nina events global average temperatures
decrease
GHG get their name because they
decrease outgoing radiation from the top of the atmosphere
increasing plant stomata is an indication of
decreased co2 levels
Which ions are critical in the formation of sea shells?
Bicarbonate
When assessing risk, the L in the HELP equation represents
Longevity
Natural gas is formed by
organic material that gets trapped in rocks
the lowest portion of the atmosphere is known as
troposphere
True/False: Coal produces more CO2 per ton than any other major fuel source.
true
True/False: The sun emits electromagnetic energy toward earth and other planets
true
which of the following statements about climate change would be considered science denial?
"Scientists all say climate is changing in order to get grant money"
The difference in incoming vs. outcoming radiaon at the top of the atmosphere is about
.75 wm^-2
The trend in global air temperature increase measured by satellites and ground based intruments is between:
0.14 - 0.17 degrees celsisus/decade
Approximately how much have global temperatures warmed over the 1901-2000 annual avrage?
0.6 degrees celsius.
In china, what percentage of citizens own cars?
1%
What percentage of the atmosphere by volume do ghg make up?
1%
Most current climate models estimate climate sensitivity to be between:
1.5-4.5 degrees celsius
Tree ring patterns can be dated back as far as:
10,000 years
A trace element is one where concentrations are less than
1000 ppm
Sunspots vary in number along a cycle that lasts for
11 years
21,000 years ago at the end of the last glacial advance, sea levels were
120 m lower than today
Arctic sea ice is predicted to be gone during summer as early as the year
2030
How much land in the Northern Hemisphere is made up of permafrost?
24%
The greatest tilt of the Earth's rotation axis is
24.5
Tropical cyclones need sea surface temps to be at least
27 degrees celsius
The current rate of global sea level rise is
3.1 mm/year
What is the current rate of sea level rise observed via satellites?
3.1 mm/yr
Approximately how long has basic life existed on our planet?
3.8 billion years.
Most of the world's deserts are located around which latitude?
30
How many years must be used to define anthropogenic warming trends?
30 or more
What percentage of the total energy available in coal are coal plants typically able to convert into electricity?
30%
On average how much cooler would earth be without GHG's
34 degrees celsius
Scientists are concerned that global average temperature by the year 2100 could increase by
4 degrees celsisus.
Humans emitted 10 gigatonnes of carbon in the year 2010. How much remained in the air?
4 gigatonnes
Above which latitiude does the earth lose more ebergy than it recieves?
40
How much more carbon dioxide emissions do China and India now produce compared to 1980?
400%
On an average day, of the 342 Wm-2 direct solar energy received at the top of the atmosphere, about how much ends up being absorbed by the Earth's surface?
49%
Greenlands area can be best described as being comprable to
4x the size of texas
Assuming carbon emission rates are not slowed the IPCC expect global temperatures to rise by
5-6 degrees celsisus.
if the west antartic ice sheet meltd or collapsed the expected global sea level rise is
5-6 m
The total amount of energy lost due inefficent energy use in the US is
55%
which of the following statements is most accurate?
65 million years ago, climate was warmer than today.
If all the ice on Greenland melted, how much would sea level rise?
7 meters
The great Permian extinction caused this percentage of land vertebrated to disappear:
70%
If all the ice on greenland were to melt, the expected rise in global sea level would rise
7m
Severe coral bleaching occurs when DHW values exceed
8
The oceans absorb __________ of the excess heat in the climate system.
80% or more.
The great Permian extinction caused this percentage of marine species to disappear:
95%
The rise of the Alps and Himalaya Mountains, andes and rocky mountains has led to
A cooling climate
What caused the Cretaceous period to end 65 million years ago?
A large meterorite struck earth
Which of the followinf uses the most freshwater?
Agriculture
What gives coral its color?
Algae
Which of the following has the greatest amount of oil content necessary to produce biodiesel fuel?
Algae
Which of the follwing is associated with falling levels of CO2 in the atmosphere?
Alluvial fans
When oceans warm too much they become oxygen starved a condition known as
Anoxic
Organic-rich shales found in ocean sediment indicate
Anoxic events
55 million years ago, the Paleocence-Eocene Thermal Anomaly (PETA) was characterized by
Anoxic ocean condtions, Ocean acidifciation, rapid warming of the climate.
The coldest and most dense water on earth is
Antarctic Bottom Water
Scientists refer to man-made climate change as :
Anthropogenic
Which of the following is NOT considered part of the earth's climate system?
Asthenosphere
Which of the following may be responsble for hurrican and drought patterns spanning decades?
Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation
The lead body of the UNFCCC is called
COP
Which of the follwing states uses coal for only a small portion of their energy needs?
California
After the US, which country has the highest emission per capita?
Canada
From which country does the US import most of its oil?
Canada
Surface Marine phytoplankton electively absorb which isotope of carbon?
Carbon 12
Marine shelled creatures tend to be enriched with
Carbon 13
Ocean surface waters are typically enriched with
Carbon 13
Which of the following is NOT known as a stable isotope?
Carbon 14
Scientists know humans are the source of excess atmosphering carbon dioxide by measuring
Carbon Isotope ratios
Which of the following was NOT part of the kyoto protocol?
Carbon tax
which of the following isotopes is radioactive?
Carbon-14
During which era did mammals rapidly evolve
Cenozoic
Which of the follwing is NOT true about the Little Ice Age?
Central Europe showed warmer than normal temperatures.
The term precession refers to
Changes in the direction the north pole points in space
The term eccentricity refers to
Changes in the shape of Earth's orbit
Which of the following is not true about natural gas?
Cheaper than coal
Once the snowball Earth began rapidly warming, the following caused CO2 levels to decrease thus avoiding a runaway warming:
Chemical weathering, ocean absorption of Co2, limestone and dolomite deposition in the oceans.
If Spain invests in wind power in a developing country, Spain will get credit for reducing emissions under this scheme
Clean development mechanism
Which of the following has been used to reduce road travel?
Clean-fuel public transport, higher tolls, carpool lanes
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 IPCC First assessment report 1990 concluded
Climate is warming and humans were partly to blame
Which of the folowing has the highest albedo?
Clouds
During the Carboniferous period (360 - 300 mya) large amounts of this fossil fuel were formed
Coal
In the Asia-Pacific region, which energy source is used the most to power the region?
Coal
What forms where dead vegetation from tropical and temperate forests accumulates in swampy areas and then is rapidly buried?
Coal
Which fuel source is considered the cheapest, most abundant and readily available in the world?
Coal
Which of the following does not form in marine environments?
Coal
Which type of water has the greatest density
Cold and more salty
The great ocean conveyor belt is primarily driven by:
Cold salty water sinking in the North Atlantic Ocean
Which of the following statements best describes the impact of the eruption of MT. Pinatubo on climate?
Cooling due to the massive output of aerosols.
Which of the following natural barriers to storm surge are decreasing?
Coral reefs, salt flats, mangrove swamps
Using which of the following biofuels has caused world food prices to rise?
Corn
Why is it difficult for poorer nations to cope with climate change?
Corruption, poverty, political conflict
What are limitations of using wind power?
Current electric grids easily monito linked wind farms, wind does not always blow, it reaches optimal performance only 25% of the time.
Which of the following has happened due to climate science denial?
Death threats have been made against researchers, legal actions have forced climate scientists into court rooms, donors have been asked to stop funding major universities.
True/False: Greater values of δ18O found in fossil marine shells means the past climate was likely warmer.
False
Social conservatitves in the United Staes think that ratifying the Kyoto Protocol will:
Decrease personal liberty, slow the US economy, raise taxes.
The most likely cause of the end of the Little Ice Age is
Decreased volcanic eruptions and increased solar radiation.
What happens to ocean water pH values when humans emit carbon dioxide into the air?
Decreases
What happens to the cost of carbon on a trading market if all companies keep emissions below their caps?
Decreases
Which of the following does NOT increase atmospheric carbon dioxide?
Decreasing ozone
The pycnocline is featured by
Decreasing temperature and increasing salinity with depth
Which political group agrees humans are warming the planet?
Democratic Party
Which political group in the united states is most concerned about climate change?
Democratic party
The climate in the Permo-Triassic world was mostly
Desert-Like
Which of the following has caused fuel efficiencty and mileage standards in the US to fall behind many other countries?
Desire for large vehicles by Americans, Low taxes on gas, political lobbying.
Precession is the term used to describe changes in:
Direction of the tilt in Earth's rotation
The Little Ice Age can best be described as:
Distinct regional cooling caused by natural factors.
Which of the issues below may result from using SRM geoengineering solutions?
Do nothing to prevent ocean acidification Do not alleviate the accumulation of greenhouse gases May decrease photosynthesis
Dessication Cracks are evidence of past
Drought
Which of the followin inhibits hurricane formation and strength?
El Nino
Cap and trade is an example of
Emission trading scheme
Which of the following is not considered to be a major factor in determining the impact of climate change
Energy efficiency
True/False: If the carbon found in a material contains 25% parent atoms and 75% daughter atoms, the material is 17,200 years old.
False
Which statement about observed climate change is true?
Evening temperatures have warmed the most
Which of the following statements about anthropogenic climate change best reflects the position of the Union of Concerned Scientists?
Evidence is clear, and immediate action will create jobs
Which of the follwing was NOT likely present during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.58 mya - 12,00 ya)?
Expanding tree line
When assessing risk, the E in the HELP equation represents:
Exposure
250 million years ago during the permian period:
Extinction rates were high.
True/False: the minimum number of years to consider as a base period should be at least ten years
FALSE
True/False: A SMART goal is one that is Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Tested.
False
True/False: As increases in ghg continue it is expected that days will warm faster than nights
False
True/False: Dessication cracks are evidence of past rivers and shorelines
False
True/False: Durng the past 30 years sunsports have contributed about 90% to the observed rise in avg. global temperature
False
True/False: Earth's climate system only includes atmosphere, ice and oceans
False
True/False: For most of the past 8,000 years the climate has been warming.
False
True/False: GHG are known as trace gases and make up about 15% of the gas molecules in the air by volume
False
True/False: GHG heat the atmosphere by reflecting outgoing solar radiation
False
True/False: Global air temperature change is plotted as actual physical tmeperature in degress celsisus (the international standard)
False
Compared to people in developing nations, the average person in the US consumes
Five times more energy
What is true about fossil leaves with a larger surface area?
Formed in a wet climate
What is true about fossil leaves with a large number of serrated edges?
Formed in cold climate
Which country gets 90% of its electricty from nuclear and hydroelectric?
France
The Younger Dryas even was likely cuased by
Freshwater flowing into the northern oceans
Where in the middleeast is salt water intrusion into freshwater aquifers potentially the most damging?
Gaza
Carbon wedges will fall into 4 major areas. Which of the below is NOT one of those areas?
Geoegineering
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
Geological observations and geochemical tools are not perfect but together reveal a very good picture of past climate.
When this president was elected, the United States withdrew from the Kyoto climate negotiations
George W. Bush
Which country hastily decided to close all of its nuclear reactors by 2022 due to Fukushima?
Germany
The expected rise in sea level by the year 2100 is expected to be
Greater than the IPCC projections
Which of the following accounts for most of the world's water supply?
Ground water
When assessing risk, the H in HELP represents
Hazard
which of the following events would cause a person to inflate the value of risk?
Hazard impact has happened to that person in the past
Which of the following statements about recent climate change is true?
Heat waves have increased while cold spells have decreased.
According to the HELP formula, the risk from climate change appears to be
High
Oceans can store heat for a long time due to their:
High Heat capacity
During the Proterozoic Eon (2,500 - 542 mya), Earth likely looked like a snowball from space. What kept the earth from completely freezing over?
High levels of atmospheric CO2
What is increasing climate change risks?
Higher carbon emissions, Population increases, rising out of energy poverty.
Which of the following is NOT true about the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA)?
Higher global temperatures than today.
which statement about climate change best represents the view of most scientists?
Humans are causing the most of the recent observed climate change
Which of the following statements best summarizes the evidence for climate change since 1975?
Humans are responsible for most of the global warming
Which form of natural gas extraction has beome very controversial?
Hydraulic Fracturing
When anaerobic bacteria dominate the deep oceans, this deadly gas can be relaeased
Hydrogen sulfide
Which of the following is NOT considered a stakeholder in the climate discussion?
IPCC
Which of the follwing countries does NOT share the frozen Artic tundra?
Iceland
Which of the follwing is evidence of ancient volcanic activity?
Igneous Rock
Which of the following would not boost the use of renewable energy?
Increase mileage standards for cars and trucks.
Which of the following is NOT true about melting ice shelves?
Increase ocean circulation
Thick Sequences of Basaltic lava are evidence of
Increased co2 and warming temperatures
What limits the large-scale use of carbon capture and sequestration?
Increased cost of electricity produces, lack of suitable areas to store carbon, requires building new coal fired plants or converting older plants
Which of the following must Pacific islanders make a priority to cope with rising sea levels?
Increased education, use of renewable energy, water conservation
Which type of radiation is primarily emitted by earth?
Infrared
Which of the following does not influence the air temperture inferref from NASA and NOAA satellites?
Infrared radiation interference
Currently the planet is in a climate period known as:
Interglacial
Which of the following statements of the IPCC is NOT true?
Issues assessments reports every two years
Which statement about CH4 is most accurate?
It is a powerful GHG that is short-lived in air
Which of the following is NOT true about the Great Barrier Reef?
It is at least 45 million years old.
Which of the following statements about geongineering is true?
It is not a solution to climate change. It is a last resort to limit global warming while transitioning to a carbon-free economy. It combats or counteracts the effects of changes in atmospheric chemistry.
If all other ghg's were removed what would happen to water vapor over time?
It would eventually be depleted
If Spain invests in wind power in poland, spain will get credit for reducing emisions under this scheme
Joint implementation Mechanism
What was the first major international treaty to adress global warming>
Kyoto Protocol
Energy poverty is the term that describes:
Lack of access to electricity or other modern energy services.
Why is the future bleak for using hyfrogen to power cars?
Large storage tanks needed, few hydrogen gas stations will be available, expensive to produce hydrogen.
The δ18O of high latitude ice is typically:
Less than the oceans
Which of the following factors was NOT a cause of the rapidly cooling temps after the Mid-Miocene maximum?
Less δ12C was buried in organic matter
The spatial distribution of physical characteristics of sedimentary rock is known as
Lithology
Which of the following statements about temperature anomalies is NOT true?
Location of thermometers will skew the values
Which of the following is not evidence of ancient deserts?
Loess
Which of the following reveals both glacial and wind evidence
Loess
Which of thefollowing is a cause for concern about Amazon deforestation?
Loss of plant and animal species, loss of communities that have never seen the outside world, loss of potential cures for disease
Which of the following will NOT encourage the use of cleaner sources of energy?
Lower gas prices
Due to climate change, which of the following diseases is likely to put most people at risk?
Malaria
Which of the following does NOT influence the concentration of CO2 in the air?
Mammals breathing
Oil is formed by
Marine plants and animals that get buried along continental shelves
The recent increases in airborne methane gas concentrations is most likely due to
Melting permafrost and undersea methane hydrates
Which of the following regions has the natural gas reserves?
Middle east
How long does it take for continental drift to cause climate change?
Millions of years.
Which of the folliwng is likely to be recieved well by those that are politically conservative?
More emphasis on job creation, international competitveness and energy efficiency
What are drawbacks of extracting oil from tar sands?
More expensive to mine, Uses large quantities of water, harms the environment
Which of the following is NOT true about grasslands?
More tolerant od higher COO2 than trees
The EU relies heavily on natural gas for energy. Why is this a security issue?
Much of the gas is imported from outside countries that could "turn off" the supply
Why does increasing domestic oil drilling NOT lower gas prices of US consumers?
No laws that require domestic oil to remain in the US, oil is priced by the world market, domestic oil reserve supplies do not meet oil demands.
What is the greates roadblock to geoengineering?
No legal framework for governance.
The primary current that drives the thermohaline circulation is called
North Atlantic Deep Water
Where is the "engine" located that drives global ocean circultion?
North Atlantic ocean
Which of the following regions of the United Stated will NOT likely face a water crisis?
Northeast
Which of the following is NOT considrered to be a renewable energy source?
Nuclear
Where is the largest store of frozen material that contains methane gas?
Ocean Floor
Which source of methane are scientists concerned about today that might cause a modern-day PETA?
Ocean methane hydrates.
One sverdrup equals
One million cubic meters per second
Name the circulation cell that spans the 60-90 degree latitiude belt
POlar
El Nino Southern Oscillation develops in this ocean
Pacific
Which of the following can be best described as a long-term ENSO type cycle?
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
By the end of the permian period, a large supercontinent existed known as:
Pangea
Coal is formed by
Plant material from swamps and bogs that gets buried and compressed
The following has NOT influenced global air temperatures in the past 100 years
Plate tectonics
Which region of the world is warming the most rapidly?
Polar
Which of the following is a reason that most in the US disregard climate change risk?
Political leaders do not make risk an issue, Data is statistical and impersonal, the confuse weather and climate
When assessing risk, the p in the HELP equation represents:
Probability
Which of the following best illustrates how climate has changed in the past 800,000 years
Rapid climate swings occurring every few thousand years.
The thicker band of tree rings occurs during
Rapid growth
Which of the following is a way to reduce waste treatment emissions?
Recycling, public education, charge by weight of garbage removed
A carbon wedge is a SMART goal that can
Reduce carbon emissions by 1 gigatonne by 2055
How does the amazon regulate climate?
Removes carbon from the atmosphere
Which species actually benefitted by the Permian extinction
Reptiles
Which of the following is evidence of past shorelines?
Ripple Marks
The region found between the two Hadley cells is featured by:
Rising air and wet climate
Most of the melting artic sea ice has been caused by
Rising water temperatures
Which country recently planted a flag on the sea floor at the north pole as a symbolic claim to that territory?
Russia
Which of the following countries is NOT dependent on water from the Himalaya Mts
Russia
Which of the following countries is expected to have to have the lowest population growth rate by 2050?
Russia
What of the follwing is NOT true about an isotope?
Same number of neutrons
Which of the following is NOT considered proxy climate data?
Satellite Data
Which of the following is usually found in acidic ocean water?
Sea grass
Which of the following is considered a major control of climate?
Sea level change, continental drift, solar strength.
Eccentricity is the term used to describe changes in
Shape of earth's orbit around the sun
Widely dispersed volcanic ash deposits are evidence of
Short term cooling climate followed by long term warming climate
The region found between the Hadley and Ferrell cells is featured by
Sinking air and dry climate
During the 8,000 years before the 20th century, global average temperature has
Slowly Cooled
Which of the following is NOT condifered to be amont the five current major global energy sources?
Solar
Which of the following is NOT used to define a geological time unit?
Solar variability
Winters in the eastern US can be quite cold when the NAO is in this phase
Strong Negative
Which of the following isotops can be used to infer past mountain building and erosion
Strontium
What is the priamary control of ice sheet size in the northern hemisphere?
Summer Temperatures
Which of the statements below is most accurate?
Surface temperatures over land are warming faster than that over the oceans.
When the number of sunspots increases
TSI increases
The rise of which political group in the United States effectively sank any chance of passing cap and trade legislation?
Tea party
Which political group in the United States is least concerned about climate change
Tea party
Which country imports the largest amount of oil in the world?
The US
Which of the following groups is ultimately most important in mocing the US toward climate change action?
The general public
Why was cyclone Nargis, wihc impacted Myanmar in 2008 particularly devastating?
The government refused international aid.
How come developed countries most responsible for the historic rise in GHG are reluctant to reduce emissions?
They fear that doing so will give developing counries a competitive edge.
What is likely to happen to scientists who speak publicly about the risks of climate change?
They will encourage other scientists to speak up, MOre of the public will accept climate science, they will come under attack by science deniers
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
The tilt of the Earth is the primary control on seasons
Which of the following organizations does NOT report global tempersture anomaly data?
The weather channel
Which of the following is least involved in moving surface water?
Thermohaline circulation
Why are the sea level rise projections of the IPCC Not reasurring?
These values are likely too low
How come clean coal technologies are not being used on most coal power plants?
They add to the cost of delivering electricity.
Which of the following statments about developing economies is false?
They are committed to cleaner technologies in the US and other developed nations
What is true about social liberals in the United States?
They believe that climate is changing and is a threat, they trust the scientific community, they prefer government regulations over the free market.
Which of the folowing renewable energy sources is always reliable and predictable?
Tidal energy
Obliquity is the term used to describe
Tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation
How does the coriolis effect deflect moving air and water?
To the right in the northern hempishpere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
The surface winds located underneath the Hadley cells are known as
Trade Winds
Oil is the dominant energy source for:
Transportation
What is true about trees in higher latitudes?
Trees are migrating northward
True/False: A carbon tax will increase the cost of energy from fossil fuels while also making carbon-free alternatives more competitively priced?
True
True/False: A carbon wedge is a SMART goal that can reduce GHG by 1 gigatonne per year by 2055
True
True/False: According to the Hubbert curve, the world has passed "peak oil" meaning it will be harder to locate oil and these locations will be much smaller in scale
True
True/False: Aerosols can both absorb and reflect energy
True
True/False: All climate models project that we have less than 50 years to reduce GHG emissions before damaging climate change will be a certainty.
True
True/False: Alluvial Fans are evidence of rising mountains and falling co2 levels
True
True/False: 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
True/False: Billions of people suffer from energy poverty -- no access to electricity or modern energy services
True
When viewing global air temperature anomalies, there is a distinct cooling the few years following 1991 what caused that cooling?
Volcanic Eruption
Which of the following is an example of a negative radiative forcing?
Volcanic Eruption
A sudden spike in sulfate in ice core data is an indicator of past
Volcanic activity
Which of the following mat be a beneficial outcome of climate change?
Warmer spring temperatures
Which of the following was a result of the isthums of Panama closing during the early Pliocene?
Warmer tropical waters directed northward toward the Arctic.
Which of the following climate change factors is NOT considered a primary driver of change?
Water Vapor concentration
Weather and climate differ in that:
Weather is day to day while climate is long-term averages in weather.
In 2009, emails were stolen from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit and some claimed that climate scientists were "hiding the decline" of global temperature. What did "hide the decline" really refer to?
Well-documented tree ring anomalies
One of the difficulties of using pollen to determine past climate is
Wind can carry pollen great distances from its source
Which factor below increases the cost of using solar and wind energy sources?
Wind does not always blow, facilities pay for access to the grid even when not using the grid, sun does not always shine.
The siberian traps is
a large region of volcanism
the larsen b ice shelf collapsed from the
antarctic peninsula
The minimum number of years for a temperature base period should be
at least 30 years
Over the past one million years, the sun's radiant energy has _____________
been fairly constant
where in greenlan is ice actually increasing?
central
The term obliquity refers to
changes in the tilt of earth's axis
Which of the following countries does not have a large supply of natural gas reserves
china
Gyres in the Atlantic Ocean are featured by:
clockwise flow
When oceans get colder what happens to co2 concentrations in the air in the abscence of humans?
co2 decreases
Climate model projections for the year 2100 are most uncertain due to:
economic uncertainty
Natural gas is a strong candidate to become the dominant source of this type of energy in the united states
electricity
Which type of energy derived from the burning of fossil fuels is most responsible for anthropgoenic emissions of co2?
electricity
the east antartic ice sheet is
grounded on bedrock and considered to be very stable
the west antartic ice sheet is
grounded on ocean floor and considered to be unstable
Name the circulation cell that spans 0-30 degree latitude belt
hadley
Which of the following is NOT considered a positive climate feed back?
increased rainfall
Which of the following does NOT contribute to global seal leve rise in the long term?
increased sea ice coverage
When black carbon falls on top of snow, what happens to its radaitive forcing?
increases
when sea water evaporates the ration of Oxygen 18 to oxygen 16 in the oceans
increases
The best indicator that the planet is gaining heat is:
increases in ocean heat content.
Which statement about ocean heat content in the past century is most accurate?
increasing rapdily
If incoming vs. outgoing radiation at the top of the atmosphere is balanced, then climate change is likely due to:
internal variability
Which of the following statements about antartica is true?
it contains about 90% of the world's freshwater
Carbon dioxide is known as a ghg becuase
it traps outgoing radiation from earth
Which season is primary for monsoon development?
land heating faster than water
"M" in SMART stands for
measurable
An example of positive feedback is
melting snow cover and decreased ice sheet size
How many years does it take to remove a single carbon atom from the atmosphere and move it into rock?
millions
ENSO events last for
months
How do air balloons measure air temperatures?
on board microwave detectors
solar radiation management uses technologies based
on land, in space, in the atmosphere
One degree heating week (DHW) is
one week of sea surface temperature 1 degree celsius above summer maximum
Which regions oof the worlds oceans are warming most rapidly
polar
The half-life of a radioactive isotope is not influenced by
pressure temperature or time
The change in net, downward minus upward irradiance due to a change in external driver of climate change is known as
radiative forcing
Stochastic
random
Dansgaard-Oescher (D-O) cycles feature
rapid warming followed by a warm period lasting up to 2,000 years
GHG intensity
rate of emissions per increment of economic growth.
The "R" in SMART stands for
realistic
In the northern hemisphere, ekman pumping shifts moving water to the ______ of its initial direction
right
the best indicator of the impact of climate change on sea ice is a change in
sea ice volume
The "S" in SMART goal stands for:
specific
Which factor is the most important control on glacier size?
summer temperatures
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
Most of the observed rise in global sea level in the past 60 years is due to
thermal expansion
True/False: The Coriolis effect will deflect moving air to the right of its intended path in the northern hemisphere
true
Which statement is NOT true about climate models?
they are very accurate at regional scales.
The "T" in SMART stands for
timely
Radiation emitted from wave numbers 600-800 represent co2 emissions and satellites meausre these emissions as coming from
troposphere
El Nino events are characterized by
warm water flowing eastward
Basal sliding is caused by
warmer temps and higer pressure.
X-rays of ancient corals reveal banding where less dense growth means
warmer water
what happens to air as it sinks toward the surface?
warms
