climate change overall
Regional sea level rise in the Northeastern US is greater than global average, in part due to land subsidence.
true
Give a brief definition of climate. Explain how climate differs from weather.
Climate can be defined as the long-term pattern of temperature over an area. It varies regionally and is able to change over time. Differing from weather, which can be defined as the atmospheric conditions of a region at a particular time and place. Climate tells us the statistics from data collected over long periods of time to estimate the atmospheric conditions, whereas weather tells us what is happening on the exact day and time.
Which of the following is not true?
Climate only refers to temperatures, but weather also includes other factors like wind, rain, and snow.
Who used experiments to document how water vapor and carbon dioxide can act to trap heat and warm air?
Eunice Foote & John Tyndal
Snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has increased due to there being more water vapor and precipitation at high latitudes where it is cold.
False
Which of the following are true about our current knowledge of how hurricanes are affected by climate change?
Rising sea levels make hurricane storm surges more damaging Warmer oceans can increase the power of hurricanes The total number of hurricanes has been increasing globally
match
Scientific hypothesis B. a testable explanation of a question or problem Scientific theory A. a widely accepted explanation of cause and effect relationships Scientific law C. a principal that can be used to predict the outcome given a condition
Which of the below is the best example of a human activity that directly affects the Earth's carbon cycle?
burning of fossil fuels
Why is summer warmer than winter at most places on Earth?
he tilt of Earth's rotation axis
From 1750 to 2011, the net radiative forcing due to human sources was about ______.
2.3 W/m2
Match up the observed/projected climate impacts with the region of the U.S. impacted.
- Melting permafrost damages infrastructure as the climate warms ALASKA -Estimates show that the area burned by wildfires here from 1984-2015 is about twice what it would have been without climate change. WESTERN -Regional sea level rise is more severe here, due in part to land subsidence NORTHEASTERN -Warming temperatures and ocean acidification can damage coral reefs, and the marine ecosystems that they are a part of US CARIBBEAN
Which of the below are examples of renewable energy sources?
Biomass Nuclear energy Hydropower Wind
Which of the following factors does not directly affect Earth's energy budget?
Earth's rotation rate
Scientists can estimate global mean sea level back to about 1900. Describe the observed change in global mean sea level over from 1900 until the present. Explain two of the primary causes of these changes.
From 1901 to 2010 the global sea level has risen by a mean of 0.19 m. The two primary causes of this change are due to melting of ice sheets and melting of mountain glaciers. The ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctic melting contribute to the rise of the sea level, as the Greenland ice sheet would contribute based on mass a 6 m rise on its own with the Antarctic ice sheet being the largest single mass of ice on earth is estimated to contribute a raise in sea level by 60 m. These estimates based on the coverage and mass of the ice sheets on land show how if completely melted, the sea level would rise over 60 m, 200 feet, from where it was originally. Likewise, mountain glaciers are melting due to the global climate increase in temperature and are loosing mass as it continues. Mountain glaciers are ice masses that accumalte over mountains that are seen to slowly move downhill over time, as it melts the water will disperse into the ocean causing sea levels to rise.
Earth's energy budget is out of balance because ...
Greenhouse gases, put into the atmosphere by human activities, affect Earth's emission of infrared radiation
Who showed, in 1938, that CO2 and Earth's temperature had both risen over the previous 100 years?
Guy Stewart Callendar
Which of the following is true about projection of changes in precipitation under climate change?
Heavy precipitation events increase over most parts of the world Precipitation changes are more uncertain than temperature changes Tropical and polar latitudes generally experience increases in precipitation Subtropical latitudes generally see decreases in precipitation
Which of the following statements about GCM-projected changes in ocean heat content over the remainder of the century is most accurate?
Ocean heat content will continue to increase, leading to thermal expansion, which will act to increase sea level rise
Which is not a method of how clouds and precipitation form?
Sinking air from high pressure systems
Describe two changes that GCMs project will occur in the Earth's cryosphere during the remainder of the current century. Explain how the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by humans over the upcoming decades will affect the magnitude of these changes. Please be specific about the processes involved.
Two changes that will occur according to the GCM's project within the Earth's cryosphere include the permafrost changes, and the changes to ice sheets and mountain glaciers. Permafrost projections predict that higher declines will go hand in hand with higher emissions. With more greenhouse gas emissions by humans, more permafrost decline will happen. When the temperatures start to increase, the permafrost will melt more rapidly the more rapidly emissions are put into the air. When permafrost melts, the potential release of carbon dioxide and methane from the soils within the Arctic would act as a positive feedback. This positive feedback would be the acceleration of climate warming as more greenhouse gases would be released from within the soils. The ice sheet and mountain glaciers projections predict a further decline in glacial ice and ice masses, of which will directly contribute to a rise in sea level. The ice sheets and glaciers are located mostly in Greenland and Antarctica. The projections predict that the faster emissions of greenhouse gases by humans, the more rapid and larger the declines within the ice masses will be. It is predicted that the increase of greenhouse gases will create an increase within the temperatures of the climate and further melt the ice masses with a larger amount of decline than normal. The larger the loss of ice masses the more the sea level will rise, causing more climate change related issues realted to the oceans.
Which of the following is not a process that transports carbon between reservoirs in the carbon cycle?
Vapor deposition
As the climate warms, many species move towards the equator in order to follow their optimal climate conditions
false
Countries can effectively mitigate the effects of climate change on their own, since greenhouse gas emissions mostly just affect the country or region where they were emitted from.
false
Currently, over 25% of the energy used global is produced by wind and solar power.
false
From 2000 to 2018 historical carbon dioxide emissions have most closely followed the RCP2.6 scenario.
false
From 2000 to 2018, historical carbon dioxide emissions have most closely followed the RCP2.6 scenario.
false
In statistical downscaling, a regional climate model simulation, with smaller grid spacing than global climate models, is used over a limited region of interest to provide detailed information about regional climate change.
false
In the RCP 8.5 scenario, sulfur dioxide emissions increase throughout the remainder of the century.
false
In the RCP2.6 scenario, renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and bio-energy) become the primary source of global energy production by 2100.
false
Methane has a longer atmospheric lifetime than carbon dioxide.
false
Two degrees Celsius of global warming is an important threshold because once the Earth crosses this threshold, the impacts of climate change abruptly become more dangerous.
false
Urban development tends to reduce storm water runoff by removing vegetation, compacting soils, and increasing impervious surfaces.
false
Water shortages are currently only a problem in developing countries and are not currently affecting residents of the US.
false
When accounting for indirect (lifecycle) emissions, such as those related to turbine construction, wind energy releases about the same amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as coal energy.
false
n the RCP2.6 scenario, coal and oil remain the primary source of global energy production in 2100
false
Melting of _________ contributes the most to rising sea levels.
ice sheets and glaciers
he Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
is an international panel that periodically reviews research findings on climate change science and related topics
About when did scientists first predict that human CO2 emissions could cause global warming?
late 1800s
Sulfur dioxide emitted by strong volcanic eruptions can reach the stratosphere and quickly spread around the planet by stratospheric winds. The gas reacts with water vapor to form sulfuric acid aerosols. The impact of these aerosols is primarily to
reflect solar radiation and cool the troposphere
Climate proxy evidence suggests that the Pleistocene was characterized by
repeated glaciations and interglacials on 100-thousand year timescales
Albedo is defined as the fraction (or percentage) of...
solar radiation that is reflected
The concept of environmental justice is focused on the idea that "communities shouldn't be forced to suffer disproportionate effects or deal with more pollution than others because the belong to a certain race, national origin, or income bracket."
true
The risk of coral bleaching events is projected to increase worldwide as the ocean warms
true
Water has a higher specific heat capacity than soil, which helps to explain why temperatures over and near large water bodies experience smaller day/night and seasonal variations.
true
When considering the RCP8.5 scenario, GCMs project that September Arctic sea ice could be lost entirely by the year 2100.
true
Scientists have concluded that during the last glacial maximum Earth's global climate was several degrees Celsius colder than it is today. Explain one piece of scientific evidence that supports this conclusion.
Through Paleoclimate analysis, scientists can conclude differences between the past and today in oceans and temperature. With the study of ice cores, scientists are able to determine changing temperature with the layers of snow. They can tell the difference by the differing chemistry and texture of each layer using radiometric dating. By analyzing the oxygen isotopes in the ice cores, the temperature can then be determined at that particular time in the past and be compared to today. By studying ice cores from the last glacial maximum, it can be determined that the global temperature was indeed several degrees cooler than it is today.
Over approximately what time scale did transitions in global temperature and ice volume between glacial and interglacial periods occur?
100 thousand years
One common climate change myth is that: A recent winter in a given region was colder or snowier than normal, so climate change must not be real. Explain why this myth is incorrect. In your explanation, use specific evidence and scientific principles that you learned in this module.
Just because places are colder or snowier, doesn't mean climate change does not exist. Climate change also makes having extreme or erratic weather conditions more likely, as well as tracking the warming of global climate. The ocean conditions such as El Nino and La Nina play a role in making the climate cold or warm. They also cause global atmospheric circualtions patterns that in turn can affect weather and climate all around the world. When El Nino is around during the years, the heat energy goes into deeper layers of the ocean which in turn leaves less of the ocean to warm up the air which can cause a lowering in global temperatures. Likewise, the "jet stream" which is termed as a band of strong winds in the upper tropsohere are responsible for steering storms and also affect the distribution of warm or cold air. With the two together, having a region that is colder and receiving more snow than normal is likely to occur. Another climate change variation would be that negative forcings with the aerosol effect can lead to cooling within the atmosphere, not just warming. The absorption of aerosol can warm elevated atmospheric layers, while in turn cooling the surface below, which also shows that things that effect climate change have a cooling effect along with a warming on global climate.
Based on the current pH of the ocean and trends in ocean pH, ocean water is
basic and becoming more acidic
From 1979 to 2012, annual Arctic sea ice extent has
decreased each decade by about 3.5 to 4.1% per decade
In each successive IPCC assessment report, there has been _______ likelihood and confidence that human activities are causing Earth's observed warming over the past 50 years.
increasing
The Earth's current energy imbalance is leading to increases in ocean heat content, especially in the upper layers of the ocean.
true
Order the following reservoirs in the hydrological cycle by how much water they store (1= most, 4=least).
1 glaciers and ice caps 2. groundwater 3. surface water 4. the atmosphere
With 6 ft of sea level rise (which the IPCC projects could occur in the early 2100's under RCP8.5) an event similar to Superstorm Sandy would flood about ____ % of New York City.
30
Which of the below countries/regions currently contributes the least to global CO2 emissions?
Africa
Which country currently emits the most CO2 in a year?
China
Climate forcing refers to
a measure of the influence of a factor in altering the balance of incoming and outgoing energy in the Earth system.
A scientific law is
a principle that can be used to predict the outcome given a condition
According to Project Drawdown's 2020 analysis, existing options for mitigating climate are not sufficient. Mitigating climate change requires new technologies, not currently available, to be developed.
false
The Earth's albedo is the average
percentage of sunlight Earth reflects back to space
There are decent datasets for scientists to estimate global temperatures from direct instrumental measurements (e.g., weather stations) as far back as about
the late-1800s
Which of the following are used as proxy records by paleoclimatologists? (select all that apply)
Ice cores Ocean sediments Tree rings Speleothems Historical accounts
Which of the following is not a method used in dendrochronology to determine how old a tree ring is?
Identifying the type of fossilized bacteria found in the rings
According to the analysis of Project Drawdown, which of the below changes in transportation has the largest potential to mitigate climate change?
Improvements to public transportation
Coral bleaching events are expected to increase due to
Increases in ocean water temperatures
The region of the U.S. that has seen the largest increase in extreme precipitation events is the _________.
Northeast
Milankovitch Cycles are the primary cause of past
Pleistocene glacial/interglacial cycles
Which of the following statements best reflects the findings of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius?
To avoid global warming of 1.5°C, global net anthropogenic CO2 emissions must reach zero by around 2050.
The stated goal of the Paris Climate Agreement is to...
limit global temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Permafrost is a storage reservoir of ______________ that may be released if permafrost melts.
methane and carbon
What would be considered part of the geosphere in the Earth system?
sediments
Which component of the Earth system has accumulated the most energy over the past 40 years or so?
the ocean
Place the below stages of climate change adaptation in the order in which they typically occur.
1. Awareness 2. Assessment 3. Planning 4. Implementation 5. Monitoring and Evaluation
The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication uses survey data to classify American views on climate change into six categories (alarmed, concerned, cautious, disengaged, doubtful, dismissive). For the four categories listed below, place them in order of the number of Americans that think/feel that way in 2020. (e.g., 1= largest number of Americans, 4= fewest number of Americans)
1. Concerned 2. Alarmed 3. Cautious 4. Doubtful
Which of the following ways can climate change impact agricultural production? (select all that apply)
Exposure of crops in coastal regions to salt water, as sea levels rise Agricultural pests spread to new regions as climate warms, affecting crops and livestock More extreme rainfall can lead to increased soil erosion
Which of the following is true about atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations? (select all that apply)
Global concentrations rise and fall annually as deciduous plants grow and decay in the Northern Hemisphere. Current concentrations are about 410 ppm. Concentrations have increased by about 100 ppm since continuous measurements began in the late 1950s. Current concentrations are higher than any time in the past 800,000 years, according to ice core records.
As a result of evaporation and condensation (precipitation) processes, water vapor that reaches the poles is significantly enriched in its concentration of
H216O
Which of the following is not true about the peer review process
It eliminates all potential sources of bias in scientific research
Which of the below are examples of fossil fuel energy sources?
Natural gas Coal
Select the best response from the below choices to describe how projected cryosphere changes differ between the RCP2.6 and RCP 8.5 scenarios.
Permafrost, Arctic sea ice, glaciers, and snow cover decline in both scenarios, but declines are much larger in RCP8.5 than RCP2.6.
Which RCP scenario has the lowest atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in 2100?
RCP2.6
Antarctic sea ice reaches is maximum extent in
September
Which of the following aspects of past climate can isotopes measured in speleothems most directly tell scientists about?
The source region of water that contributed to rainfall in a region
Which of the following are actions primarily aimed at climate change mitigation? (select all that apply)
Transitioning to the use of energy sources with low greenhouse gas emissions Developing alternative materials to use in cement production that release less CO2
Which economic sector is currently responsible for the most energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the US?
Transportation
Which contributes the most to our uncertainty in how much sea level rise we should expect under the RCP8.5 scenario?
Uncertainty in Antactic ice sheet mass loss
As a result of the COVID pandemic, global carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 are expected to.
decline by about 8%
What epoch of geologic time are we currently in?
the Holocene
As part of the the Paris Climate Agreement countries agreed to voluntary and non-binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
true
The lowest layer of the atmosphere, where we live, is called the thermosphere.
false
Milankovitch cycles are long-term climate cycles due to changes in _________.
eccentricity, tilt, and precession
Match the below components of climate impact risk with the appropriate definition .
Hazard C. The potential occurrence of a natural or human-induced physical event that leads to negative consequences for a person, community, and/or ecosystem. Exposure A. The presence of people, livelihoods, species or ecosystems, environmental functions, services, and resources, infrastructure, or economic, social, or cultural assets in places and settings that could be adversely affected. Vulnerability B. The propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected. Vulnerability encompasses a variety of concepts and elements including sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt.
On social media, your friend shares an article on climate change written by Dr. Smith of the Center of Global Good Policy. Describe some approaches that you would assess the trustworthiness of this article. Be specific about what information you would look for and how.
If I were to assess the trustworthiness of a scientific article, I would first read through the article looking for any sort of bias. Bias can include favoring information that only confirms the claim without identifying the other side, otherwise known as confirmation bias. Checking for things like evidence, citations, peer review, and focus on scientific aspects are things that will help a scientific consumer to better review an article to see if it is indeed a good source of scientific information. With proper evidence cited from other sources, review from other scientists that will be written clearly, and openness of information to the public in sources an article can be deemed trustworthy when it comes to weeding out fake or bad science. Likewise, looking for the authors credentials would allow for a better insight into who is writing the article and potential bias.
Which of the following is not an expected impact of climate change on human health in the Northeast US?
Increases in tornado intensity and frequency will lead to more storm fatalities
Which type of radiation is the primary output of energy in the Earth's energy budget?
Infrared
As the climate warms, the growing season in the Northeast US gets
Longer
Global climate models cannot predict the exact global average temperature of the Earth in the year 2100 with total certainty. Explain two different reasons for this fact. Be specific and detailed in your explanations.
Predicting the exact global average temperature of the Earth by the year 2100 with total certainty is not able to be done by the global climate models. One reason for this would be that it is unknown how societies will act in the future. Societies are constantly changing, and it is impossible to predict how the future society's behavior will impact anthropogenic climate forcing. Human choices will directly impact what the future global temperature is, and it is impossible to predict which RCP scenario will be the one that is the most accurate to the future. Another uncertainty includes the model spread. The global climate models are unable to represent every component of the climate system itself and the interactions that come with it. Different global climate models express different climate sensitivities that will in turn warm up more for a certain forcing or warm up less for that same forcing. The climate sensitivities have a large impact on the forcing's impact on the amount of temperature increase. With that, it is impossible to with certainty predict how the temperature will be impacted by the year 2100. All the uncertainties that cause changes in how the global average temperature is affected make the global climate models unable to predict the exact temperature of the future.
As the Earth has warmed over the last few decades, Earth systems have responded through... (select all that apply):
Shrinking of glaciers Reductions in Arctic sea ice concentration Increases in rainfall intensity
he red line in the figure below shows solar radiation (in W/m2) over three solar cycles. The solar cycle is associated with the ___________.
Sun's 11-year sunspot cycle
Who published the Fourth National Climate Assessment
The U.S. federal government
Which of the following best describes how greenhouse gasses interact with radiation to warm the Earth's atmosphere?
They absorb infrared radiation and emit some of it down towards the surface
Why is equivalent mass of CO2 used when analyzing greenhouse gas emissions?
To have a measurement that can be used to compare emissions of different greenhouse gases with each other
Which of the below are good principles for determining if something you read is based on good science?
Try and determine if the authors have a potential financial conflict of interest that may lead to bias. Place more trust in studies that clearly cite their underlying evidence and make the data publicly available.
Rural communities are home to about 80% of the US population.
false
By approximately how many parts per million (ppm) have atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increased at Mauna Loa Observatory since measurements began in the late 1950s?
100
Which of the following best describes the observed behavior of mountain glaciers in recent decades?
Almost all glaciers on the planet are shrinking.
Which of the following statements are true regarding the El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon?
ENSO is a type of natural climate variability that affects weather and climate around the globe. ENSO variability is associated with warming and cooling of eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean waters.
Antarctic sea ice reaches is minimum extent in ________.
February
t what levels can effective climate adaptation efforts be implemented?
International Individual country Individual city Individual person/household
Which of the following statements is true about the trends in land and ocean temperatures from 1850 to present day
Land and ocean surface temperatures have both warmed, but land temperatures are warming faster than ocean temperatures.
What is does the term Arctic amplification refer to?
Observed temperatures in the Arctic are rising much faster than the rest of the globe.
Which of the following are included in the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) forcing scenarios?
Potential changes in global population Potential changes in land use Potential changes in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions
Which three of the following past environmental conditions can be deduced by analysis of ice cores?
Temperature e. CO2 level f. Volcanic activity
Which of the following is true about global climate model projections of changes in temperature under climate change? (select all that apply)
The Arctic warms faster than the rest of the globe Extreme high temperatures become more common
Which of the following is not a piece of evidence of the last Pleistocene glaciation found in New York State?
The sedimentary rocks of the Catskills, which were formed by the large pressure beneath the ice sheet
Which of the following is true about solar cycles
They occur on roughly 11-year time scales, causing energy from the Sun reaching the Earth to vary by about 1Wm-2.
Which part of the Earth has warmed the most over the last 50 years or s
arctic
Almost all of the energy input for the Earth system comes from
radiation from the Sun
Working Group II of the Fifth Assessment of the IPCC shows that the risks of negative climate change impacts over the remainder of the century are lower if anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are reduced rapidly over the upcoming decades.
true
Based on the analysis of Project Drawdown, rank the below mitigation "solutions" by their maximum potential for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (i.e., 1=largest potential reduction, 5=smallest potential reduction)
1. Shifting the production of electricity to reduce GHG sources 2. Addressing waste and diet to reduce GHG sources 3. Shifting agricultural practices to increase GHG sinks 4. Addressing refrigerants to reduce GHG sources 5. Enhancing efficiency of transportation
The width of "grid boxes" (a.k.a. grid spacing) for most current global climate models is about _____ km.
100
In economic analysis, what does a positive externality refer to?
A benefit from an economic transaction that occurs to a person or entity not involved in the economic transaction
Consider the following interaction in Earth's climate system: Variations in the Earth's orbit cause the climate to cool. This leads to an expansion of ice sheets that increase the Earth's albedo, resulting in additional cooling. Which is this an example of?
A positive feedback
Which of the following ways can climate change impact agricultural production? (select all that apply)
Agricultural pests spread to new regions as climate warms, affecting crops and livestock Exposure of crops in coastal regions to salt water, as sea levels rise More extreme rainfall can lead to increased soil erosion
Our ecological footprint measures
C. the total area of land and water required to provide the resources we consume and absorb the waste we generate
Which of the following are actions primarily aimed at climate change adaptation? (select all that apply)
Discouraging development of housing in low-lying coastal areas exposed to increased flood risk under projected climate change Improving storm water drainage infrastructure in cities to better handle intense rainfall events that may increase under climate change
According to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report - Working Group II, climate change impacts have already been observed for which of the following?
Physical Systems Biological Systems Human and Managed Systems All continents and the oceans
According to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report - Working Group II, climate change impacts have already been observed for which of the following? (select all that apply)
Physical Systems Biological Systems Human and Managed Systems All continents and the oceans
Which RCP scenario has the highest global population in 2100?
RCP8.5
Which of the following are examples of factors that affect a community's risk of adverse climate impacts? (
Regional zoning laws that determine what structures can be built in regions vulnerable to flooding Natural climate variability (e.g., ENSO) How resilient a community's infrastructure (e.g., transportation, water distribution, etc.) is to extreme weather events Changes in the national economy that affect a community's ability to cope with financial hardships
Which of the following is true about projection of changes in temperature under climate change? (
The Arctic warms faster than the rest of the globe Extreme high temperatures become more common Extreme low temperatures become more common
Who published the Fourth National Climate Assessment?
The U.S. federal government (specifically, the U.S. Global Change Research Program)
Climate change is expected to increase flooding in many coastal cities. Not all residents of coastal cities are equally at risk of harm from this impact. Which residents of coastal cities are more at risk of experiencing negative impacts from increased flooding? Provide specific reasons for their increased risk relative to other residents of the same city.
The residents of coastal communities that are more at risk of experiencing negative impacts from increased flooding would be the financially disadvantaged. Those who are poor, happen to be pushed by urbanization to the worst parts of the city. This would include the low lying areas that are along waterways prone to flooding, as those who can pay wouldn't want to live there. The disadvantaged are in the most vulnerable neighborhoods as these neighborhoods are the cheapest, yet they cannot afford the infrastructure necessary or the land far enough away to withstand coastal flooding. Without any kind of protection along these areas or proper housing, the poor are unable to withstand coastal flooding whereas those who are able to afford the precautions are able to evacuate, and afford housing elsewhere.
Order the below four countries by their cumulative CO2 emissions from 1751 to 2017. (1=most, 4=least)
United States 2. China 3. United Kingdom 4. India
What is an ecosystem?
a system of organisms and nonliving things that occur and interact in a particular area
All projections shown in Fourth National Climate Assessment are based on the highest greenhouse gas emissions scenario, in order to depict the worse case scenario of possible climate impacts.
false
Climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts are mutually exclusive. An action can contribute to climate change adaptation or mitigation, but not both.
false
Climate change is expected to improve air quality in the US, due to shortened pollen seasons.
false
Climate projections are often much more uncertain on global scales than on local scales.
false
Global warming is expected to cause more extreme precipitation events because
the warmer atmosphere tends to contain more water vapor
A co-benefit of a climate change adaptation or mitigation action occurs when the action also helps achieve another desirable objective (e.g., decreasing unemployment, reducing inequality, saving money, etc.)
true
Cities and states in all parts of the US have been taking actions to mitigate climate change.
true
In the RCP8.5 scenario, coal and oil remain the primary source of global energy production in 2100.
true
Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels might help some crops grow more rapidly, but it can also speed up the growth of weeds and pests that threaten crops.
true
Lighter isotopes of water tend to evaporate more readily, while heavier isotopes tend to precipitate more readily.
true
Natural climate variability complicates climate records, making it harder to detect climate change signals, especially over relatively small regions.
true
On average, rural communities in the US have higher poverty rates, higher average age, and higher unemployment. These factors can increase their vulnerability to climate change.
true
Over the past five years, solar and wind are the fastest growing sources if renewable energy in the US.
true
The Greenland ice sheet is losing mass and contributing to sea level rise
true
A region of high average rainfall in the Tropics occurs along the intertropical convergence zone because this is where the Hadley cell circulation produces sinking air motions.
false
Climate warming over the past 50 years covers almost the entire globe, but it is relatively large over oceans and tropical regions.
false
Ecosystem services refers to actions that humans take to help plants and wildlife.
false
Energy cannot change from one form to another, but it can be created or destroyed.
false
Over the past 20 years, as a result of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, more CO2 is being dissolved into the ocean, increasing the pH of seawater.
false
The number of extremely cold nights and number of extremely hot days have both been increasing with time.
false
The primary source of CFCs to the atmosphere is emission from wetlands
false
Without humans, there would be no greenhouse effect on Earth.
false
Volcanic eruptions can cause cooling of Earth's global surface temperature due to __________.
formation of reflective sulfate aerosols
Current carbon dioxide concentrations in Earth's atmosphere are about 415 ppm. The last time they were this high is...
Over 800,000 years ago
Which of the following are true about our current knowledge of how hurricanes are affected by climate change?
Rising sea levels make hurricane storm surges more damaging The number of hurricanes has been increasing globally Warmer oceans can increase the power of hurricanes
Of the below options, which country currently emits the most CO2 per person in a year?
US
By approximately how much has the global average temperature warmed over the last 100 years?
1°C
The figure below shows two sets of experiments performed with climate models. The blue band shows the results from climate model simulations of global average temperature and ocean heat content including natural forcings only (without human influence). The pink band shows shows climate model simulations including to both natural and anthropogenic forcings (with human influence). The black line shows observations. Based on this figure, what can we say about the causes of climate warming over the time period shown? Please, be specific and explain your reasoning.
Based on this experiment, we can say the causes of climate warming over the period of time shown have been largely amplified by human influence. We can see from the drastic increase of the slope and overall temperature of the pink line containing human influence from the blue line that lacks human influence that if humans didn't emit so much CO2 into the atmosphere than the overall temperature of the global climate would be able to regulate earth's energy budget. Human influence releases around 30 billion tons of CO2 per year, whereas naturally volcanoes only release 145-255 million tons per year. These statistics show that humans are a major cause of the increase in temperature increase around the globe due to things like fossil fuel burning. Also, the pink line matches closely with the observed warming trend (black line). This is important
Which of the following are climate change impacts to the Northeast US described in the 4th National Climate Assessment?
Heat extremes threaten human health, especially in urban areas that experience the "urban heat island" effect. Warmer temperatures cause some marine species to shift northward, affecting the fishing industry. Snow and ice are reduced with warming, impacting streamflow and winter recreation/tourism.
Which of the following statements is true about sea ice?
It forms from ocean water that freezes at temperatures slightly below 0°C
Which of the following are consequences of melting permafrost?
Land can become destabilized, resulting in damage to roads and buildings
The rise of the first civilizations occurred after the _____________, when the climate began to ______________ .
Last Glacial Maximum; warm
Consider the below maps. They show annual average precipitation (left) and terrain elevation (right). Focus on the three locations marked by circles labeled A, B, and C. Pick two of these three locations and note the difference in precipitation amount between them. Provide a hypothesis to explain the reason for this difference. You should make reference to specific regional climate processes we covered in class.
Locations B and C differ in both elevation and average precipitation. Since C is at a higher elevation than B, the precipitation at C would be greater than at B due to how topography affects precipitation. This is due to the rising air over slopes east to west that lead to higher average precipitation. The lack of water vapor from the rainfall, combined with the sinking air causes suppressed rainfall over the leeward side of higher elevations. Since B is located just off of the higher elevation of A, there would be less rainfall due to the previous reason as it would be considered the leeward side.
The figure below shows how atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have changed with time. Explain three different causes of the increase in these greenhouse gases over the time period shown.
One cause for the increase in greenhouse gases shown is that emissions of greenhouse gases increased rapidly after World War II, since several countries were beginning to industrialize. Another case for the increase of greenhouse gases would be the contribution of human's burning fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal, as that sends a large amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. A third cause of the increase of greenhouse gases would be the erruption of volcanos, as when volcanoes errupt they emit around 145-255 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere per year. Your first and second cause are pretty much the same thing (-1pt). What about the other greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide)? (-1pt)
Match the specific examples of attempted US climate mitigation policies to the category they fall into.
Tax on emissions A. This has been tried by some local governments, but has not been tried at the national level in the US Cap and trade emissions B. This is ocurring on a regional level in the Northeast US through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Targeted regulations C. The US has federal fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks Investment in solutions D. The US federal governments offers tax credits to consumers for purchasing electric cars
Which of the following are responsibilities of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)? (select all that apply)
The IPCC examines scientific research on climate change every 5-7 years, synthesizes the results, identifies implications, and issues reports summarizing current understanding.
What specific impact of climate change on societies and/or ecosystems is most concerning to you? In your response, be sure to explain: How does climate change lead to this impact? What portions of society or ecosystems are most affected by it? Why you find it concerning?
The impact of climate change on agriculture is the most concerning to me. With the rise in temperatures, the increase in extreme heat, increased droughts alongside with further impacts such as the breakout of wildfires and more frequent heavy downpours agriculture has been negatively affected by climate change. These impacts cause agricultural productivity to cease, as the crops are being destroyed and farmers are unable to produce as big of a yield as they normally would. Since societies heavily rely on agriculture as a very large source of food, this impact is concerning for the health of communities across the United States. Rural livelihoods rely on crop yields to make a living, and all communities across the country rely on farming as a sustainable food source. Without the necessary yield of crops, there are few alternatives as reliable as agriculture that can be as sustainable for the vast amount of people that rely so heavily on it. With the vast effects climate change has on the globe, the oceans where one could fish are also negatively being affected and thus changing the yield that fishers usually bring in. With temperatures increasing, oceans becoming more acidic, there are very few options left to keep the country fed with a viable source of food.
Imagine that you own two cars. They are the same type (i.e., make and model), but one is painted black and the other is painted white. Both are parked outside in an open area on a sunny day. How do you expect the temperatures inside the two cars will differ? Explain your reasoning by considering each car as a "system" and discussing its energy budget.
The temperature inside the two cars will differ as the black car will have a higher temperature than the white car inside. For a system's energy budget, if the energy input is the same as the output no change will occur, but if one value is higher than the other a temperature difference will occur. With this comes albedo, which is a measurement as a percentage of how much solar radiation something reflects. With this, light colored objects have a high albedo, high reflection, and dark colored objects have a low albedo, low reflection. Light colored objects will reflect more energy than dark colored objects thus making the energy output a similar value to the energy input causing the temperature to change less than dark colored objects. As with dark colored objects, less energy will be reflected and rather absorbed causing a lesser value of energy outputs than inputs causing a high change in temperature inside the car.
In GCM projections using the RCP8.5, RCP 6.0, and RCP 4.5 scenarios, anthropogenic CO2 emissions go to zero around the year 2300. In these projections, around what year does the climate warming from these emissions reduce to zero?
after 3000
When the long-term evaporation exceeds precipitation over a region of the ocean, that region ____________.
becomes saltier
Climate science cannot directly tell us how much warming is acceptable or the right way to address climate change, since determining these requires value judgments.
true
During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, global CO2 emissions decreased by almost 10%, due to reductions in manufacturing, transportation, and energy generation.
true
From 1993 to 2012, satellite altimetry measurements indicated global mean sea level was rising at about 3.2 mm per year.
true
GCMs predict additional climate warming between now and the end of the century for all RCP scenarios.
true
Reducing air travel, reducing meat consumption, and better-insulating their house are actions that individuals can take to shrink their carbon footprint.
true
