ESC1000 Chapter 20

It has been estimated that confined animal feeding operations contribute to about _____ of world carbon dioxide emissions.

15%

Today, it takes about ______ Calories of energy to produce about 1 Calorie of food.

55

What has analysis of ice cores revealed about atmospheric greenhouse gas levels during the historic period?

A sudden rise in greenhouse gas levels coincides with the start of the Industrial Revolution.

What are the annual temperature trends of an ET climate, and how do they compare with those of an EF climate?

Both climates have distinctly higher temperatures in the summer; the warmest months for both are still below 10°C, but the ET climate is approximately 15° warmer than the EF climate.

What is the primary cause of the nearly 20 percent increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since the 1960s?

Burning of fossil fuels

Polar and subarctic climates generally have small precipitation totals. However, these climates are classified as humid rather than dry. Which of the following statements help to explain this apparent paradox?

In these climates, net precipitation is greater than the evaporation, even though there is little precipitation. In cold climates, low temperatures mean there is little evaporation.

During peak usage, what happens to the cost of electricity?

It almost always increases.

What evidence is there that the O'Higgins Glacier is being affected by global warming?

It has retreated nine miles in the past 100 years because of melting.

When will an ET climate receive the most precipitation?

July to August

What area of the globe constitutes the subarctic?

North of the humid continental climate and south of the polar tundra

How do the oceans contribute to maintaining a climate that is habitable for humans?

Oceans absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

When does Cognito Farm use antibiotics on its cattle?

Only when they are sick.

Which of the following best describes the energy conversion sequence in the solar panel system described in the video?

Photons carrying energy from the sun chemically react with silicon crystals to generate a flow of electrons.

What is causing a decline in Antarctica's Chinstrap penguins?

Populations of the penguin's major food source are declining because of melting sea ice.

What impact will increased carbon dioxide absorption by the oceans have on coral reefs?

Reefs will degrade over time, ultimately resulting in large-scale mortality.

Your roommate, who has not studied climate, says, "I thought the greenhouse effect was a bad thing. Isn't it what's causing global warming?" Which of the following statements might you use to help your roommate understand the true nature of the greenhouse effect?

Some gases, like carbon dioxide and water vapor, "trap" the heat radiated by Earth, causing warming. When there are more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect is stronger.

Why are precipitation totals in places like Barrow, Alaska, and Eismitte, Greenland, typically so low?

The air is cold and cannot hold much water vapor.

Which of the following explains why these climates are nevertheless found along the continental margins of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans?

The continental bodies on which these zones are found are too expansive for the whole land mass to be affected by the ocean. Atmospheric circulation primarily occurs from west to east. These regions are more eastern; therefore, they are impacted by circulation from the west.

How will increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels affect oceans?

The oceans will become more acidic.

Which of the following would indicate that a home is using solar power to generate electricity and is NOT using batteries?

There are solar panels on the roof and power lines going to the home.

Why are scientists doing research in an underwater lab in the Great Barrier Reef?

To replicate future carbon dioxide levels and measure the changes in coral reef productivity, mortality and health

Which of the following are ways in which the climate system is affected by the biosphere?

Trees take up carbon dioxide from the environment and release oxygen. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is released from the digestive system of cattle.

Which two types of polar climate are recognized?

Tundra and ice cap

When looking at Earth's most at-risk land, what general pattern emerges?

When looking at Earth's most at-risk land, what general pattern emerges?

Where are the humid subtropics located?

Where are the humid subtropics located?

Trace gases

absorb Earth's outgoing radiation and cause warming of the troposphere

What color smoke coming from a coal-fired power plant would indicate wasted fuel?

black

Cognito Farm avoids washing chicken carcasses with __________, which is done at many packing plants in the United States.

bleach

As __________ increases in the atmosphere, global temperatures also increase.

carbon dioxide

Many pollutants from coal-fired power plants are properly managed today. Which of the following is currently considered to be the biggest threat to the environment?

carbon dioxide

What is used at Cognito Farm to control fly larvae in the pasture?

chickens

How might global warming affect cities that rely on glacial runoff for their water supply?

cities may face long-term water shortages as the amount of water generated by glacial melt will decline as glaciers shrink

climate feedback mechanisms

climate system is altered

Which of the following descriptions best describes the temperature and precipitation conditions necessary for a tropical monsoon climate (Am)?

consistently warm temperatures year-round with a distinct monsoon season from June to July

Which of the following scenarios best describes the climate conditions associated with highland areas?

cooler temperatures with high rates of precipitation resulting in green, thick vegetation

Dry climate: more moisture is lost to ___ than gained through ___

evaporation, precipitation

Where is electricity made at a coal-fired power plant?

generator

After being warmed by incoming solar radiation throughout the day, the Earth emits _____ radiation, which is trapped near the Earth's surface by carbon dioxide.

infrared

positive feedback mechanism

reinforce initial climate system

If a home uses a large supply of solar panels to generate electricity, but has no battery system, surplus electricity that is produced is usually __________.

released into the power grid for others to use, generating a credit to the homeowner

What impact would rising sea levels have on human migration?

rising sea levels would cause enormous migration as people move inland away from affected areas

All fossil fuels, including coal, are considered an indirect form of ____________ energy.

solar

Which of the following is a challenge to using solar-generated electricity in places not connected to a power grid?

the lack of efficient and inexpensive battery technology

Am

tropical monsoon

Aw

tropical savanna

Af

tropical wet

in a humid tropical climate, there is no

winter

In order to be a polar climate, the mean temperature of the warmest month must be below _______°C.

10

How much has sea level risen in the past century?

10-23 cm

On average, how far do agricultural products travel from farm to plate in the United States?

1400 miles

In the solar panel system presented in the video, which of the following was necessary to generate usable electrical current for a home?

DC power had to be converted to AC.

When would an ice cap climate receive the majority of its precipitation?

December to January

Which two climate types define water-deficient regions?

Desert and steppe

Why would the precipitation rates in highland climates (e.g., Flagstaff, Arizona) be higher than those in lowland areas (e.g., Phoenix, Arizona)?

orographic lifting

negative feedback mechanism

produce opposite results from initial climate change