OCE1001 Ch. 16

How long is the most important eccentricity cycle for Earth's orbit?

100,000 years

How long is the cycle of precession for Earth's orbit?

26,000 years

How much of the Sun's incoming radiation is scattered or reflected back to space before any heating effect is felt on Earth?

31%

Since 1750, the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has increased by more than:

40%

How long is the cycle of obliquity for Earth's orbit?

41,000 years

How much of the Sun's incoming radiation is absorbed by Earth's surface?

45%

Combustion of fossil fuels results in a transfer of carbon from the __________.

Biosphere to the Atmosphere

The _____ climate is characterized by a constant deficiency of water because more moisture is lost to evaporation than is gained through precipitation.

Dry

Elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, with subsequent absorption by the oceans, have caused an increase in ocean pH.

FALSE

Greenhouse gases are compounds in the Earth's atmosphere that dissipate heat.

FALSE

Sea surface temperatures have remained unchanged during the past 50 years.

FALSE

Worldwide retreat of mountain glaciers has not been documented to date.

FALSE

What example of global engineering aims to accelerate the ocean's natural biological pump?

Fertilization of ocean water with iron

A coldest month with a temperature below 18C (64F) but above -3C (27F) is characteristic of a ______ climate

Humid Middle-Latitude (mild winter)

To be considered a _____ climate, the coolest month would have an average temperature of -3C (27F) and above 10C (50F) in the warmest month

Humid Middle-Latitude (severe winter)

In a ______ climate, there is no winter, and the average temperature each month is above 18C (64F)

Humid Tropical

Natural causes for global climate change include all the following except:

Increase in elevation

An international agreement to voluntarily limit greenhouse gas emissions is called the:

Kyoto Protocol

How much of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation reaches Earth's surface?

Little of the ultraviolet radiation

When do all locations on Earth experience equal lengths of day and night?

March Equinox September Equinox

Periodic variations in Earth's orbit that can cause natural climate changes are called _________.

Milankovitch cycles

Effects that produce the opposite results from the initial climate change are referred to as ______ - feedback mechanisms.

Negative

An increase in cloud cover and a corresponding decrease in absorption of solar radiation is an example of a:

Negative-feedback loop

An increase in cloud cover due to higher moisture content in the atmosphere is an example of a:

Negative-feedback loop

What is another name for the ozone layer?

Ozonosphere

In ____ climates, the warmest month has a mean temperature at or below 10C (50F)

Polar

Effects that reinforce the initial climate system change are called _______ feedback mechanisms

Positive

Only some shortwave radiation from the Sun reaches Earth's surface. What is the leading cause of this radiation loss?

Reflection by clouds

Burning of fossil fuels is chemically similar to:

Respiration

When are the Sun's rays perpendicular to Earth's surface at the equator?

September Equinox March Equinox

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has the greatest relative contribution to increasing the greenhouse effect compared to other anthropogenically produced greenhouse gases.

TRUE

Changes in Earth's orbit can impact climate by increasing or decreasing solar input.

TRUE

Dissolved carbon dioxide and pH in the oceans are inversely related.

TRUE

Earth's average surface temperature has increased 0.6°C over the past 30 years

TRUE

Studying carbon dioxide trapped in glacial ice can be used to determine Earth's ancient climate.

TRUE

The Earth's climate system involves the exchange of heat and water among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere.

TRUE

The fourth IPCC report on international climate change (2007) confirmed that human activity has produced climate change beginning in the mid-20th century.

TRUE

What is eccentricity in Earth's orbit?

The shape of Earth's orbit

The scientific consensus is that global warming has led to __________

an increase in oxygen-depleted dead zones

The gas(es) that has/have the greatest relative contribution to increasing the greenhouse effect is/are:

carbon dioxide (CO2).

What is precession in Earth's orbit?

change in the orientation of Earth's axis

Recent worldwide sea level rise can be attributed to all of the following except the:

geological uplifting of ocean basins.

Climate models and observations to date indicate that the oceans will warm the most in _________.

high-latitude areas

This graph from ice core data shows the correlation between atmospheric methane, carbon dioxide, and temperature during the past 800,000 years. Correctly match the curves with their proper labels.

- A: Methane - B: Temperature - C: Carbon dioxide

This diagram shows the three types of orbital variations that are involved in natural changes in Earth's climate. Correctly match each one.

- A: Precession - B: Obliquity - C: Eccentricity

This figure shows four organisms that are affected by increased oceanic acidity. Correctly match each picture with the name of the organism.

- A: Pteropod - B: Corals - C: Sea urchins - D: Coccolithophores

This graph shows the four main components that contribute to global sea rise. Correctly match each component with its curve.

- A: Surface water thermal expansion - B: Antarctic & Greenland ice sheets - C: Glaciers and small ice caps - D: Deep-ocean thermal expansion

This diagram shows the spectrum of energy radiated by the Sun and Earth. Match the letters with the following items.

- A: This peak shows the energy radiated from Earth. - B: This is the visible spectrum - C: This peak shows energy radiated from the Sun. - D: These rays cause sunburns - E: These rays are also known as heat energy.

Which of the following statements might you use to help your roommate understand the true nature of the greenhouse effect?

- Some gases, like CO2 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.

The angle at which sunlight hits Earth is one of the most important factors impacting the average temperatures in a region. Read the sentences below, and indicate which are accurate for describing the effects of Earth's rotation and the angle of the Sun.

- The circumference of Earth at the equator is 24,900 miles. Based on this, a person at the equator is rotating 1040 miles per hour. (Round to the nearest tens digit.) - The tilt of Earth and the latitude of a city affect the degree and amount of direct sunlight that location receives at the winter solstice.

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.

The warming of Earth's surface and atmosphere is a natural process controlled by the greenhouse effect. It is also being altered by human emissions, a phenomenon that is often referred to as ___________.

-the anthropogenic greenhouse load -the enhanced greenhouse effect

What is ozone?

A molecule made up of three oxygen atoms.

Of the following statements about the greenhouse effect and global warming, which is/are true?

ALL "Global warning..." statements EXCEPT: ...cause the oceans to boil away

Hazards associated with sea level rise include all the following except :

ALL THE ABOVE

Of the following, which are examples of climate feedback loops?

ALL THE ABOVE ARE CORRECT

How is energy transferred from Earth's surface to Earth's atmosphere?

ALL except through absorption

Which of the following characteristics of Earth's relationship to the Sun explains the existence of Earth's seasons?

ALL except: Earth has a satellite called the Moon, which rotates around Earth.

Of the following, which ocean changes are predicted to result from global warming?

ALL except: Less acidic oceans

Of the following statements about the iron hypothesis, which is/are true?

ALL except: Phytoplankton were killed when iron was added to the ocean.

Of the following, which are useful as proxy data for understanding past climate changes?

ALL except: predictions of when the next large volcanic eruptions could occur

Of the following natural factors, which have caused past climate changes on Earth?

ALL except: the amount of marine life in the oceans

Because they reflect sunlight back into space, _______ have a net cooling effect on the climate system.

Aerosols

Where does the length of day remain the same throughout the year?

At the equator

What would happen to Earth's atmospheric temperature if the amount of incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun decreased and was less than the longwave radiation lost to space?

Atmospheric temperature would decrease

What would happen to Earth's atmospheric temperature if the amount of shortwave radiation reflected at Earth's surface increased significantly?

Atmospheric temperature would decrease.

What would happen to Earth's atmospheric temperature if the amount of outgoing longwave radiation decreased so that it was less than incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun?

Atmospheric temperature would increase

What would happen to Earth's atmospheric temperature if the amount of shortwave radiation reflected by clouds decreased significantly?

Atmospheric temperature would increase.

What would happen to Earth's atmospheric temperature if the amount of incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun was the same as the longwave radiation lost to space?

Atmospheric temperature would remain the same

When a component of the climate system is altered, the possible responses are known as ______ feedback mechanisms.

Climate

Which of the following could be a direct result of the cycles of eccentricity, obliquity, and precession on Earth?

Climate Change

What is obliquity in Earth's orbit?

The inclination of Earth's axis

How does the inclination of Earth's axis change over the course of a year?

The inclination of Earth's axis does not change

What would happen to the oxygen atoms in ozone if the ozone layer were completely destroyed by ultraviolet radiation?

The oxygen atoms would be bound together in pairs.

Although their concentration in the atmosphere is much less than carbon dioxide, _______ absorb Earth's outgoing radiation and cause warming of the troposphere.

Trace gases

How is ozone formed in the stratosphere?

Ultraviolet radiation breaks apart molecules made up of paired oxygen atoms. Individual oxygen atoms bond with paired oxygen molecules to form ozone.

How does ultraviolet radiation cause ozone depletion?

Ultraviolet radiation breaks down CFC, a molecule containing chlorine. Chlorine then breaks one oxygen atom away from ozone, leaving behind a paired oxygen molecule.

What natural cause of climate change is most similar to the major anthropogenic source?

Volcanic Eruptions

Of the following atmospheric gases, only _________ is an important greenhouse gas.

Water Vapor (H20)

Concerned individuals can reduce their personal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions by doing all the following except :

reducing the area covered by pavement or structures (houses, garages, pools, decks, etc.) in urban and suburban areas.

The oceans' "biological pump" _________.

takes carbon from the photic zone and stores it in deep ocean water and seafloor sediments

What is the December solstice?

the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly away from the Sun

What is the June solstice?

the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning toward the Sun