ATS Modules 6-9
Over the next several decades, we expect much more warming that the global average in the following regions (check all that apply)
- Arctic Ocean - Eurasia - North America
The Fourth US National Climate Assessment found that the frequency of very heavy precipitation has (check all that apply)
- Been associated with a greater incidence of mesoscale convective systems - Increased over most of the United States with the largest increases in the northeast
Long before sea levels rise enough to permanently inundate a city, they will almost certainly (check all that apply)
- Cause nearly constant nuisance flooding ("sunny day floods") - Drive people away from coasts by making catastrophic flooding much more common
Observational records of land surface temperature (check all that apply)
- Consistently show about 1 Celsius of average warming since 1975 - Show much more rapid warming than in the global average
Emission scenarios for projection of future climate in models were formerly called Representative Concertation Pathways (RCPs) and are now called Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). RCPs 2.6, 4.5, and 6.0 indicate that CO2 emissions will peak in which years and then decline thereafter?
2020, 2040, 2070
Over the past 50 years or so, about what percent of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion has been taken up by land plants and soils?
25%
Over the past 50 years or so, about what percent of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion has been taken up by the oceans?
25%
Storm surge refers to
A dome of ocean water pushed ashore by high winds during a storm
The Fourth US National Climate Assessment found that record high temperatures have been more frequent than record low temperatures in the 21st Century by about
A ratio of 3-to-1
CO2 emissions due to manufacturing and shipping exported goods from China accounts for what percentage of the amount emitted within Chinese borders?
About 10%
Emissions of CO2 due to fossil fuel combustion are
About the same in India as in the European Union
Emissions of CO2 due to fossil fuel combustion are
About twice as much in the United States as in the European Union
For at least 60 years, carbon in land ecosystems has
Accumulated as plants grow faster than they decompose
Globally, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty (defined by the UN as earning less than $2 per day in inflation-adjusted income) has
Fallen by a factor of 10 since 1800
In the global average over the past 50 years, the energy intensity of income (kw-hr of energy used per dollar of income earned) has
Fallen by about 40%
In the United States over the past 50 years, the energy intensity of income (kw-hr of energy used per dollar of income earned) has
Fallen by about 60%
Since 1980, the amount of CO2 emitted by China per dollar of income earned has
Fallen by about a factor of 5
Among countries, the rate of income growth (percent per year) is
Fastest in low-income countries, slower in middle-income countries, and slowest in the richest countries
Greenhouse plants grown in elevated CO2 typically
Grow faster and larger than usual
Dissolved CO2 in the surface ocean is
Isolated from deep water because warm water floats on cold water
Rapid warming in the far north has led to
Net CO2 uptake due to invasion of trees and woody shrubs into tundra system
As the world's climate warms, how much do oceans warm compared to land?
Oceans warm less because of evaporative cooling
Over the past decade, global energy production by
Solar and wind has overtaken coal
Maps of annual precipitation simulated by global climate models tend to get
The overall geographic pattern about right but the details wrong on regional scales
Before the industrial revolution atmospheric CO2 was
pretty steady for thousands of years
The Fourth US National Climate Assessment found that annual precipitation has (check all that apply)
- Decreased in much of the west, southwest, and southeast but increased in the Great Plains, Midwest, and Northeast - Increased most in the spring and fall
In addition to changes in rainfall, a warmer climate generally promotes more evaporation which leads to changes in soil moisture, reservoir storage, and river flow. Which of the following regions are expected to experience much drier soils? (Select all that apply)
- Europe - Southern Africa - The United States - South America
The US National Climate Assessment is (check all that apply)
- Finds that virtually all observed climate change in the past 250 years is caused by human activities - Similar to Assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), but focusing on the United States and written in simpler language for public audiences
Observations of ice sheets made by laser altimeters on satellites show (check all that apply)
- Ice may be accumulating across most of Antarctica, but the rates are very slow - Some of the fastest ice loss in the world is occurring in West Antarctica - Greenland is rapidly losing ice, especially in its south
Observed trends in precipitation over land since 1950 show (check all that apply)
- Increased rainfall over the United States and Western Europe - Decreased rainfall over the Mediterranean region and East Asia
Warmer climates promote wildfires because (select all that apply)
- Longer warm seasons mean forests become water stressed earlier in the summer - Fire weather (hot, dry, & windy) occurs more often in warm years - Warm air increases water use by forests and depletes soil moisture
As the global average temperature rises, which regions will likely receive less rainfall? (select all that apply)
- Mediterranean Region - Central America and the Amazon Basin - Southwestern USA
As the global average temperature rises, which regions will likely receive more rainfall? (select all that apply)
- Northern North America and Asia - Arctic and Antarctic - Central Africa and the Arabian Sea
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- Publishes conservative and authoritative reports that are difficult to read - Periodically assesses published climate studies but does not conduct research on its own
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (check all that apply)
- Recent changes in the climate are widespread, rapid, and intensifying, and unprecedented in thousands of years - It is indisputable that human activities are causing climate change, making extreme climate events, including heat waves, heavy rainfall, and droughts, more frequent and severe
Observations of global average sea level show
- Rising water since the late 19th century with some acceleration in recent decades - The ocean is about 200 mm higher than at the beginning of the historical record
Observations of summertime land temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere since 1950 show that (check all that apply)
- Temperatures that formerly occurred on the hottest 1% of days are more than 10x more frequent now - Overall warming of about 1 standard deviation has occurred
Observations of global average sea level show (check all that apply)
- The ocean is about 200 mm higher than at the beginning of the historical record - Rising water since the late 19th century with some acceleration in recent decades
Major processes represented in climate models include (check all that apply)
- Variations in wind speed and direction. - Formation of cloud droplets and precipitation - Infrared radiation
The observed extent of summer sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean shows (check all that apply)
- a decrease of about 50% since 1950 - accelerating ice loss in recent decades
Statisticians express variations of many quantities using a "normal distribution" that is often referred to as a "bell curve." A shift of the normal distribution to the right leads to (check all that apply)
- more frequent values that are above the previous average - much less frequent values that are far below the previous average - much more frequent values that are far above the previous average
Observed geographic patterns of warming since 1900 show (check all that apply)
- more warming on land than over the oceans - more warming over Canada than the United States
Under a low-emission scenario like RCP2.6, how much additional warming should we expect in North America by 2100 compared to today?
0.0 Celsius
Depending on the emission scenario, how much sea level rise us likely to by the year 2100?
0.4 m for RCP2.6 and 0.7 m for RCP 8.5
Climate models project how much warming (in degrees Celsius) in the year 2300 relative to preindustrial conditions using the following emission scenarios: RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP8.5 Incorrect answer:
0.5, 2.5, 8.0
Climate models project how much warming (in degrees Celsius) in the year 2100 relative to preindustrial conditions using the following emission scenarios: RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP8.5
1, 2, 4
The turnover (mixing) time of the deep ocean is about
1,000 years
The Fourth US National Climate Assessment found that annual average temperatures in the United States increased by about how much from 1895 to 2016?
1.8 Fahrenheit
Under RCP 8.5, global mean temperature is likely to increase 4 Celsius above preindustrial conditions by the year 2100. In that case how much warming would the middle of North America experience?
10 Fahrenheit
Depending on the emission scenario, how much winter snow cover is likely to be lost by the year 2100?
10% for RCP2.6 and 30% for RCP 8.5
Typical global models divide the world into grid boxes whose width is about
100 km for climate projection and 10 km for weather forecasting
Using the RCP8.5 high emissions scenario, what is the projected radiative forcing of climate in the year 2200
12.5 Watts per square meter
How high was the storm surge flooding above mean low water in New York City during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012?
14 feet
About what percentage of atmospheric CO2 is taken up by global photosynthesis?
15%
The Fourth US National Climate Assessment found that recent decades have been warmer than any time in at least the past
1500 years
Permafrost is permanently frozen soil found in far northern regions. Depending on the emission scenario, how much permafrost is likely to be lost by the year 2100 compared to today?
30% for RCP2.6 and 85% for RCP 8.5
Over the past 50 years or so, about what percent of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion remains in the atmosphere?
50%
Among countries, the mortality rate of children under 5 years of age varies by a factor of
60x
According to a 2011 study by the US National Research Council, wildfires are likely to burn how many more acres per year in Colorado due to global warming?
656% per degree Celsius
About what percentage of the global uptake of CO2 by photosynthesis is balanced by CO2 emitted due to respiration and decomposition?
98%
During the 21st Century,
All of the above
Nitrogen is a nutrient for land ecosystems that
All of the above
Rising CO2 can lead to net carbon removal from the atmosphere as long as
All of the above
In China, CO2 emissions from burning coal are
Almost 10x as much as from burning gas
Globally, CO2 emissions from burning coal are
Almost twice as much as from burning gas
Three main components of every global climate model are
Atmosphere, ocean, and land
Historical changes in land use patterns over the 20th Century caused carbon to
Build up in wealthy countries as forests regrew after farms were abandoned
The discovery of rising CO2, its seasonal cycle, and carbon sinks were made
C. D. Keeling in 1960
The following are all known to explain net carbon uptake by land ecosystems
CO2 fertilization, nitrogen deposition, forest regrowth, and boreal warming
Since 1970, global energy production by
Coal and gas has roughly tripled
Sea ice in the Arctic is at its minimum for the year. By 2100, how much is Arctic sea ice likely to decline relative to today (depending on the emission scenario)?
Correct answer: 50% for RCP2.6 and 100% for RCP 8.5
Global climate models are:
Deterministic models based on the application of known physical principals to project the current climate state forward in time
In India, the CO2 emissions intensity of income (kg CO2 emitted per dollar of income earned) is about
Equal to that of the United States
The absorption of heat radiation by carbon dioxide in air and its important role in determining Earth's climate was first studied by
Eunice Foote in 1856
Across Southern Europe, droughts that historically were the worst in a century are expected to occur how often in the 2070s under a medium-high emission climate scenario?
Every 10 years
After fossil fuel combustion ends, CO2 in the atmosphere will
Gradually equilibrate with the deep ocean over thousands of years
As the global average temperature rises, what will happen to the global average rate of precipitation?
It will increase
The term "greenhouse effect" was first used to describe the effect of selective absorption of outgoing radiation on Earth's climate by
Joseph Fourier in 1822
The energy intensity of income (kw-hr of energy used per dollar of income earned) tends to be
Least in low-income countries, highest in middle-income countries, and moderate in the richest countries
In India, the CO2 emissions per person is
Less than half the global average
In India, CO2 emissions from burning coal are
More than 10x as much as from burning gas
In the United States, the CO2 emissions per person is
More than three times the global average
According to the Kaya Identity, CO2 emissions can be understood as the product of
Population, income per capita, the energy intensity of income, and the carbon intensity of energy
Per person, emissions of CO2 due to fossil fuel combustion are
Slightly more in China than in the European Union
Emission scenarios for projection of future climate in models were formerly called Representative Concertation Pathways (RCPs) and are now called Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). Each is designated by a number that indicates the
Radiative forcing by the enhanced greenhouse effect in 2100 (in Watts per square meter)
Scientists first suggested that land ecosystems were accumulating biomass based on
Radioactive carbon in the oceans from nuclear bomb tests in the 1960s
Experimental fumigation of outdoor forests with elevated CO2 has revealed that
Temporarily accelerated growth slows down due to nitrogen limitation after a few years
The amount of CO2 which can dissolve in the oceans is controlled by
The same chemistry that makes fizz in soft drinks and beer
Decades before it was observed in the real world, simple climate models in the 1960s predicted accurately that
The upper atmosphere would cool while the lower atmosphere warmed as CO2 was added to the air
TRUE OR FALSE: Climate models use the same equations as weather forecast models.
True
Compared to reconstructions of global average temperatures measured by thermometers since the 1800s, global climate models generally simulate
about the right amount of warming
Dissolved CO2 in seawater derived from fossil fuel combustion is
almost totally confined to the warm surface ocean
Climate models handle future emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases by
considering a wide range of self-consistent emission scenarios for the future that are developed by social scientists
The rate of population growth (percent per year) is now about
half what it was 50 years ago
The height of storm surge flooding in most coastal locations
increases logarithmically with the return time of the flood (10 year, 100 year, 1000 year)
Studies of past drought in the western USA using tree rings suggest that Western droughts due to global warming are likely to be
much worse than any droughts the region has seen in more than 1000 years
Compared to reconstructions of global average temperatures measured by thermometers since the 1800s, global climate models generally simulate...
too much warming when only greenhouse gas forcing is used, and not enough warming when no greenhouse gas forcing is used
