Chapter 14 ENV Science
On average, how much warmer were global temperatures in the year 2000 than temperatures predicted by the climate change model that incorporates only natural factors?
0.6°C
According to the graph, how much warmer on average were global temperatures in the year 2000 than in the year 1900?
0.9°C
At the end of the 21st century, the IPCC predicts global temperatures will be ____________ higher than today's, depending on how well we control our emissions.
1.0-3.7° C
According to tide gauge data, what was the approximate increase in global average sea level between 1950 and 2000?
10cm
How high did sea level rise during the 20th century?
20 cm
The figure shows all current fluxes of CO2, with arrows sized according to mass. Green arrows are natural fluxes, and red arrows are anthropogenic fluxes. For every metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted as a result of changes in land use (e.g. deforestation), approximately how much is emitted from industry?
4 metric tons
Roughly ________% of U.S. citizens live in coastal counties and are thus vulnerable to rises in sea level.
50
What proportion of incoming solar radiation reaches Earth's surface?
54%
Over ________% of the fuel you pump into your automobile does something other than move your vehicle down the road
85
Which of the following has the potential to cause atmospheric cooling?
Aerosols (particularly sulfur compounds) and dusts
What are some of the risks involved in adding one million tons of sulfur 25 kilometers up into the atmosphere?
All of the listed choices describe the risks involved in adding sulfur to the atmosphere.
Which of the following is most likely in coastal areas as sunny-day flooding increases?
An increase in salt-tolerant plants.
Which of the following is true regarding corals?
As sea levels rise, corals grow taller
If predictions prove correct, which of the following will be true?
Both East and West Coasts of the United States will be impacted by climate change.
What type of trading system harnesses the efficiency of market capitalism to reduce emissions?
Cap-and-trade
Your friend is a firm believer in the Gaia theory. When it comes to climate change, what does he think will happen?
Earth will naturally correct climate change.
The figure indicates a net accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere of approximately 15 billion metric tons per year. Based on the figure, what is causing this?
Human activities are sending more CO2 into the atmosphere than is moving from the atmosphere to the surface.
Current trends indicate that which of the following is true?
If nothing changes, the world will exceed the goals of the Paris treaty within 50-75 years.
Increasing sulfur levels in the upper atmosphere would have the same effect as __________.
Increasing sulfur levels in the upper atmosphere would have the same effect as __________.
How did the global surface temperature change between 1900 and 2000?
It increased by about 0.7 °C.
According to the Business as Usual scenario, how will the global surface temperature change in the century between 2000 and 2100?
It will increase by about 3.5 °C.
Which government officials have taken action against the effects of climate change?
Local Florida city officials
What are the periodic variations in Earth's rotation and orbit around the sun that alter the way solar radiation is distributed over Earth's surface?
Milankovitch cycles
Which of the following statements regarding climate change is true?
Most climate scientists conclude that human activities over the past 100 years have had an effect on the planet's climate.
Concept Review: Factors Influencing Climate Factors that contribute to cooling
Parts of Earth's surface with high reflectivity (high albedo) Condensed water vapor (cloud albedo)
Process of Science: How Might Global Climate Change Affect Hay Fever Sufferers? Complete the flow chart by selecting the hypothesis and predictions that follow from the question you're trying to answer. Not all labels will be used.
Prediction: Plants grown at higher CO2 levels will produce more pollen Hypothesis 2: CO2 levels affect concentration of protein allergens in ragweed pollen Prediction 2: Plants grown at higher CO2 levels will produce higher concentrations of allergens
Which of the following individuals would be least likely to support increasing federal funding for projects related to climate change?
Republican Senator
If another ice age occurs, which of the following is most likely?
Sea levels will drop.
What was the first document that called for voluntary reductions of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000?
The 1992 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change
Rainfall increases in the Pacific Northwest for a decade, home to temperate forests. If this research is correct, which of the following is most likely?
The forest soils will hold less methane.
How does South Florida's geology cause problems for Miami?
The limestone bedrock allows water to move through.
What happens as ocean waters warm
The oceans absorb less CO2.
Human activities are sending more CO2 into the atmosphere than is moving from the atmosphere to the surface.
Thermal expansion
What does the yellow line represent?
Today's World: The amount of global warming that is likely to occur if CO2 emissions cease immediately and CO2 concentrations continue at their current level.
Concept Review: Factors Influencing Climate Factors that contribute to warming
Tropospheric ozone (O3) Methane (CH4) from decomposition and feedlots Carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fuel combustion Nitrogen oxides (N2O) from denitrification and fossil fuel combustion Parts of Earth's surface with low reflectivity (low albedo) Black carbon aerosols and soot particles
In the wake of the U.S. failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol ________.
U.S. cities and states are setting their own programs for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Which of the following may result in a positive feedback mechanism that would intensify climate change?
Warmer temperatures result in the melting of permafrost.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather occurs over hours and days, and climate occurs over seasons and years
Which line is not a computer-generated forecast?
Which line is not a computer-generated forecast?
Which of the following is an adaptation response to climate change?
Which of the following is an adaptation response to climate change?
As snow and ice melt, darker, less reflective surfaces (such as bare ground and pools of meltwater) are exposed causing ____________ in warming.
an increase
1. As the CO2 level increases up to 600 µmol mol-1, how does ragweed pollen production change? increases 2. As the CO2 level increases up to 600 µmol mol-1, how does the ragweed allergen concentration change? increases 3. If the CO2 level increases above 600 µmol mol-1, how would ragweed pollen production and the allergen concentration change? cannot tell from the data 4. Do the data support Hypothesis 1 and its prediction--that plants grown at higher CO2 levels will produce more pollen? (yes or no) yes 5. Do the data support Hypothesis 2 and its prediction--that plants grown at higher CO2 levels will produce higher concentrations of allergens? (yes or no) yes 6. Do the data prove that increased CO2 levels cause more severe ragweed allergies? (yes or no) no
answers at the end of the question
When we compare the catastrophic eruption in Sumatra 71,000 years ago and the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, we find that __________
both eruptions caused a drop in the average temperatures across the Earth
All of the following are anthropogenic factors contributing to climate change EXCEPT:
breathing.
Human sources of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere include all of the following EXCEPT:
burning fuel wood.
Which of the following are market mechanisms for addressing climate change?
cap-and-trade and carbon offsets
Scientist often use ______________ which are programs that combine what is known about atmospheric circulation, ocean circulation, atmosphere-ocean interactions, and feedback cycles to simulate climate dynamics
climate models
Which of the following is an alternative fuel that could decrease carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector?
compressed natural gas
In 1991, the massive eruption of Mt. Pinatubo caused global temperatures to __________.
drop, because sulfur in the stratosphere reflects solar radiation
Scientists evaluate concentrations of gases and other atmospheric constituents from the distant past by examining which of the following?
gas bubbles trapped in ice
What information is presented on the y-axis of the graph?
global surface warming, in °Celsius
The Kyoto Protocol is to carbon dioxide as the Montreal Protocol is to ______
halocarbons
Carbon-based fuels in the lithosphere ______
have been slowly sequestered over many millions of year
Which of the following technologies is currently allowing us to decrease carbon emissions from automobiles?
hydrogen fuel cells
The best fit between observed and model data is shown by the model that ______
incorporates both natural and anthropogenic factors
Recent research indicates that the variation in solar output ________.
is less than any of the anthropogenic factors affecting climate change
Small island nations such as the Maldives are in the international spotlight because they ___
may be among the first nations to be completely flooded by rising sea levels
Of the following greenhouse gases, ________ concentrations have increased by the greatest percentage since 1750.
methane
Which of the following greenhouse gases has/have experienced at least a 50% increase in atmospheric concentration since 1750?
methane only
Which greenhouse gas has a global warming potential that is approximately three times that of methane?
nitrous oxide
Rising sea levels result in all of the following EXCEPT:
ocean acidification
Which of these would NOT contribute to a global increase in temperature?
planting trees
Which lifestyle choice would cause the greatest reduction in greenhouse emissions?
riding a bike
Switching from fossil fuels to _____ energy would significantly decrease the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
solar, nuclear, and geothermal
Soot particles ("black carbon aerosols") generally cause ________ of Earth's atmosphere by ________ solar energy.
warming; absorbing