4.12 Extreme Weather

Question 1

Carbon Dioxide

Answer 1

A colorless, odorless gas naturally produced by living organisms and is also the result of the burning of fossil fuels.

Question 2

Tornadoes

Answer 2

A rapidly rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground and are often associated with supercell thunderstorms.

Question 3

Hurricanes

Answer 3

A rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rains and flooding.

Question 4

Extreme Weather

Answer 4

Unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather conditions, such as extreme heat, intense rain or snow, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

Question 5

Global Warming

Answer 5

A long-term increase in Earth’s average surface temperature primarily due to human activities.

Question 6

carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere increasing?

Answer 6

The concentration has risen by more than 30% since preindustrial times and continues to grow by around 1 to 3 ppm per year.

Question 7

Intense rain and snow

Answer 7

Warmer temperatures allow for more evaporation, intensifying rain and snow, with precipitation being difficult to measure and varying greatly over small distances.

Question 8

Extreme heat

Answer 8

Even a small rise in average temperature can substantially boost the odds of extreme heat and reduce the odds of extreme cold.

Question 9

Drought

Answer 9

Warmer temperatures allow more evaporation from bodies of water and help draw moisture from already-dry soils, which strengthens the effects of drought.

Question 10

Global Temperature

Answer 10

The carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuels mixes throughout Earth’s atmosphere, and its effect is most noticeable on temperatures averaged worldwide.