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Climate Change > All iclicker questions > Flashcards

All iclicker questions Flashcards

1
Q

What is 32 degrees F in °C?

A

O degrees celsius

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2
Q

What is a “temperature anomaly”?

A

The difference between the actual temperature and a reference temperature

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3
Q

The urban heat-island effect both

A
  1. causes the rate of warming to be higher in cities than in rural areas
  2. by itself is not a large enough effect to explain all of the warming since industrialization
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4
Q

Over the past 150 years, global temperature has:

A

increased in a two steps, with several
decades of more rapid warming separated by several decades of stable temperatures

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5
Q

About how much has average global
temperature increased over the past 150 years?

A

1 degree celsius

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6
Q

Temperature measurements from satellites and from surface thermometers are?

A

Independent measurements of temperature that generally agree and provide confirmation of global warming

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7
Q

Where on Earth are surface temperatures increasing most rapidly?

A

High Northern latitudes

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8
Q

Where on earth is most of the energy derived from global warming going?

A

Into the ocean

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9
Q

Studies of the impacts of climate change on mountain glaciers show that

A

The on-going retreat of mountain glaciers is largely the result of increasing summer temperature

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10
Q

Which one is the largest source of meltwater to the oceans?

A

Glaciers

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11
Q

Approximately how much has sea level risen during the last 100 years?

A

17cm at a recently accelerating rate

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12
Q

How does extent of sea ice affect climate?

A
  1. Altering earths albedo (reflectivity)
  2. controlling the exchange of heat energy between the surface ocean and the overlying atmosphere
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13
Q

How much has artic sea ice decreased in the past 40 years?

A

30% (by millions of square kilometers) at the end of summer

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14
Q

In climate science, “attribution” is the process of:

A

determining the most likely causes for the observed change

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15
Q

Are solar irradiance and sunspot activity are correlated?

A

Yes, increases in sunspot activity
correspond to higher levels of solar
irradiance

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16
Q

Does Satellite data show that solar irradiance has been overall increasing over the past 50 years?

A

No. Solar irradiance has been overall decreasing

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17
Q

How do volcanos impact Earths climate?

A

Volcanoes emit sulfur gases that form
sulfate aerosols that cool the Earth surface

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18
Q

Can volcanic eruptions significantly impact the climate?

A

Yes, especially if they occur in clusters

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19
Q

What was the main reason for Earth’s early atmosphere to be so warm despite the Sun being 30% less bright?

A

Methane acted as a potent greenhouse gas, trapping heat

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20
Q

What pattern do we observe in Earth’s climate over the last 800,000 years, and what is its relationship to CO2 levels?

A

A sawtooth pattern of alternating ice ages and warm periods, with a strong relationship between temperature and CO2 levels

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21
Q

Why are coal, natural gas, and oil referred to as “fossil fuels,” and how does their formation relate to the carbon cycle during the time of the dinosaurs?

A

They formed from dead plant matter that accumulated
during the time of the dinosaurs, which locked away large
amounts of carbon over millions of years.

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22
Q

What was the global average
temperature like during the current interglacial period (Holocene) prior to industrialization?

A

temperatures rose during the first half
(6000 years) and then decreased during
the second half and temperatures did not change by more than about 1 degree celsius during this period

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23
Q

Which of the following statements accurately reflects current scientific understanding of climate trends over the past 2000 years?

A

The rate of warming over the past 50 years is unprecedented in more than 2000 years, and the magnitude of warming is the highest in over 100,000
years.

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24
Q

What was the little Ice Age?

A

An interval during a glacial period when ice sheets covered northern North America and carbon dioxide levels were much lower than pre-industrial time.

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25
Q

Debunking the medieval warm period

A

The MWP experienced uneven warming across different parts of the world, with some areas warmer and others cooler, and the timing of the warmth varied
by region. Warm period brought mega-drought and caused civilizations to abandon their settlements in America

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26
Q

Longest and shortest wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum?

A

Shortest- Gamma ray
Longest- Radio wave

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27
Q

What does the greenhouse effect refer too? (3)

A
  1. Transmission of solar energy through the atmosphere
  2. Radiation of infrared energy from the earth
  3. absorption and re-emission of radiation by some atmospheric gases
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28
Q

How does the greenhouse effect warm
the Earth’s surface air temperature?

A

It traps heat in the atmosphere by
absorbing and re-emitting infrared
radiation

29
Q

Is the observed cooling of the lower stratosphere evidence that the human enhanced greenhouse effect is responsible for global
warming?

A

Yes

30
Q

Which gas accounts for
most of the natural greenhouse
effect on Earth?

A

H20 or water vapor

31
Q

Which process is responsible for
moving carbon from the atmosphere
into the biosphere?

A

Photosynthesis

32
Q

When is the amount of CO2 in the
global atmosphere highest annually?

A

just before the onset
of photosynthesis during the
Northern Hemisphere spring

33
Q

Why during Northern Hemisphere
spring/summer do global atmospheric
CO2 levels decrease?

A

Due to hemispheric-scale plant growth

34
Q

What is the largest natural source of
methane?

A

Decay of vegetation in wetlands

35
Q

Where is the majority of permafrost and what does it release when melted?

A
  1. occurs across large regions of the
    Arctic
  2. it contains abundant organic matter,
    which can generate CO 2 and CH 4 once thawed
36
Q

What regarding ozone contributes to global warming?

A

Addition of ozone into the troposphere

37
Q

Weather and climate are both
expressions of the movement of:

A

Energy through the atmosphere

38
Q

Five primary components of the climate system:

A
  1. Air
  2. Water
  3. Ice
  4. Rock
  5. Life
39
Q

What other substances does the atmosphere contain other than gases?

A

Ice crystals, water droplets, and aerosols

40
Q

What part of the lithosphere doesn’t affect the climate?

A

Earth’s core

41
Q

How have the primary sources of human CO2 emissions changed through time?

A

Prior to the 1940s, the primary source was land clearance, and since then, fossil fuels have become the dominant source.

42
Q

What is the pattern of the amount of carbon entering the ocean and biosphere since industrialization been like?

A

Total amount of carbon entering the ocean and biosphere has been increasing since industrialization

43
Q

Where do anthropogenic CO2 emissions go?

A

A little under half remains in the atmosphere (44%) and the rest is absorbed by the surface ocean (23%) and biosphere (31%)

44
Q

Since industrialization, the amount of
CO 2 in the atmosphere has:

A

Increased by about 140 ppm (parts per million)

45
Q

What happens to atmospheric carbon
concentrations once carbon emissions level off?

A

They continue to rise, but at a slower rate, because emissions are still adding carbon to the atmosphere.

46
Q

What is NOT evidence that CO2 in the atmosphere is from humans?

A

Global average temperature has been rising along with the build up of CO2.

47
Q

What are examples of aerosols?

A

soot, mineral dust, sulfate droplets

48
Q

What do aerosols do when added to the atmosphere?

A

Tend to cool the atmosphere through direct and indirect processes

49
Q

How do aerosols cool the Earth’s surface?

A

Directly by scattering and absorbing incoming solar radiation, and indirectly by acting as cloud condensation nuclei, which alter cloud properties to reflect more sunlight

50
Q

The increase in planetary albedo
caused by an increase in the extent of
ice and snow is an example of a …

A

Reinforcing or positive feedback

51
Q

What does the IPCC say concerning conclusions about human-caused warming?

A

it is extremely likely that humans are the dominant cause of the warming

52
Q

What is the weakest evidence that global warming is caused by the build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere?

A

Sea level rising

53
Q

The total value of goods and services
produced by an economy is known as what?

A

gross domestic product

54
Q

What is I=PAT?

A

I=Total emissions of greenhouse gases (human impact)
P= Population
A= Affluence (GDP per person)
T= Technology (GHG per GDP)

55
Q

What is T=Ci Ei

A

C=carbon intensity (GHG per joule)
E=Energy intensity- efficiency and use

56
Q

Which emission scenario storyline is
associated with the most effective climate change mitigation?

A

Socio-economic Pathway one (sustainability)

57
Q

What does the “4.5” in “SSP2-4.5” refer to?

A

4.5 W/m2 increase in radiative forcing in 2100

58
Q

In what emissions scenario do CO2 concentrations double relative to pre-industrial by the end of the century?

A

The medium emissions scenario, (560 ppm)

59
Q

Will atmospheric CO2 concentration begin to decline as soon as emissions peak?

A

No, they won’t

60
Q

According to the IEA report, what has
already peaked, signaling a potential decline in emissions?

A

Sales of internal combustion engine cars and installation of fossil fuel heating systems.

61
Q

Under the low emission scenario (SSP1-2.6), what happens to atmospheric CO₂ concentrations after mid-century?

A

CO₂ concentrations peak around mid-
century and decrease after 2070 due to CO₂ removal.

62
Q

What does the STEPS scenario in the
IEA report refer to?

A

A future scenario where countries follow stated energy policies

63
Q

How do climate models simulate the future climate?

A

By solving mathematical representations of the climate system based on the laws of physics and informed by observations

64
Q

What are the approaches to checking the reliability of climate models?

A
  1. Historical temperatures
  2. Other climate variables and models
  3. Temperature during paleoclimate reference periods
65
Q

What are climate models best suited for?

A

Simulating changes in global average temperature in response to large-scale radiative forcings

66
Q

Whats the purpose of a carbon budget in the context of climate change mitigation?

A

It provides a limit on CO₂ emissions to
avoid surpassing a specific level of global temperature increase.

67
Q

What does a 95% uncertainty envelope indicates?

A

95% of model simulations fall within the range

68
Q

Roughly how much is global warming
(relative to pre-industrial) is expected by the end of the century if emissions continue to rise (i.e., high-emissions scenarios)?

A

4 degrees celsius

Climate Change (4 decks)

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