chapter 7 the changing climate

Question 1

climate

Answer 1

the long term average of weather and the average frequency of extreme weather events

Question 2

weather

Answer 2

the state of atmosphere at any given moment

Question 3

____ results from the interaction between the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and the sun

Answer 3

climate

Question 4

since 1880 the average temperature of the lower atmosphere has increased ___ degrees C

Answer 4

0.8

Question 5

in 2017, it was detected there was a large wildfire on the ____ ____ that eventually burned 23 km squared

Answer 5

Greenland tundra

Question 6

climate forcing factors

Answer 6

factors that operate outside of and independent of the climate system

Question 7

climate feedback

Answer 7

a factor that arises within the climate system and is changed by the climate system

Question 8

cenozoic era

Answer 8

began 66 million years ago when a large asteroid struck a peninsula in mexico causing about 75% of life on earth to go extinct

Question 9

the average temperature 55 mya the global average temperature was about ___ degrees C warmer than what it is today

Answer 9

12

Question 10

quaternary period

Answer 10

began 2.6 mya

ice sheets began growing in northern europe and north america

Question 11

glacial period

Answer 11

an interval of cold climate that lasts about 90 000 years

Question 12

interglacial period

Answer 12

an interval of warm cimate that lasts about 10 000 years

Question 13

holocene epoch

Answer 13

began 11 700 years ago and continues today as the most recent interglacial

Question 14

milankovitch cycles

Answer 14

changes in earth-sun orbital geometry that results in quaternary glacial

Question 15

solar irradiance

Answer 15

the suns total energy reaching earth

Question 16

the little ice age

Answer 16

a natural cooling period that extended from about 1350 to 1850, possibly caused by low sunspot activity

Question 17

the medieval warm period

Answer 17

a naturally warm period that extended from about 950 to 1250, may have been caused by high sunspot activity

Question 18

younger dryas

Answer 18

a cold period in much of the norther hemisphere between 12 900 and 11 600 years ago

Question 19

ocean conveyor belt

Answer 19

global system of surface and deep ocean currents that transfers heat toward the poles

Question 20

laurentide ice sheet

Answer 20

a large ice sheet that covered much of north america during the most recent glacial period until about 12 000 years ago

Question 21

paleoclimates

Answer 21

earths ancient climates