Climate Change Part 1

Question 1

What are 5 effects of climate change?

Answer 1

Declining arctic life,
Increase in severe weather,
Coral reef bleaching,
Glacial retreat,
Thinning of arctic ice

Question 2

What is a proxy measurement?

Answer 2

Using evidence to estimate past measurements

Question 3

What are 3 examples of proxy measurements?

Answer 3

Ice cores, pollen deposits in lakes, coral reefs/ mother of pearl

Question 4

What are 3 random, naturally occurring events that change climate?

Answer 4

Volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts, tectonic plate movement

Question 5

What are 3 regular, naturally occurring events that change climate?

Answer 5

Sunspot cycles, lunar cycles, earth’s tilt

Question 6

What are the 8 effects of climate change?

Answer 6

Less biodiversity, more severe weather, loss of land glaciers, more disease, ocean becomes more acidic, weather patterns change, sea level rises, positive feedback loop in arctic

Question 7

Why is it bad that terrestrial glaciers are melting?

Answer 7

Loss of drinking water, rising sea level

Question 8

What is the formula for ocean acidification?

Answer 8

CO2 + H2O = H2CO3

Question 9

Why is the sea level rising?

Answer 9

Melting terrestrial glaciers and thermal expansion

Question 10

What are 3 things happening in the arctic because of climate change?

Answer 10

Positive feedback loop, thermohaline circulation disrupted, CO2 and CH4 are released

Question 11

What happens in a positive feedback loop?

Answer 11

Albedo increases, more heat is absorbed, thermohaline circulation is disrupted, CO2 and CH4 are released from melting permafrost

Question 12

What is an externality?

Answer 12

A choice affects other people in a way that is not accounted for in the market price

Question 13

What are 2 examples of externalities?

Answer 13

Smoke from factories = increase in health care cost, river dam = destruction of fishing industry

Question 14

What happens in the greenhouse effect?

Answer 14

1) 30% of solar energy is reflected by high albedo surfaces.
2) 70% is absorbed by earth and re-emitted as heat.
3) Some heat is absorbed by greenhouse gases and re-emitted, warning the troposphere.
4) Some infrared energy escapes into space (less than before)

Question 15

What are the 3 greatest greenhouse gases?

Answer 15

1) water vapor
2) CO2
3) CH4

Question 16

What is the greenhouse effect in a nutshell?

Answer 16

We made the atmosphere too good at holding in heat

Question 17

What are 3 greenhouse gas factors?

Answer 17

1) abundance /quantity
2) atmospheric lifetime
3) global warming potential

Question 18

What is the atmospheric lifetime of something?

Answer 18

The amount of time until the gas leaves the atmosphere

Question 19

How can gas leave the atmosphere?

Answer 19

Cycles, like the nitrogen and phosphorus cycle

Question 20

What does GWP mean?

Answer 20

How much heat can be stored per molecule

Question 21

What is the base measurement for GWP?

Answer 21

1 (CO2)

Question 22

What are 5 primary sources of greenhouse gases?

Answer 22

1) CO2 (fossil fuels)
2) CH4 (methane)
3) FCs and SF6 (coolants and fishing lines)
4) O3
5) N2O (fertilizer)

Question 23

CO2 contributes ___% of greenhouse gases

Answer 23

50

Question 24

What is the GWP of CO2?

Answer 24

1

Question 25

What is the GWP of methane?

Answer 25

In the 20s

Question 26

What is the GWP of PFCs?

Answer 26

In the thousands

Question 27

What is the GWP of N2O, HFCs, and SF6?

Answer 27

Between CO2 and PFCs

Question 28

What is the GWP of ozone?

Answer 28

Ozone has no calculated GWP

Question 29

What are the 2 biggest sources of greenhouse gases?

Answer 29

Electricity /heating (25%), agriculture (24%)