Global Climate Change Flashcards
1) It is an exceptionally cold winter’s day and one of your classmates makes a comment writing-
off the idea of global warming. What is the scientifically correct analysis of that?
A) Your classmate is correct. The presence of 1 day of cold weather means that there is no
global warming.
B) Your classmate is correct: While cold weather can still exist with global warming, the fact
that today is colder than usual refutes global warming.
C) Your classmate is incorrect. One day of exceptional cold shows that the jet stream has been
stabilized due to global warming.
D) Your classmate is incorrect. Weather is a short-term phenomenon and we cannot make
conclusions about the climate based on single-day temperature readings.
D) Your classmate is incorrect. Weather is a short-term phenomenon and we cannot make conclusions about the climate based on single-day temperature readings.
Global warming refers to long-term trends in temperature and climate patterns, not the variability of day-to-day weather. A single cold day does not disprove global warming, as weather fluctuates due to a variety of factors, but climate change is measured over decades and is based on long-term data trends. Therefore, conclusions about global warming cannot be drawn from individual days or brief weather events.
2) Why is the use of proxy data necessary when studying past climate change?
A) Modern recording instruments are skewed by pollutants in the atmosphere
B) Modern data has been biased by religious influence or political ideologies
C) Instrumental records only go back a couple of centuries and are more incomplete the older
they are
D) Geological and atmospheric changes occurring at the time work differently than today
C) Instrumental records only go back a couple of centuries and are more incomplete the older they are.
Proxy data is necessary for studying past climate change because instrumental records (like temperature measurements) only date back a few hundred years, and they are incomplete for earlier periods. Proxy data includes natural records such as tree rings, ice cores, sediment layers, and coral reefs, which provide indirect evidence of past climate conditions, allowing scientists to extend the climate record far beyond the instrumental period and better understand long-term climate trends.
3) Which two gases make up the majority of the atmosphere?
A) Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
B) Neon and Methane
C) Hydrogen and Helium
D) Nitrogen and Oxygen
D) Nitrogen and Oxygen
The two gases that make up the majority of Earth’s atmosphere are nitrogen (N₂), which makes up about 78%, and oxygen (O₂), which makes up about 21%. Together, they account for approximately 99% of the atmosphere by volume.
4) If the Earth had no atmosphere, what would the average temperature of the planet be?
A) Above the boiling point of water
B) 25°C
C) 10°C
D) Below the freezing point of water
D) Below the freezing point of water
Without an atmosphere, Earth would be unable to retain heat from the Sun. The average temperature of the planet would drop to around -18°C (0°F), which is below the freezing point of water. The atmosphere plays a critical role in trapping heat through the greenhouse effect, keeping the planet warm enough for liquid water to exist. Without it, Earth would be much colder.
5) What is the difference between climate and weather?
The key difference between climate and weather is:
Weather refers to the short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific place at a specific time, such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, and visibility. Weather can change from day to day or even hour to hour.
Climate refers to the long-term average of weather patterns in a specific region over extended periods, typically 30 years or more. It encompasses the overall trends in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions for a particular area.
In short, weather is the current condition, while climate is the long-term pattern of weather.
6) Explain how the greenhouse effect works and how it warms the atmosphere
The greenhouse effect occurs when the Earth’s surface absorbs solar energy and re-emits it as infrared radiation, which is then absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor. This process traps heat in the atmosphere, keeping the planet warmer than it would be without these gases.
) Describe (using words or sketch) one example of a positive feedback mechanism in Earth’s
climate.
One example of a positive feedback mechanism in Earth’s climate is the melting ice and snow feedback.
Warming: As the Earth’s temperature rises, ice and snow, especially in the Arctic, start to melt.
Lower albedo: Ice and snow are white and reflect a lot of sunlight. When they melt, darker surfaces like water or land are exposed, which absorb more sunlight instead of reflecting it.
More warming: Because more sunlight is absorbed by the darker surfaces, the temperature increases even more, causing more ice and snow to melt.
This feedback loop keeps repeating: more melting leads to more absorption of heat, which causes even more ice to melt, and the cycle continues, making the planet warmer.
