Quiz Questions Flashcards
Which of the following are statements related to CLIMATE (as opposed to weather)? Choose all that apply.
- The highest average summertime temperature in Europe on record was in 2024
- A persistent downward trend has been observed in Sierra Nevada snowpack since 1980
- The likelihood of a very wet year following a very dry year in California is increasing
Where on Earth has the HIGHEST precipitation?
- Near the equator, in the summer hemisphere
Averaged across all longitudes, where on Earth has the LOWEST precipitation?
- The polar regions (90N and 90S)
Why does rain in the MIDLATITUDES tend to fall along the WEST coast of continents?
- The storm track pushes air from west to east in the midlatitudes
What are some ways to describe MEDITERRANEAN climates? Choose all that apply.
- Hot, dry summer
- Wet winter
Which of the following is NOT a major component of the Earth system?
- The Sun
Which of the following is NOT impacted (directly or indirectly) by human activity?
- Volcanoes
Which of the following is NOT a climate threat in Northern California?
- More intense, rainier hurricanes
Where on Earth is warming faster than average global temperatures? Select all that apply.
- The Arctic
- Over land
As a result of climate change, what kind of biome might we expect to find in the Sierra Nevada by end of century?
- Woodland/shrubland
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Temperatures are higher at the top of mountains because you are closer to the sun
Snow pillows are an example of…
- A climate observation system
Among the following options, which region of the world is MOST VULNERABLE to drought?
- Central Africa
Which of the following are likely to INCREASE everywhere under climate change? Select all that apply.
- Rainfall from tropical cyclones (when they occur)
- Intensity of tropical cyclones (when they occur)
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply
- California’s Great Flood of 1862 was only possible because of climate change
- A 1000-year flood event is weaker than a 100-year flood event
What is the ORDER OF LAYERS in the Earth’s atmosphere (from bottom to top)?
- Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
At present and FROM LARGEST PROPORTION TO SMALLEST PROPORTION what is the order of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
- water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous dioxide, CFCs
What is the MAIN REASON global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration varies seasonally?
- Vegetation takes up CO2 to grow, and there is more vegetation in the northern hemisphere so when plants in this region are growing there is less atmospheric CO2
Where is the ozone layer located?
- In the stratosphere between 20-30km altitude
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor are well mixed in the atmosphere (found in roughly equal proportion everywhere)
How many circulation cells (such as the Hadley cell) does the Earth have in each hemisphere?
- 3
What climatological feature is associated with the subtropics (30N and 30S)?
- Subsiding (descending) air
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
- In the Hadley cell, air rises in the subtropics and sinks near the equator
Which of the following IS NOT a feature of glacial periods in Earth’s history?
- High humidity
In brief, what are Milankovitch cycles?
Variations in Earth’s orbit and tilt that drive differences in energy received from the sun
Which of the following can be used to estimate Antarctic temperatures from 50 million years ago? Select all that apply.
- Ice cores
- Benthic δ18O from ocean sediments
Which of the following can we learn from ice cores? Select all that apply.
- How atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature are related
- The chemistry of the atmosphere over the past 800 thousand years
- How much carbon dioxide is dissolved in the oceans
Despite atmospheric carbon dioxide levels being 20-30 times present day values in the distance past, why did the Earth not overheat?
- Because the sun was much weaker in the distant past, higher CO2 levels were needed to keep the planet warm
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the greenhouse climates of Earth’s past?
- Lower atmospheric carbon dioxide
Which mechanism allows the sun to warm the Earth?
- Radiation
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Warmer objects emit less long wavelength radiation than cooler objects
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select all that apply.
- The sun only emits radiation in the visible part of the radiative spectrum
- Over the course of a year, a solar panel placed at the equator will generally produce more energy than a solar panel in the Sahara Desert
From LEAST ENERGETIC to MOST ENERGETIC order the following types of electromagnetic radiation:
- Radio : Infrared : Visible : Ultraviolet
Consulting the plot on slide 21 of the Lecture 05 slide deck (reproduced below), under a cloudless sky approximately how much energy (in Watts per square meter) would you expect to receive at the equator on December 21st?
- 400 W/m2
Which of the below factors DIRECTLY AFFECTS the wavelengths of radiation EMITTED by a black body? Select all that apply.
- The temperature of the black body
Which of the below processes is PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE for the sky being blue?
- Scattering