Quiz Questions Flashcards by Caleb Hoyos

Which of the following are statements related to CLIMATE (as opposed to weather)?

-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

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Where on Earth has the HIGHEST precipitation?

Near the equator, in the summer hemisphere

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Averaged across all longitudes, where on Earth has the LOWEST precipitation?

The polar regions (90N and 90S)

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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

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What are some ways to describe MEDITERRANEAN climates?

-Wet winter
-Hot, dry summer

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Which of the following is NOT a major component of the Earth system?

The Sun

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Which of the following is NOT impacted (directly or indirectly) by human activity?

Volcanoes

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Is more intense, rainer hurricanes a cliamte threat in North America?

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Where on Earth is warming faster than average global temperatures?

The Arctic
Over land

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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

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Which of the following statements are FALSE?

Temperatures are higher at the top of mountains because you are closer to the sun

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Snow pillows are an example of…

a climate observation system

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Among the following options, which region of the world is MOST VULNERABLE to drought?

Central Africa

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Which of the following are likely to INCREASE everywhere under climate change?

-Intensity of tropical cyclones (when they occur)
-Rainfall from tropical cyclones (when they occur)

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Which of the following statements are FALSE?

-A 1000-year flood event is weaker than a 100-year flood event
-California’s Great Flood of 1862 was only possible because of climate change

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What is the ORDER OF LAYERS in the Earth’s atmosphere (from bottom to top)?

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere

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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

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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

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Where is the ozone layer located?

In the stratosphere between 20-30km altitude

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Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor are well mixed in the atmosphere (found in roughly equal proportion everywhere)

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How many circulation cells (such as the Hadley cell) does the Earth have in each hemisphere?

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What climatological feature is associated with the subtropics (30N and 30S)?

Subsiding (descending) air

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Which of the following statements are FALSE?

In the Hadley cell, air rises in the subtropics and sinks near the equator

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Which of the following IS NOT a feature of glacial periods in Earth’s history?

High humidity

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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?

Benthic δ18O from ocean sediments

Which of the following can we learn from ice cores?

-How atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature are related -The chemistry of the atmosphere over the past 800 thousand years

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?

Warmer objects emit less long wavelength radiation than cooler objects

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

-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 -The sun only emits radiation in the visible part of the radiative spectrum

From LEAST ENERGETIC to MOST ENERGETIC order the following types of electromagnetic radiation:

-Radio : Infrared : Visible : Ultraviolet

Which of the below factors DIRECTLY AFFECTS the wavelengths of radiation EMITTED by a black body?

The temperature of the black body

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 processes is PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE for the sky being blue?

Scattering

What is the basic scientific premise of the greenhouse effect?

Greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere absorb more terrestrial radiation, some of which is re-emitted back to the surface

Which of the following land types has the lowest albedo?

Oceans

Which of the following statement is FALSE?

-Outside of the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, solar radiation is negligible. -Outside of the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, the atmosphere is mostly opaque to radiation.

Approximately what percentage of incident solar radiation on the Earth is reflected back to space?

30%

Which of the following IS NOT a type of aerosol?

CFCs

Why is PM2.5 dangerous?

PM2.5 aerosols are small enough to pass through the lungs into the blood stream and cause damage to DNA

Which of the following, when in the atmosphere, has a net cooling effect on surface temperatures?

Organic carbon

Which of the following regions IS NOT a substantial source of aerosols?

Antarctica

What is ONE DIFFERENCE between aerosols and greenhouse gases?

Aerosols generally reflect solar radiation, whereas greenhouse gases do not interact with solar radiation

What are ship tracks most closely associated with?

Aerosol indirect effect

Which of the following is an example of weather modification that is being done today?

Precipitation suppression from airborne aerosol dispersal

How many working groups are part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?

The sixth IPCC assessment report (AR6) states that human influence on the climate system is …?

unequivocal

Match the greenhouse gas with its primary source

Water vapor = Evaporation Carbon dioxide = Burning of Fossil Fuels Methane = Ag. CFCs = Refrigeration

Which of the following statements about carbon dioxide is FALSE?

-Volcanic eruptions ARE NOT a significant source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere -In the past 800,000 years, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have frequently risen above 300 ppm

Which of the following quantities have DECREASED over the past 50 years

Global sea ice area

Under the high-emission “fossil fueled development” scenario (SSP5-8.5), changes in surface temperatures between 1995-2014 and 2100 are estimated to be

3 to 5 degrees C (6 to 9 degrees F)

Which changes to the climate system are expected over the next 80 years?

-Sea level rise of 12 to 30 inches -Increasing acidity of the oceans

Among the following list, which expect should be consulted first if you’re planning to project climate change over the next 80 years?

Economist

What is the water cycle?

The movement and recycling of water through ocean, land and atmospheric reservoirs

If air is saturated, which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

Absolute humidity equals saturation absolute humidity

Roughly where on Earth has the highest specific humidity?

At the equator

Assume you have an air parcel at 100% relative humidity. Which of the following will NOT lead to formation of clouds or fog?

Heating of the air parcel from solar radiation

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Global warming will lead to more precipitation in the deserts of the world

Where on Earth can you often find relative humidity above 60%?

-The equator near the surface -The North pole near the surface

Which of the following indicate that a region is currently very humid?

-Relative humidity near 100% -High dew point temperature

Which of the following types of clouds are primarily caused by active convection? Note that planes will tend to avoid these kind of clouds.

Cumulonimbus

Which of the following statements are FALSE?

-Convection (rising air) will always lead to precipitation -When air reaches the lifting condensation level it will stop rising

Which of the below mechanisms is a primary driver for precipitation in California from atmospheric rivers?

Topographic uplift

Which of the following statements are FALSE?

-Clouds entirely consist of water vapor and liquid water -When present, aerosols make it more difficult for water to condense

Which of the following statements are FALSE?

-When it rises, moist air cools more rapidly than dry air -Raindrops are easily suspended by turbulent motion in the cloud

Which of the following is an example of WATER CONVEYANCE?

California Aqueduct

Which of the following sources of water are at the GREATEST RISK from climate change?

Natural storage

Which of the following factors are important for California being the source of 50% of the nation’s fruits and vegetables?

-The warm Mediterranean climate - A flat nutrient-rich Central Valley -Mountainous topography that supports a natural snowpack

What is the term for a California water right earned because a parcel of land is adjacent to water?

-Riparian right

Which regions of the Sierra Nevada are at GREATEST RISK of snowpack lo

-The Sierra foothills

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

-Climate change is increasingly shifting precipitation from the Winter into the Spring and Fall -Wet periods in California provide enough water to compensate for groundwater loss during dry periods

Which region of California is experiencing the greatest loss of groundwater?

Tulare Basin

Which of the following approaches is UNLIKELY to significantly help with water supply issues in the future?

Building more surface reservoirs

Under RCP8.5, how many extreme heat days (more than 40 degrees C or 103.9 degrees F) per year are expected in Sacramento by end of century?

30-50

In the future, annual precipitation is expected to become more variable. What are the consequences of this? Select all that apply.

-Higher likelihood of an extremely dry year following an extremely wet year -More frequent dry years -More frequent wet years

Which of the following are responsible for increased wildfire activity?

-More frequent extreme summertime winds -Soil drying -More human activity in wildland areas

Which of the following statements are FALSE?

Almost all increases in wildfire burned area since the 1980s has been due to climate change

Which of the following is expected to DECREASE in the future?

Frequency of Santa Ana wind events

Which of the following is NOT an example of geoengineering?

Improved vehicle fuel efficiency

How can one improve the adaptive capacity of California?

Implement residential health programs

The Paris Agreement aims to keep average global temperature increase above pre-industrial levels below…

2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F)

Which of the following statements are FALSE?

-Current policies are sufficient to hit the Paris Agreement warming target -The European Union is currently aiming for zero carbon emissions by 2050

Which of the following has UC Davis done to tackle climate change?

-Supporting research into technologies for addressing climate change -Construction of the UC Davis Solar Farm -Construction of the UC Davis Anaerobic Biodigester -Improving building energy efficiency

As of this year, which single country is emitting the most total CO2, despite its modest CO2 per capita?

China

Which regions of the world are likely to obtain more agricultural land and higher agricultural productivity because of climate change?

-Europe -Canada

Of the past four years (2020-2023), how many have experienced a below average number of billion-dollar weather disasters?

Which communities are likely to be disproportionately impacted by climate change?

-Countries with underdeveloped infrastructure -Low-income groups -Communities of color

Which of the following is an example of an environmental justice issue that is NOT a climate justice issue?

Farm workers in California’s Central Valley being frequently exposed to contaminated soils