Quiz questions Flashcards
1 a) Explain the climate.
Climate is the general weather condition over a long period of time.
1 b) Explain the weather.
Weather is the current atmospheric condition, which includes: temperature, rainfall, wind and humidity at a given place.
1 c) Explain climate variability.
Climate variability is is variability on the average weather behaviour at a particular location from one year to another.
- Which of the following is not one of the major gases in the atmosphere:
a) Nitrogen
b) Carbon dioxide
c) Oxygen
d) Iron
e) Argon
d) Iron
- What is the approximate rate of global warming in °C over the past century?
roughly 0.85ºC from 1880 to 2012
- What are the consequences of global warming? Give three examples.
- Melting of sea ice / melting of glaciers
- Sea level increase.
- Increasing global temperatures.
- Extreme weather events occurring more frequently.
- Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas:
a) Carbon dioxide
b) Oxygen
c) Methane
d) Oxides of nitrogen
e) F-Gases
b) Oxygen
- What is the current global atmospheric CO2 concentration?
a) 395 ppm
b) 395 ppb
c) 3950 ppm
a) 395 ppm
* not the current conc. it’s actually over 400.
- Which statement of the following is true:
a) Global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions decreased over the past decades
b) Global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions increased over the past decades
c) Global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions did not change over the past
decades
b) Global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions increased over the past decades.
- Which statement of the following is incorrect:
a) CO2 is responsible for 60% of the GHG emissions
b) 4/5 of the CO2 emissions come from fossil fuel (oil, coal & gas) and wood burning
c) 1/5 of the CO2 emissions come from intestines from ruminants
c) 1/5 of the CO2 emissions come from intestines from ruminants
- With examples, list NATURAL contributions to the global methane emissions.
- 20% of methane:
- Anaerobic bacteria in wetlands and termite mounds.
- With examples, list HUMAN contributions to the global methane emissions.
- 60% of methane:
Human contributions via: - Paddy fields, coal mining, waste dumps and intestines of ruminants.
- True or false: Global warming potentials (GWPs) are used to compare the abilities of
different greenhouse gases to trap heat in the atmosphere.
True
- Which statement of the following is not true:
a) The global warming potential of nitrous oxide > methane > carbon dioxide
b) The global warming potential of carbon dioxide > methane > nitrous oxide
a) The global warming potential of nitrous oxide > methane > carbon dioxide
- What is a threshold event? Give one example.
A threshold event is when an abrupt and irreversible change that occurs at unexpectedly. Changes from one stable state to another stable state.
Example:
- List three examples of unique systems that are especially threatened by climate change.
- Glaciers
- Ecosystems
- Coastal settlements and communities
- Explain the difference between open and closed lakes. Which are specifically sensitive to
climate change?
Open lakes: Exorheic lake (open - drained by out-flowing rivers)
Closed lakes: Endorheic lake (closed - no outflow)
More sensitive to climate change.
Very dependent on the balance of inflows and evaporation (no outflow)
- List two consequences arising from melting glaciers.
- Will increase the sea level.
2. If melted - 40% of the earth’s population will run out of clean drinking water.
- Which statement of the following is not true:
a) Coral bleaching is a stress condition that involves a breakdown of the symbiotic
relationship between corals and algae.
b) Coral bleaching happens when water temperatures are decreasing
b) Coral bleaching happens when water temperatures are decreasing
- List three important facts about the Australian Great Barrier Reef.
- The world’s largest reef system.
- It’s world heritage listed.
- Home to a diverse range of organism.
- Generates millions of dollars per year.
- Give two examples how indigenous communities may be affected by climate change
- Threatened by sea-level rise
2. Threatened by loss of food supplies
- True or false: Extreme events such as heatwaves, heavy rain events, floods and
droughts will increase in the future in frequency but also in magnitude in many regions
of the world
True
- Explain the effects of increased carbon dioxide on plant performance and growth.
Increases the size of the plant because CO2 is key component in photosynthesis, however the plants will have a lower nutritional value.
21 a) Briefly describe a carbon tax policy.
Carbon Tax is a surcharge on the carbon content of fossil fuels that aims to discourage their use and thereby reduce carbon dioxide emissions, or a direct tax on CO2 emissions.
21 b) Briefly describe a cap policy.
“cap” meaning a legal limit on the quantity of a certain type of chemical an economy can emit each year.
21 c) Briefly describe a trade policy.
is a set of rules and regulations that are intended to change international trade flows, particularly to restrict imports.
22 a) What is direct climate data?
Direct climate data is data that we can record through instruments accurately now. E.g. Temperature, rainfall and wind.
Also we use direct data is used to calibrate indirect data.
22 b) What is indirect climate data?
Indirect climate data is proxy data. Which is gathered from natural sources that record climate change. This calibrated against direct data.
- Which of the following is not a cause of past climate change:
a. Solar eclipses
b. Volcanic eruptions
c. Greenhouse gas concentrations
d. Variations in Earth’s orbit
a. Solar eclipses
- Milankovitch Cycles explain:
a. The amount of energy released due to nuclear fusion
b. How the dinosaur megafauna died out
c. The fluctuation of CO2 in the atmosphere during the year
d. Regular variations in earth’s orbit
d. Regular variations in earth’s orbit