How things work college course/Cumulative global warming exam

The unshuffled version can serve as a pre-reading activity for the Wikipedia article, Global warming (permalink)

See Global warming quizzes for other quizzes devoted to this article. This cumulative exam covers every question on the four quizzes.

Cumulative Global Warming Exam

edit

  

Lede

1 The lede's graph of the "Global Land Ocean Temperature Index (1880-2013)" shows little or no temperature rise over the last ____ years

30
100
3
10
300

2 Since 1971, 90% of earth's increased energy caused by global warming has been stored in the _____________, mostly _____________

land; near the equators
sea; in the bottom kilometer
land; near the poles
air; in the water vapor
sea; in the top kilometer

3 The lede's graph of the "Global Land Ocean Temperature Index (1880-2013)" shows that since 1920, there has never been a decade of overall cooling

true
false

4 The largest temperature increases (from 2000-2009) have occurred

in the western hemisphere
near the poles
on the ocean surface
near the equator

5 The 2007 IPCC report stated that most global warming was likely being caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities. Among the science academies of the major industrialized nations, this finding was recognized by

90% of the academies of science
60% of the academies of science
all but the US academy of science
all of the academies of science

6 in 2013, the IPCC stated that the largest driver of global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Other important sources of CO2 are

population growth
cement production and waste disposal
population growth and waste disposal
cement production and land use changes

7 The lede's graphs of the "Global Land Ocean Temperature Index (1880-2013)" indicates that from 1960 to 2012 the average temperature increased by approximately

0.16° Celsius
0.6° Celsius
16° Celsius
1.6° Celsius
0.06° Celsius

8 Which statement is FALSE about the lede's map of the temperature anomaly (2000-2009)?

Northern Asia has warmed more than southern Asia
Central Europe has warmed more than the continental United States
all portions of Antarctica have warmed
The United States has warmed more than Australia

9 The lede's "CO2 Emissions per Year" graph (1990-2010) shows dips and rises that are caused by changes in

the earth's distance from the sun
the world economy
worldwide efforts to curtail emissions
the sun's energy output

10 The lede's "CO2 Emissions per Year" graph (1990-2010) shows solid straight lines that represent

estimates of the contributions from everything except fossil fuels
estimates of the contributions from fossil fuels alone
estimates of the impact on land temperatures
estimates made in the year 2000 of what would happen in the future

11 In climate science, mitigation refers to:

adaptation to the effects of global warming
building systems resilient to the effects of global warming
reduction of green house emissions
climate engineering

12 Anthropogenic means something that

human caused
humans cannot repair
will hurt humans
humans can repair
Observed temperature changes

13 The Earth's average surface temperature rose by approximately _______ per decade over the period 1906–2005.

0.7°C
7.0°C
0.07°C

14 In the twentieth century, the rate of earth's average temperature rise was closest to

0.7 °C per year
0.7 °C per decade
0.7 °C per century

15 Compared with the first half of the twentieth century, the rate of earth's average temperature rise during the second (latter) half was

half as much
about the same
twice as much

16 Compared with the second half of the twentieth century, the rate of earth's average temperature rise during the first half was

twice as much
half as much
about the same

17 The urban heat island effect refers to the fact that urban areas tend to be hotter than rural areas. The urban heat island effect is estimated to account for approximately _____ of the temperature rise over the past century.

0.3%
0%
30%
3%

18 Proxy temperatures measurements are defined as indirect inferences gathered from ice cores, tree rings, and so forth

true
false

19 Proxy temperatures measurements are defined as measurements made using measurements from space.

true
false

20 The Reconstructed Temperature (0-2000 AD) plot in "Observed Temperature Changes" shows temperature measurements. The solid black line represents

the Medieval Warming Period
a 10 year average
thermometer measurements
tree proxy measurements
the Little Ice Age

21 The Reconstructed Temperature (0-2000 AD) plot in "Observed Temperature Changes" shows temperature measurements, as well as what curious feature? (See also Divergence problem)

a divergence between the tree and pollen proxy measurements
the fact that the different proxy measurements deviate considerably from the average of all proxy measurements
the Little Ice Age being less prominent than the Medieval Warming period
a tiny gap at the end of the proxy measurements

22 A rise in the sea level is associated with global warming because

both of these are true
ice and snow melts
water tends to expand as it warms

23 What happens when water is heated?

it expands at temperatures below 3.98°C and contracts above 3.98°C
it expands at temperatures above 3.98°C and contracts below 3.98°C
it absorbs CO2

24 No direct method exists that permits an independent measurement of the heat content of the oceans, other than the fact that the air is warming

true
false

25 Ocean temperatures are increasing more slowly than land temperatures because oceans have more heat capacity and because evaporation cools the water.

true
false

26 Ocean temperatures are increasing more slowly than land temperatures because the oceans are absorbing less heat energy from the sun

true
false
Initial causes of temperature changes and external forcings

27 The "Greenhouse effect schematic" in the section on "Temperature changes..." indicates that most of the energy from the Sun is absorbed by the earth's atmosphere.

true
false

28 The "Greenhouse effect schematic" in the section on "Temperature changes..." indicates that most of the energy from the Sun is absorbed at the earth's surface.

true
false

29 Which external force plays the smallest role in current efforts to model global warming?

volcanic eruptions
greenhouse gasses
solar luminosity (i.e. variations in energy from the sun)
orbital cycles

30 "External forcings" refer to effects that can increase, but not decrease, the Earth's temperature.

true
false

31 "External forcings" refer to effects that can either increase or decrease, the Earth's temperature.

true
false

32 Water vapor contributes more to the greenhouse effect than does carbon dioxide.

true
false

33 Carbon dioxide contributes more to the greenhouse effect than does water vapor.

true
false

34 The Keeling curve shows that carbon dioxide concentrations

show a steady rise in CO2 levels, at constant slope, and irregular fluctuations due associated with El Ninos and La Ninas.
show a steady rise in CO2 levels, with increasing slope, and regular and predictable annual fluctuations
show a steady rise in CO2 levels, at constant slope, and regular and predictable annual fluctuations

35 The climate change community is divided between those who believe the goal should be to eliminate the earth's greenhouse effect altogether, and those who argue that we should attempt to minimize earth's greenhouse effect.

true
false

36 Emissions scenarios are

estimates of changes in future emission levels of greenhouse gases
estimates of how greenhouse gasses are absorbed and emitted by nature
estimates of how greenhouse gasses are absorbed and emitted by the world's oceans
estimates of how greenhouse gasses are absorbed and emitted by agriculture

37 It is expected that carbon emissions will begin to diminish in the 21st century as fossil fuel reserves begin to dwindle.

true
false

38 The carbon cycle

is an effort to store carbon in underground caves.
describes how carbon is absorbed and emitted by the oceans, soil, plants, etc.
is a proposal to trade carbon credits.

39 Global dimming, caused by air-born particulates produced by volcanoes and human made pollutants

exerts a heating effect by absorbing infra-red radiation from earth's surface
exerts a cooling effect by increasing the reflection of incoming sunlight
is more related to the ozone problem than to global warming

40 Soot tends to warm the earth when it accumulates in atmospheric brown clouds.

true
false

41 Soot tends to cool the earth when it accumulates in atmospheric brown clouds.

true
false

42 In the arctic, soot tends to cool the earth.

true
false

43 In the arctic, soot tends to warm the earth.

true
false

44 Approximately what percent of global warming can be attributed to a long-term trend (since 1978) in the sun's energy?

0%
50%
30%
10%

45 Greenhouse warming acts to cool the stratosphere

true
false

46 Greenhouse warming acts to warm the stratosphere

true
false

47 The distinction between the urban heat island effect and land use changes is that the latter involves the earth's average temperature while the former involves only the temperature near weather stations where the measurements are made

true
false

48 Depleting the ozone layer cools the stratosphere because ozone allows UV radiation to penetrate.

true
false

49 Depleting the ozone layer cools the stratosphere because ozone absorbs UV energy from the sun that heats the stratosphere.

true
false
Feedback

50 Changes in ice-albedo refers to changes in

how much ice is melted during the summer months
how much CO2 is absorbed by the sun
how much the Earth's surface absorbs or reflects incoming sunlight

51 The Stefan-Boltzmann law plays a central role in establishing a planets temperature as the sun heats the planet until the thermal (infra-red) radiation away the planet rises to match the solar radiation onto the planet

true
false

52 The Stefan-Boltzmann law plays a central role in establishing a planets temperature as the sun heats the planet with thermal (infra-red) radiation adding to the other solar radiation onto the planet

true
false

53 Stefan-Boltzmann radiation is called a negative feedback mechanism because if the sun's radiation increases, the Stefan-Boltzmann law ensures that more heat is lost from the planet to compensate.

true
false

54 Stefan-Boltzmann radiation is called a negative feedback mechanism because if the sun's radiation increases, the Stefan-Boltzmann law ensures that this heat is retained by the planet.

true
false
Climate models

55 Computer models accurately model feedback mechanisms associated with the role of clouds as a feedback mechanism.

true
false

56 Computer models accurately model feedback mechanisms associated with how the soil will retain or release CO2 as the earth warms.

true
false

57 Analysis of the uncertainties associated with feedback suggests that the "worst-case" scenario is easier to model.

true
false

58 Analysis of the uncertainties associated with feedback suggests that the "worst-case" scenario is more difficult to model.

true
false

59 The cryosphere refers to

the highest mountains
two of these are true
the upper atmosphere
the north and south poles

60 While computer modeling indicate that the warming since 1970 is dominated by man-made greenhouse gas emissions, they are unable to conclusively ascertain whether the warming from 1910 to 1945 was anthropogenic.

true
false

61 Computer modeling has conclusively established that anthropogenic warming has occurred since 1910.

true
false

62 How is the validity of a computer model typically tested?

by making predictions about future years and seeing if they come true.
all of these are true
by verifying its ability to calculate current climate conditions.
by verifying its ability to calculate past climate conditions.