Question 1

An example of a climate oscillation is&#10;A) The steady rise of sea level for the past 100 years&#10;B) ENSO&#10;C) Random change observed in the past 15 years of coastal flooding&#10;D) The steady loss of sea ice in the summer in the Arctic Ocean

Accepted Answer

ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) is a climate oscillation characterized by periodic variations in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions in the Pacific Ocean, affecting global weather patterns.

Question 2

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased over the past century&#10;A) Only because of deforestation&#10;B) Only because of fossil fuel burning&#10;C) Because of a and b, and other sources&#10;D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Carbon dioxide levels have increased due to both deforestation and fossil fuel burning, as well as other human activities such as cement production and land use changes.

Question 3

Sea surface temperature has&#10;A) Increased the same amount over the past 100 years, irrespective of latitude&#10;B) Increased along a straight-line trajectory over the past 100 years&#10;C) Increased much more at the Equator and much less along the poles&#10;D) Increased differently at different locations and at different decades in the past 100 years

Accepted Answer

Sea surface temperature changes are influenced by various factors, including ocean currents, atmospheric conditions, and geographical location, leading to different rates of increase at different locations and times.

Question 4

ENSOs are associated with&#10;A) Increased upwelling off the coast of California&#10;B) A deeper thermocline off the coast of Peru&#10;C) Localized changes in water temperature confined to Peru&#10;D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

During an El Niño event, the thermocline deepens off the coast of Peru, reducing upwelling and leading to warmer surface waters.

Question 5

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere&#10;A) Can be explained mainly by human additions from industrial activity&#10;B) Has increased only in the past decade&#10;C) Has declined since new regulations have taken effect&#10;D) Has increased over the past 150 years in the atmosphere

Accepted Answer

Carbon dioxide levels have increased over the past 150 years due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, not just in the past decade.

Question 6

The North Atlantic Oscillation&#10;A) Only affects climate in the open North Atlantic&#10;B) May strongly affect sea level rise&#10;C) Can have major effects on estuaries in northern Europe&#10;D) Has an oscillatory period of 100 years

Accepted Answer

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a climate pattern that describes the difference in atmospheric pressure between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High. It can have major effects on estuaries in northern Europe, as it can influence the amount of precipitation and the strength of winds in the region.

Question 7

The Pacific Decadal Oscillation&#10;A) Has its effects concentrated only in the coastal zone off of Japan&#10;B) May strongly affect long-term sea level rise&#10;C) Has a precise 10-year oscillation cycle&#10;D) Can bring cold water species south along the west coast of North America

Accepted Answer

The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) can influence ocean temperatures and currents, bringing cold water species south along the west coast of North America during its cool phase.

Question 8

Climate oscillations&#10;A) Can affect both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans&#10;B) Never occur in conjunction with longer-term trends&#10;C) Usually affect only one ocean&#10;D) Never have an oscillatory period less than 20 years

Accepted Answer

Climate oscillations can affect both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as seen with phenomena like the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affecting the Pacific and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) impacting the Atlantic. These oscillations can occur alongside longer-term climate trends, can affect more than one ocean, and can have oscillatory periods of less than 20 years.

Deck 3: Climate Oscillations and Climate Change