Question 1

The ocean's conveyor belt circulation is controlled by

Accepted Answer

The ocean's conveyor belt circulation is controlled by all of the above factors: gradients in temperature, salinity, and density. These factors create differences in water density which drive the circulation patterns of the oceans. As warmer, less dense water moves toward the poles, it becomes cooler and denser and sinks to the ocean floor. This sinking creates a current that flows back toward the equator, completing the conveyor belt circulation. Salinity plays a crucial role in this process by affecting the density of seawater. Thus, the ocean's conveyor belt circulation is a complex system, influenced by multiple factors.

Question 2

The warming trend that began in the 1970s

Accepted Answer

The statement "has extended into the twenty-first century" implies that the warming trend has continued beyond the 1990s, making option A incorrect. Additionally, the statement "began in the 1970s" indicates that the trend was ongoing during the mid-1980s, making option B incorrect. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 3

All atmospheric aerosols are injected directly into the earth's atmosphere by either natural or human-made sources.

Accepted Answer

Not all atmospheric aerosols are directly emitted; some are formed in the atmosphere through chemical reactions involving precursor gases.

Question 4

Observations of ground-level and tropospheric temperature trends have always been found to be similar.

Accepted Answer

Ground-level and tropospheric temperature trends can differ due to various factors such as atmospheric dynamics, measurement methods, and the influence of greenhouse gases.

Question 5

Describe one positive and one negative feedback mechanism associated with human health or the human body.

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Question 6

What are meant by the terms positive and negative feedback mechanisms? Give an example of a process that would be considered a positive feedback mechanism during a period of warming on the earth.Can you think of a negative feedback mechanism?

Accepted Answer

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Question 7

General circulation models

Accepted Answer

General circulation models (GCMs) are used to simulate global climate and predict temperature changes, but they are not typically used for daily weather forecasts.

Question 8

When did the Little Ice Age occur? Have there been any suggestions of a possible cause of the Little Ice Age?

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

In a warmer world,higher latitudes would have a ____ growing season.

Accepted Answer

Warmer temperatures would result in longer growing seasons at higher latitudes as it would extend the frost-free period during which plants can grow. Additionally, the increase in temperature would also result in earlier snowmelt, allowing plants to grow for a longer period.

Question 10

During the next 100 years,the greatest surface warming is project to be in the

Accepted Answer

The polar regions are expected to experience the greatest surface warming due to the phenomenon known as Arctic amplification, where the loss of ice and snow leads to more heat absorption.

Question 11

The earth has been in a warming trend for

Accepted Answer

The best scientific evidence and research suggest that the Earth has been in a warming trend for more than 100 years. This warming trend is primarily attributed to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial activities that emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. While there have been natural climate variations in the past, the current warming trend is unprecedented in speed and scale, which is a cause for concern for the natural environment and human societies worldwide.

Question 12

Which of the following are external causes of climate change?

Accepted Answer

All of these choices are external causes of climate change. Changes of the Earth's surface, such as plate tectonics and volcanic activity, can alter the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Changes in atmospheric composition, such as increases in greenhouse gas concentrations, can trap more heat in the atmosphere and cause global temperatures to rise. Changes in incoming solar radiation, such as variations in the Earth's tilt and orbit, can also affect the amount of energy that reaches the planet's surface and impact climate patterns.

Question 13

Describe some of the techniques used to infer past climates.About how far into the past are these different methods able to reconstruct past climatic conditions?

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Question 14

Assume that you have 100 years of continuous temperature records from your local weather service office.Discuss some of the difficulties you might have trying to determine whether average temperatures have increased during this period.

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Question 15

What combination of the earth's orbital eccentricity,and precession and obliquity of the earth's axis would produce hottest summer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere?

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Question 16

Explain how analysis of glacial and polar ice cores provides important clues about past climate.

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have been increasing steadily since the beginning of the industrial revolution and may double by the middle of the next century.Why is this of concern?

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Question 18

Discuss the changes that occur in the earth's orbit and orientation of the earth in its orbit.Over what time scales do these different changes occur?

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Question 19

Briefly describe the climatic variations that have occurred since the beginning of the Pleistocene epoch to the present day.

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Question 20

In what ways might global warming benefit the planet?

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 16: Earths Changing Climate