Test your basic knowledge |

Global Warming

Subjects : literacy, science
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Less frequent and weaker






2. Is not an externally imposed perturbation to the climate system.






3. A dome shaped cover of perennial ice and snow.






4. How often does El Nio occur?






5. Occurs when there is not enough water available for a particular crop to grow at a particular time.Typically seen after!meteorological drought (when rainfall decreases) but before a hydrological drought






6. Really measures volume.






7. Antarctica - stratosphere - Sep-Oct






8. When inversion breaks up _______________. - Consequently - anything that breaks inversions or makes them form less often could produce major ground level warming.






9. Trade winds blow from East to West - Pool of warm water in the west - Meanwhile deep colder water rises up in the Eastern Pacific - The sea level is ~ 50-60 cm higher in Western Pacific (Indonesia) than in the Eastern Pacific (South America/Peru) -






10. The large-scale ocean circulation that moves water between the deep and surface ocean which effects salinity and temperature change - Supplies heat to the polar-regions.






11. Just remember the general direction of the circulation - Rising northern pacific. You start in between Greenland and Europe (youngest water) - Oldest water is in the Pacific Ocean - Salty water> fresh water - Cold Water > Warm Water






12. Concentration of 380 ppmv - Have risen about 40% - Preindustrial~ 270~280 ppmv






13. O The amount of energy moving in the form of photons or other elementary particles at a certain distance from the source per unit of area per second. Area/second






14. Warming- positive feedback - Cooling- negative feedback.






15. he increase of ozone concentration in the atmosphere helps ____ our planet






16. Measures input and output.






17. Poor resolution (200-400 km) does not allow us to distinguish glaciers and basins.






18. O Climate change in the Arctic is occurring now - Changes have been huge already






19. Mass balance due to processes that affect the surface of the ice sheet. Precipitation-evapotranspiration-runoff-blowing snow etc...






20. Heat is provided by outside sources that flow down the continental slope to reach the deepest part of the glacier. High pressure decreases the melting point and favors melting.






21. Temperature needed to melt at depth is much lower than that needed to melt at the surface.






22. On a clear cold day - the thin layer of air hugging the ground is called inversion. This layer is much cooler than the air a few hundred meters above it.






23. An area of unfrozen ground that is open to the ground surface but otherwise enclosed in permafrost.






24. CO2 GHG forcing - H2O - dominant/major GHG






25. The depletion of stratospheric ozone layer in Antarctica in Springtime (august through October)






26. Betts et al found that: if CO-2 __________ this has a physiological effect on plant transpiration increased simulated runoff by 6% b. How? i. More CO2 1. Plants pores open less 2. This reduces transpiration 3. More water in the land surface






27. Pockets of ice in the topmost permafrost caused by thawing which create an underground lake.






28. The past climate...for this reason - both keep good records of climate change.






29. A climate forcing agent formed through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels - biofuel - and biomass; emitted both anthropogenic:ally and naturally.






30. Troposphere - Stratosphere (Ozone Layer) - Mesosphere - Ionosphere






31. South polar vortex - Temperatures drop below 80O Celsius in the lower stratosphere - At these temperatures the chemicals in the stratosphere freeze and form Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCS) - These increase the concentration of CFCs in turn destroyi






32. Is unfrozen ground that is exposed to the ground surface and to a larger mass of unfrozen ground beneath it.






33. What can cause a change in the Earth's climate balance?






34. Precipitation extremes appear to generally increase across the planet at especially high latitudes.






35. ~10% of incident solar energy (albedo 90)






36. Sea ice extent in Antarctica is rapidly reducing. Seasonal variability. People - Animals and Ice






37. Longwave radiation - any radiation with a long wave will heat up quickly.






38. Is best viewed as a combination of...- Natural Variability - Associated with atmospheric circulation patterns - Growing Radiative Forcing - Associated with rising concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases - Strongly suggests a human influence.






39. Hydrological drought is associated with the effect of low rainfall on water levels in rivers -!reservoirs -!lakes and aquifers.






40. Pollution: heat and sunlight cook the air and the chemical compounds which are in it. This combines with the nitrogen oxide and creates 'smog'. This makes breathing difficult for those with respiratory ailments.






41. Under higher pressure the melting point decreases ____ - The pressure comes from the weight of the ice shelf.






42. Refers to a body of freshwater - usually shallow - formed in a depression by melt water from thawing permafrost.






43. Amount of light absorbed by atmosphere






44. Like weighing oneself on the scale.






45. Total absorbed solar radiation






46. Ice sheets have a very ____ Albedo






47. The order of 1 m/year. Melting is ten times more.






48. Where do greenhouse gases warm up the Earth?






49. 1. They are the largest contributor to sea level rise 2. Can affect the thermohaline circulation (mainly in Greenland) 3. Are directly connected to climate change






50. They saw a massive thinning of the ice where it enters into the ocean - This is due to the pronounced melting of the ice once it is in contact with the ocean. Melt rates of 25 m/year near the grounding lines and more than 10 m/year on average.