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






2. 1. Keeps the ocean and the earth cooler 2. Coastal impacts of ice: prevents waves from eroding coastlines and protects from storms. 3. Ecological importance of ice: a. Most visibly for the many fish - birds - and mammal species that live in - on - or






3. This is the total mass change - difference between input and outputs—snow accumulation-ablation.






4. In average: +1% in respect to 100 years ago.






5. Higher temperature increases atmospheric water vapor @ global scale more water vapor in the air that causes nights to stay warmer.






6. Positive Albedo Feedback - increase in temperature melts ice and snow reduces albedo increases temperature melts ice and snow reduces albedo... ETC






7. Sea ice - Continental ice sheets - Permafrost (frozen soil) - Mountain glaciers - Snow cover






8. Rainy on yearly average. In these regions - rising air predominates.






9. Changes in the Earth's solar radiation levels can impact the climate. Shortterm warming cycles on Earth.






10. Number of days when temperatures climb above average by a fixed amount.






11. Climate models suggest once the sea ice cover is thinned sufficiently - a strong kick from natural variability could initiate a rapid slide towards ice-free conditions in the summer.






12. Taliks are found under lakes because of the ability of water to store and vertically transfer heat energy - Vertical extent of the taliks found under lakes is related to the depth and volume of the overlying water body.






13. Measures input and output.






14. If the Earth is warmer - are we going to have the Hadley cell stronger or weaker? Hotter = heat rises which increases the circulation.






15. Average molecular life span is less than 10 years - Major sources: Wetlands and oceans - Raising cattle and landfills.






16. Radiation absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases?






17. The warmer the temperature - the deeper the active layer - thaws and refreezes every year - Permafrost below freezing for two or more years.






18. Most of the deserts are around 30 N and 30 S - where sinking air predominates






19. 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.






20. Atmospheric Cooling - Both negative (stabilizing) feedbacks - It is not happening now - but it has happened in the past - Ice-albedo feedback was the dominant feedback during the ice ages.






21. Long time series started in the '70s and yielding good data in the '90s - Detects elevation with high accuracy: 10 cm precision (laser) to 1 m (radar) - 2/3 Gravity Surveys (GRACE) - Weighing the total mass every 30 days - Direct monthly estimate






22. Low clouds are a ____ feedback; they will reflect more sunlight. Clouds reflect shortwave radiation but also absorb longwave radiation






23. Number of days that land among the hottest of all days in that month's long-term record.






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






25. If the mean annual air temperature is only slightly below 0 degrees C - permafrost will form only in spots that are sheltered.






26. Much of the Arctic is overlain by snow and sea ice (land ice and sea ice) - It makes warming a much bigger deal in the Arctic






27. Atmosphere retains ____ CO2






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






29. 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






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






31. CO2 - CH4 - O3 - H2O - N2O - CFCs






32. ~10% of incident solar energy (albedo 90)






33. 2ppm of the atmosphere - less than 20% of greenhouse gases - 1/3 greenhouse gases effect of CO2






34. Arctic warms faster than other parts of the globe in response to a given increase in greenhouse gasses - More direct route to warming - In the Arctic a greater fraction of any increase in radiation absorbed by the surface goes directly into warming t






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






36. 85%






37. Less frequent and weaker






38. Number of days that exceed a given temperature






39. x7 smaller - 7m total sea level equivalent.






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






41. A thick - floating slab of freshwater ice extending from coast to coast.






42. High clouds are a ____ feedback; larger greenhouse warming - Clouds reflect shortwave radiation but also absorb longwave radiation






43. The heat input is either driven by the 1- thermohaline circulation associated with sea ice formation. The direct influx of intermediate warmth water.






44. Grace - Tells us how much mass change we have - M - This is the measure of gravity (gives us the mass) - Directly measure mass change - Poor resolution






45. Extent will increase the warming because less energy will be reflected back to the atmosphere by the ice and more will be absorbed by the ocean.






46. High vs low






47. Amount of light absorbed by surface






48. 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.






49. Slow steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of Earth's stratospheric ozone.






50. All processes that add snow or ice to a glacier or to flowing ice or snow cover.