REVIEW QUESTIONSGlobal Circulation CIS

1. Long-term patterns or trends of meteorological conditions in a given area refer to its A. weatherB. variabilityC. forecastD. climateE. albedo

2. The meteorological conditions in a given place on a given day refer to its _________.A. climateB. weatherC. habitatD. ecosystemE. none of these answers

3. Which of the following choices is NOT evidence for the recent changes in global climate?A. a single weather event like a hurricane.B. prairies giving way to deserts in Africa and the American West.C. a rainstorm in EnglandD. earlier springs and later winters.E. more and longer heat waves.

4. The actual temperature on any given day is the _________, while the range of expected values, based on location and time of year, is the __________.A. climate; weatherB. albedo; radiative forcerC. weather; climateD. prediction; weatherE. forecast; reality

5. Which of the following is NOT an aspect of climate?A. long-term patterns or trendsB. useful for predicting weatherC. timing of seasonal shifts

D. winter lows and summer highs hover close to expected normsE. a few warmer days here and there

6. Global warming is an aspect ofA. climateB. weatherC. extreme weatherD. a particular location’s air temperatureE. all of these answers

Short Answer7. Describe the difference between weather and climate. Provide an example for each.

8. Refer to Infographic. What change is depicted in the infographic? What changes to weather are expected when the curve shifts to the right?

9. Which of the following does NOT directly contribute to sea level rise?A. melting of land-based iceB. melting of sea iceC. thermal expansion of waterD. melting of glaciers

10. Climatologists started keeping records in 1850, the warmest decade globally was:A. 1850 to 1860.B. 1950 to 1960.C. 1980 to 1990.

D. 1990 to 2000.E. 2000 to 2010.

11. Which of the following is the largest greenhouse gas?A. carbon dioxideB. methaneC. nitrous oxideD. halocarbonsE. water

12. A variety of factors can warm or cool the planet. Which of the following is a positive forcer (warming effect)?A. cloud albedo effectB. aerosolsC. stratospheric ozoneD. black soot on snowE. deforestation

13. Which of the following factors has low albedo and contributes to warming?A. glaciersB. meadowsC. fresh snowD. asphalt

14. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the greenhouse effect?A. Increased levels of human-produced carbon dioxide have enhanced the greenhouse effect.B. The greenhouse effect did not exist before humans. C. Greenhouse gases work by magnifying incoming solar radiation onto Earth’s surface, just like in a greenhouse.D. Volcanoes are the largest source of greenhouse gases.

15. _______ is the ability of a surface to reflect away solar radiation.A. AlbedoB. Positive feedbackC. Radiative forceD. Greenhouse effectE. None of these answers

16. Which of the following is an anthropogenic forcer?A. volcanic eruptionsB. fossil fuel combustionC. sunspot cyclesD. orbital eccentricity

Short Answer17. How is a positive feedback loop different from a negative feedback loop? Provide an example of each.

18. Refer to Infographic. Explain why the Arctic is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to positive feedback mechanisms.

19. Refer to Infographic. Describe how the greenhouse effect works. What is different with the enhanced greenhouse effect, and what are the main causes of it?

20. Which of the following sources are NOT used to reconstruct past climate?A. ice coresB. sediment coresC. tree ringsD. coral reef growth layersE. All of these sources are used.

21. What method of measuring atmospheric CO2 level gives data of what past atmosphere CO2 levels were?

A. local air measurement B. water samplingC. measurements taken from gas bubbles trapped in the iceD. temperature correlationE. all of these answers

22. What causes the level of atmospheric CO2 to rise and fall throughout the year?A. plant growth and dormancy due to seasons B. temperature fluctuationC. movement of ocean air streamsD. industry boomsE. relative distance of Earth to the Sun

23. Refer to Temperature and Atmospheric CO2 Concentration from the Vostok Ice Core graph in Infographic 21.7. The relationship between temperature and carbon dioxide is complex. Explain the relationship between these two variables in the graph below

24. Interpret the graph below

Please match each term in the left-hand column to the statement that it best exemplifies.1. albedo The meteorological conditions in a given place on a given

day 2. negative feedback loops Changes caused by an initial event that then accentuate that

original event (e.g., a warming trend gets even warmer) 3. climate change Predictable variations in Earth’s position in space relative

to the Sun that affect climate4. anthropogenic The ability of a surface to reflect away solar radiation 5. weather The observed and ongoing rise in the Earth’s average

temperature that is contributing to climate change6. greenhouse gases The warming of the planet that results when heat is trapped

by Earth’s atmosphere7. climate Long-term patterns or trends of meteorological conditions 8. positive feedback loops Caused by or related to human action

9. global warming Efforts intended to minimize the extent or impact of a problem such as climate change

10. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Governmental fees imposed on activities (such as fossil fuel use) that release CO2 into the atmosphere

11. greenhouse effect Molecules in the atmosphere that absorb heat and reradiate it back to Earth

12. Milankovitch cycles Alteration in the long-term patterns and statistical averages of meteorological events

13. carbon taxes Changes caused by an initial event that trigger events that then reverse the response (e.g., warming leads to events that eventually result in cooling)

An international group of scientists that evaluates scientific studies related to climate change to thoroughly and objectively assess the data

Vocabulary BuildingA. Sentence CompletionUse the words in the word box to complete the sentences below. It may be necessary to change the form of the word.

The Causes of Global Warmingabsorb greenhouseatmosphere greenhouse effectclear forests greenhouse gasesfossil fuels releaseglobal warming tilt the balance

1. refers to the gradual rise in the earth’s temperature

as a result of human activities.

2. A is a glass building used to grow plants. It keeps the plants

warm and protects them from bad weather.

3. When too many are released into the air, they trap the

sun’s heat and cause the earth to get warmer.

4. The refers to a build-up of gases in the air around the earth, which causes the earth’s temperature to rise.

5. Fuels like coal and oil, formed from the remains of decayed plants andanimals, are called

6. The is the layer of air and other gases that surround the

Earth.

7. When you , this means that you cut down all the trees.

8. Burning fuel carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

9. Plants and trees carbon dioxide from the air.

B. Matching: Match the words on the left with the meanings on the right.The Effects of Global Warming

Words Meanings

1. mountain glacier a) a period of time during which the weather ismuch hotter than usual

2. polar ice capb) a serious problem in which people are forced

to leave their homes or their country, usuallybecause of war

3. shelf ice c) when the average level of the seas get higher

with respect to the land

4. heatwaved) a huge mass of ice which moves very slowly

down a mountain valley

5. drought

e) change in general weather conditions and

patterns

f) when a species of plant or animal dies out, i.e.

6. wildfireno longer has any living members

g) a thick layer of ice that sticks out over the sea

7. rising sea levelslike a shelf, found in Greenland and Antarctica

h) a long period of time during which no rain falls

8. unpredictablei) a thick layer of ice and snow that permanently

covers an area of land in the areas around theNorth and South Poles

9. coastal flooding j) when an area near the sea is covered by large

amounts of seawater

10. refugee crisisk) a fire that starts in a wild area such as a forest

and spreads rapidly causing great damage

11. climate changel) when it is not possible to know what will

happen

12. extinction

Questions1. What would happen to Earth's temperature if the energy absorbed from the sun (solar radiation) was less than the emitted (thermal) energy leaving the Earth?

2. Why is the tropical climate warmer than the climate at the north and south poles?

3. What factors influence the circulation of the Earth's atmosphere, thereby producing our weather?

4. What are greenhouse gases? Give three examples

5. What would the theoretical global average temperature be without the greenhouse effect?

6. What effect does an increase in greenhouse gas concentration have on the energy budget of the Earth?

7. Sea ice is highly reflective and causes less solar radiation to be absorbed compared to the darker ocean. Sea ice is likely to become less extensive as temperatures warm. Based on these considerations, will the effects of sea ice enhance warming or retard warming due to increased greenhouse gases? What is this process termed?

8. List three factors that can cause climate to change.

9. What is the pre-industrial concentration of carbon dioxide in parts per million (ppm)? What (approximately) is the current concentration and by how many degrees Celsius has the planet warmed in 100 years?