Week 16 - The Changing Climate

The continents have been in the exact same locations since the earth began. T OR F

False

___________________ describes an array of changes in aspects of Earth’s climate, such as temperature, precipitation, and frequency and intensity of storms.

Climate change

Carbon dioxide is the only greenhouse gas that has displayed increasing concentrations over the last century. T OR F

False

Volcanic eruptions can act as agents for climate change since they:

 cause small changes in the earth's tilt.

reduce the solar energy at Earth's surface.

 increase the numbers of cyclones.

 increase the amount of evaporation.

 release large amounts of heat

reduce the solar energy at Earth's surface.

Sunspot activity tends to follow a cycle of roughly:

11 years.

500 years.

26,000 years.

100 years.

30 years.

11 years.

Global warming may cause changes in Earth's albedo. T OR F

True

Global warming will cause significant increases in sea level due to the thermal expansion of the ocean's waters T OR F

True

Proxy data:

 can only extend the temperature record back an additional 500 years.

 are difficult to find because they occur only in very limited areas.

provide climate data representing times when instruments were not available to measure them.

 come quality-controlled instrument records.

provide climate data representing times when instruments were not available to measure them.

A positive-feedback mechanism tends to produce results that are opposite of the initial change and tend to offset it. T OR F

False

What was the name of the volcano that erupted in 1991 in the Phillipines?

Mt. St. Helens

 El Chichon

Pinatubo

 Tambora

Pinatubo

The eccentricity portion of Milankovitch's astronomical theory refers to:

changes in the shape of Earth's orbit.

changes in the rate of Earth's rotation.

changes in the tilt of Earth's axis.

the unpredictability of Earth's weather.

variations in the energy emitted by the Sun.

changes in the shape of Earth's orbit.

Global warming may cause changes in Earth's albedo. T OR F

True

The atmosphere's CO2 content is rising. Which one of the following is a significant contributor to this increase?

deforestation

rice paddies

refrigerant leakage

aerosol spray cans

deforestation

CO2 is the biggest contributor to global warming. T OR F

True

What is the primary goal of a paleoclimatologist?

to reconstruct past climates

to find explanations for current global climate change

to prove that climate change caused the dinosaur mass extinction

to study the impacts of volcanic eruptions on climate

to reconstruct past climates

Ice cores from many locations show that the Earth's climate is heating up faster than at any other time recorded in the last 800,000 years. T OR F

True

Which of the following is a possible consequence of a greenhouse warming?

 a decrease in global mean precipitation

 increase in sea ice

 lower frequency of hurricanes

sea-level rise

sea-level rise