Studied by 2 people
This study guide only covers sections A and B; don't forget to study sections C and D!
10,000
The Holocene interglacial began about ______________ years ago.
5°C
Major ice ages can be subdivided into glacial and interglacial phases, with global temperatures varying by about ______ between them.
The Arctic Oscillation (AO)
Which of the following modes of climate variability is most closely related to the Polar Vortex? The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) or the Arctic Oscillation (AO)?
False
The Holocene has witnessed the maximum global mean temperatures in the context of Earth's climatic history. True or False?
C. Tree Rings
Which of the following proxy record types provides the highest temporal resolution for hydroclimatic data?
A. Lake Sediment
B. Coral Reefs
C. Tree Rings
D. Ice cores
AMO (Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation) and PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillation)
Of all the modes of climate variability we covered in class, which two would you say are the least relevant for short-term weather forecasting?
False
Because tropical heating can cause changes in the jet stream through Rossby Wave flow, it is not surprising that ENSO modulates the PNA. This means the PNA cannot occur independently of ENSO.
A. True
B. False
D. The accuracy of current greenhouse gas emission measurements
Which of the following is not considered a limitation when using climate change scenarios in model projections?
A. Our scientific understanding of future forcings of climate change
B. The magnitude of the climate response to forcings
C. The regional and temporal expressions of change
D. The accuracy of current greenhouse gas emission measurements
Goofy
Two planets, Mickey and Goofy, orbit the same star. Both planets have elliptical orbits, but Mickey has an eccentricity of 0.1 while Goofy has an eccentricity of 0.7. Assuming the star emits a consistent amount of radiation, which planet is more likely to experience greater variations in solar radiation received during its orbit?
Precession; 26,000
P____________ relates to the wobble in Earth's rotational axis and has a cycle of around ____________ years.
A. The atmosphere is opaque to solar (shortwave) radiation
Which of the following is not an assumption of the single-layer energy balance model?
A. The atmosphere is opaque to solar (shortwave) radiation
B. The atmosphere behaves like a blackbody
C. The atmosphere is opaque to IR (infrared or longwave) radiation
D. Energy emitted upward escapes to space
The planet’s distance from the sun, albedo, the greenhouse effect
What are the three main factors that determine a planet’s temperature are?
B. Dry vegetation
Which of the following surfaces would have the highest average reflectivity?
A. Deciduous forest (Forest of trees that shed leaves annually, like oaks or maples)
B. Dry vegetation (Plants adapted to arid conditions, often sparse)
C. Coniferous forest (Forest of evergreen trees with cones, like pines or firs)
D. Short green vegetation (Low-growing plants, usually grasses, that are lush and green)
A. Improved air quality
The following are all processes by which a highly irrigated cropland can disturb the nocturnal boundary layer, except for one. Which is the exception?
A. Improved air quality
B. Increased surface roughness
C. Increased evapotranspiration
D. Modifications in wind patterns
C. Green plants in the visible portion of the EM spectrum
Which of the following has the lowest reflectivity?
A. Green plants in the near-IR portion of the EM spectrum
B. Fresh snow in the visible portion of the EM spectrum
C. Green plants in the visible portion of the EM spectrum
D. Wet snow in the near-IR portion of the EM spectrum
7
According to the simplified Clausius–Clapeyron equation, with 1.5°C of global warming, the world could expect ________% more moisture in the air.
15 µm
Which of the following is a CO2 absorption band near the peak of Earth's emission spectra?
B. P – PE > 0
When more precipitation is delivered to the surface than can be removed by the atmosphere, _______________.
A. P = 0
B. P – PE > 0
C. P – PE < 0
D. P = PE
A and B
For NOAA's CPC to officially declare La Niña conditions, what conditions must be satisfied? (circle all answers that apply)
A. Average sea surface temperatures in the Niño-3.4 region of the equatorial Pacific Ocean (5°N5°S, 120°W-170°W) were at least 0.5°C (0.9°F) cooler than average in the preceding month
B. An average anomaly of at least -0.5°C has persisted or is expected to persist for 5 consecutive overlapping 3-month periods
C. The atmosphere over the tropical Pacific exhibits changes commonly associated with La Niña, including cloudiness and rainfall off the coast of Peru and a corresponding drop in average surface pressure.
watch
Conditions are favorable for the development of an El Niño within the next six months. Which alert will the CPC issue?
B. Constructive interference
How would you describe the interaction between the MJO and ENSO when they reinforce each other? Please select the most appropriate option below.
A. Destructive interference
B. Constructive interference
warm; cold
Rainfall in South Florida increases during the _____________ phase of the AMO, while droughts and wildfires become more frequent during the _____________ phase.
C. Earth's magnetic field contributes to the greenhouse effect
Which of the following is not a reason for the existence of the natural greenhouse effect?
A. Different wavelengths for solar and terrestrial radiation
B. The atmosphere's selective absorption and transparency
C. Earth's magnetic field contributes to the greenhouse effect
D. Selective absorption and emission by greenhouse gases
sensible and latent heat fluxes
The surface energy budget is more complex than the energy budget at the top of the atmosphere. This is because, at the surface, one needs which fluxes, in addition to radiative fluxes?
photosynthetically active
When plants are healthy, they are p___________________________ a_____________, meaning they absorb most of the visible light hitting their leaves while reflecting a good portion of the near-IR light.
convective adjustment
The atmosphere incorporates non-radiative processes like convection into radiative balance through the process of c___________________ a____________________.
diversity
ENSO is often discussed in terms of the binary states of El Niño and La Niña, but in reality, these extremes can exhibit a range of spatial patterns. This is known as ENSO d________________.
teleconnections
The way ENSO impacts weather and climate globally is via atmospheric t____________________.
warm or cool
Cloud forcing simply represents how clouds can either _____________ or _____________ the Earth.
blackbody
In the context of the Earth's atmosphere, an emissivity of 0.77 means that the atmosphere emits 77% as much infrared radiation as perfect b_________________ would at the same temperature.
forced or unforced
Natural climate variations can be classified as either __________________ or __________________.
Quaternary period
This current ice age began to intensify about 2 million years ago during the start of the Q_________________________ P______________________.
δ-O-18 and δ-O-16
Variations in which two oxygen isotopes in ice layers can reveal clues about the earth’s past temperature.
lower
During warm periods, evaporation in the tropics is especially intense; therefore, the ratio of δ-O-18 to δ-O-16 in the shells and skeletons of marine organisms in tropical oceans is ______________ than they are during cold periods.
positive or negative
A “stuck” NAO means the pressure difference between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High remains persistently ____________________ or _____________________.
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
The A_______________ M_________________ O_________________ C____________________ is understood to be the significant driver of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO).
energy balance
The magnitude of a climate change forcing is quantified in terms of how much it changes the ____________________________.
inflection
The latitude at which Atlantic hurricanes typically start to veer eastward into the mid-latitude circulation is around 35.5° N. This is called the hurricane ______________________ point.
a change in the climate system that can be expected to change the climate
Climate Forcing
the relationship between the measure of some forcing mechanism and the magnitude of the climate response
Climate Sensitivity
any process that changes the sensitivity of the climate response
Climate Feedback
