Meteorology/Climate

Climate describes a location’s composite or average temperature over a time period of __ years.

30 years

The four parts to the climate system are the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and __.

biosphere

The induced warming effect caused by greenhouse gases is known as the __ effect.

Greenhouse

The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased nearly __ percent since the industrial revolution.

30

The warming caused by greenhouse gases leads to a buildup of __ in the atmosphere.

heat

Fossil fuels are responsible for about __ percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.

98%

In 1997, the United States emitted about one-fifth of total global __ emissions.

greenhouse gas

Surface temperature has increased dramatically since the __ century.

19th

The __ of the atmosphere is primarily characterized by gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane.

composition

The average daily temperature, average monthly temperature (AMT), yearly average temperature, daily temperature range, and yearly temperature range are examples of __ description.

quantitative

The __ is the ratio of the amount of radiation reflected by a surface to the amount that initially reached that surface.

albedo

Aerosols consist of a suspension of solid or liquid __ within a gas.

particles

Sulfate aerosols can cool the atmosphere by __ light back into space.

reflecting

Black carbon aerosols have a warming effect by absorbing incoming __ radiation.

solar

Thermohaline circulation is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and __ fluxes.

freshwater

El Nino is characterized by a rise in air pressure over the Indian Ocean and a fall in air pressure over __.

Tahiti

La Nina is characterized by unusually __ ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific.

cold

The __ Model demonstrates the interaction between the growth of daisies and planetary temperature.

Daisyworld

The IPCC's Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) range from RCP2.6 to RCP __.

8.5

The Koppen classification system depends on average monthly values of __ and precipitation.

temperature

The Aleutian low is most intense during the __.

winter

Thermal lows typically occur over __ where there is intense daytime heating.

deserts

The North Pacific High is strongest in the __ and shifts towards the equator in the winter.

summer

The greenhouse gases with the highest global warming potential include water vapor, carbon dioxide, and __.

methane

The __ effect describes the phenomenon where urban temperatures are significantly higher than surrounding rural areas.

urban heat island

The __ of Earth’s axial tilt varies with respect to the plane of Earth’s orbit, impacting insolation.

obliquity

The current eccentricity of Earth's orbit is approximately __.

0.017

Precession is the change in direction of the Earth’s __ of rotation relative to the fixed stars.

axis

The __ currents of the ocean are driven by winds and result in the vertical exchange of seawater.

surface

Climate variability is characterized by two main factors: temperature and the amount of __.

precipitation

The frequencies of extreme rainfall events have __ throughout much of the United States.

increased

Significant regional variation is expected in the rise of global surface temperatures, which may increase __ to 10 degrees in the next century.

2.2

The combustion of fossil fuels has resulted in increased levels of __, impacting climate.

greenhouse gases

The __ flow of the thermohaline circulation is driven by both heat and salinity differences in seawater.

global