ATMO 210
Question 1
2 / 2 pts
Which of the following examples are representative of weather rather than climate? Choose all that are correct.
Does it snow here every winter?
Correct!
A snowstorm lasting a few hours
2024 was the hottest year on record
Summers here are so much hotter than where I used to live!
Correct!
Do I need a jacket today?
Correct!
This morning my windows were covered in condensation.
The behavior of hurricanes seems to have changed a lot over my lifetime.
Question 2
1 / 1 pts
Which statement best highlights the difference between climate and weather?
Correct!
weather is the exact state of the atmosphere and climate is the statistics of the weather
weather is regional and climate is global
weather is in the lower atmosphere and climate is in the upper atmosphere
weather changes slowly and climate changes rapidly
Question 3
1 / 1 pts
What is represented by the following figure?
a heat wave
the weather report
the actual daily maximum temperature
Correct!
climate statistics
Question 4
1 / 1 pts
Which of the following is a long-term indicator of climate change?
Correct!
A 30-year increase in the average global sea level
A week-long heatwave in a specific region
An unusually warm winter in one year
A super strong hurricane occurring in late summer
Question 5
1 / 1 pts
In the spring, you are planning a summer vacation to Mexico, and want to find a beach destination with warm tropical weather, and no rain. What would you want to look up online before booking your trip?
Correct!
climate statistics; average monthly temperature and precipitation
weather report; the temperature and precipitation on the exact days last year
weather report; average monthly temperature and precipitation
climate statistics; the temperature and precipitation on the exact days last year
Question 6
1 / 1 pts
The most common daily maximum temperatures in September at Ellington Field, Texas were 31C and 33C in the 1970s and 2010s respectively. What are these temperatures in Fahrenheit?
89.4, 91.4
87.8, 89.8
Correct!
87.8, 91.4
89.8, 94.9
Question 7
1 / 1 pts
Of all the regions of the earth, which covers the most surface area?
the poles
Correct!
the tropics
the equator
the mid latitudes
Question 8
1 / 1 pts
In which region of the Earth is Texas A&M University College Station (30.6280° N, 96.3344° W) located?
Polar regions
Equatorial
Correct!
Mid-latitudes
Question 9
2 / 2 pts
Which of the following are reliable sources of scientific information? Choose all that are correct.
Correct!
Consensus among large groups of experts in the area of study.
Paid spokespeople.
Correct!
The opinions of experts with specific, recent knowledge of the field in question.
Firsthand personal experience.
Opinion leaders such as media figures and influential politicians.
Correct!
Research results that have been reviewed by other scientists and published in a scientific journal.
Question 10
1 / 1 pts
The climate of the Earth is changing.
Correct!
True
False
Question 11
1 / 1 pts
What is a temperature anomaly?
Correct!
the difference between a measured temperature and a reference temperature
differences in average temperature over a region
the change in temperature over a given period of time
the annual changes in average temperatures
Question 12
1 / 1 pts
What do the satellite and surface thermometer records prove in the following figure?
that the satellite measurements capture weather variability that the surface measurements are not able to measure
that the clear variations between the two measurements doesn't support global warming
Correct!
that the two independent measurements of temperature agree well and provide confirmation of global warming
that the satellite measurements have more data points and are more reliable than the surface measurements
Question 13
2 / 2 pts
Why would climate scientists use temperature anomalies instead of absolute temperatures? Choose all that are correct.
Anomalies are easier to measure.
Correct!
Anomalies describe a departure from a normal, average, or fixed reference.
Correct!
Anomalies don't usually have the dramatic variations over short distances that absolute temperatures can.
Anomalies are more accurate than temperature measurements.
Question 14
2 / 2 pts
Which of the following are indirect measurements of temperatures on Earth? Choose all that are correct.
Correct!
Sea Ice
Satellites
Thermometers
Correct!
Sea level
Correct!
Glaciers
Question 15
1 / 1 pts
Aside from ice melting, what is causing sea level to rise?
Correct!
thermal expansion
ocean acidification
high tide flooding
increased wave action
Question 16
1 / 1 pts
Which of the following is considered a metric to assess global warming?
ice surface areas
Correct!
all of the above
coastal sea levels
surface temperature
ocean temperature
Question 17
1 / 1 pts
Which step of the scientific process is considered the "crucible of science"?
publishing peer reviewed scientific literature
forming and testing a hypothesis
Correct!
reaching scientific consensus for a claim
Question 18
1 / 1 pts
Why does the IPCC state that the Earth is "unequivocally" warming?
Correct!
Multiple independent data sets and corroborating evidence show this warming.
A majority of the world's scientists agree on this warming.
They are funded by a global conspiracy that wants to take away your rights.
Odd and extreme weather seems to be more common throughout the world.
Question 19
2 / 2 pts
Which of the following are true about the Earth's climate over the last few hundred thousand years? Choose all that are correct.
Correct!
The Earth has episodes with warmer temperature than it is now.
The Earth's climate has been relatively stable.
Correct!
Sea levels have changed by ~10 inches during past 150 years.
Correct!
The Earth has episodes with colder temperature than it is now.
Human activity has contributed to ice ages.
Question 20
1 / 1 pts
Compared to the rate of warming on Earth following the most recent ice age, how would we characterize the current warming on Earth?
reasonably fast
reasonably slow
Correct!
extremely rapid
about the same
Question 21
2 / 2 pts
Which of the following are used by scientists to reconstruct the characteristics of past climates? Select all that are correct.
Correct!
Fossils
Satellite data
Correct!
Ocean sediments
Correct!
Ice cores
Correct!
Tree rings
Question 22
1 / 1 pts
What is the name of the epoch we live in now?
Correct!
Holocene
Paleocene
The Little Ice Age
Eocene
Question 23
2 / 2 pts
Which of the following are true of inter-glacial periods? Select all that are correct.
They occur during both icehouse and greenhouse periods on Earth.
Correct!
They tend to last from 10,000 to 30,000 years.
They are caused by human activity
Correct!
They are the warm periods between ice ages.