How things work college course/Cumulative global warming exam

The unshuffled version can serve as a pre-reading activity for the Wikipedia article, Global warming (permalink)

See Global warming quizzes for other quizzes devoted to this article. This cumulative exam covers every question on the four quizzes.


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Cumulative Global Warming Exam
{Lede} {The lede's graph of the "Global Land Ocean Temperature Index (1880-2013)" shows little or no temperature rise over the last ____ years} - 30 - 100 - 3 + 10 - 300 {Since 1971, 90% of earth's increased energy caused by global warming has been stored in the _____________, mostly _____________} - land; near the equators - sea; in the bottom kilometer - land; near the poles - air; in the water vapor + sea; in the top kilometer {The lede's graph of the "Global Land Ocean Temperature Index (1880-2013)" shows that since 1920, there has never been a decade of overall cooling} - true + false {The largest temperature increases (from 2000-2009) have occurred } - in the western hemisphere + near the poles - on the ocean surface - near the equator {The 2007 IPCC report stated that most global warming was likely being caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities. Among the science academies of the major industrialized nations, this finding was recognized by} - 90% of the academies of science - 60% of the academies of science - all but the US academy of science + all of the academies of science { in 2013, the IPCC stated that the largest driver of global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Other important sources of CO2 are} - population growth - cement production and waste disposal - population growth and waste disposal + cement production and land use changes {The lede's graphs of the "Global Land Ocean Temperature Index (1880-2013)" indicates that from 1960 to 2012 the average temperature increased by approximately} - 0.16&deg; Celsius + 0.6&deg; Celsius - 16&deg; Celsius - 1.6&deg; Celsius - 0.06&deg; Celsius {Which statement is FALSE about the lede's map of the temperature anomaly (2000-2009)? } - Northern Asia has warmed more than southern Asia - Central Europe has warmed more than the continental United States + all portions of Antarctica have warmed - The United States has warmed more than Australia {The lede's "CO2 Emissions per Year" graph (1990-2010) shows dips and rises that are caused by changes in} - the earth's distance from the sun + the world economy - worldwide efforts to curtail emissions - the sun's energy output {The lede's "CO2 Emissions per Year" graph (1990-2010) shows solid straight lines that represent} - estimates of the contributions from everything except fossil fuels - estimates of the contributions from fossil fuels alone - estimates of the impact on land temperatures + estimates made in the year 2000 of what would happen in the future {In climate science, mitigation refers to:} - adaptation to the effects of global warming - building systems resilient to the effects of global warming + reduction of green house emissions - climate engineering {Anthropogenic means something that} + human caused - humans cannot repair - will hurt humans - humans can repair { Observed temperature changes } {The Earth's average surface temperature rose by approximately _______ per decade over the period 1906–2005.} - 0.7&deg;C - 7.0&deg;C + 0.07&deg;C {In the twentieth century, the rate of earth's average temperature rise was closest to} - 0.7 &deg;C per year - 0.7 &deg;C per decade + 0.7 &deg;C per century {Compared with the first half of the twentieth century, the rate of earth's average temperature rise during the second (latter) half was } - half as much - about the same + twice as much {Compared with the second half of the twentieth century, the rate of earth's average temperature rise during the first half was} - twice as much + half as much - about the same {The urban heat island effect refers to the fact that urban areas tend to be hotter than rural areas. The urban heat island effect is estimated to account for approximately  _____ of the temperature rise over the past century.} - 0.3% - 0% - 30% + 3% {Proxy temperatures measurements are defined as indirect inferences gathered from ice cores, tree rings, and so forth} + true -false {Proxy temperatures measurements are defined as measurements made using measurements from space.} - true + false {The Reconstructed Temperature (0-2000 AD) plot in "Observed Temperature Changes" shows temperature measurements. The solid black line represents} - the Medieval Warming Period - a 10 year average + thermometer measurements - tree proxy measurements - the Little Ice Age {The Reconstructed Temperature (0-2000 AD) plot in "Observed Temperature Changes" shows temperature measurements, as well as what curious feature? (See also Divergence problem)} - a divergence between the tree and pollen proxy measurements - the fact that the different proxy measurements deviate considerably from the average of all proxy measurements - the Little Ice Age being less prominent than the Medieval Warming period + a tiny gap at the end of the proxy measurements {A rise in the sea level is associated with global warming because} + both of these are true - ice and snow melts - water tends to expand as it warms {What happens when water is heated?} - it expands at temperatures below 3.98&deg;C and contracts above 3.98&deg;C + it expands at temperatures above 3.98&deg;C and contracts below 3.98&deg;C - it absorbs CO2 {No direct method exists that permits an independent measurement of the heat content of the oceans, other than the fact that the air is warming} - true + false {Ocean temperatures are increasing more slowly than land temperatures because oceans have more heat capacity and because evaporation cools the water.} + true - false {Ocean temperatures are increasing more slowly than land temperatures because the oceans are absorbing less heat energy from the sun} - true + false {Initial causes of temperature changes and external forcings} {The "Greenhouse effect schematic" in the section on "Temperature changes..." indicates that most of the energy from the Sun is absorbed by the earth's atmosphere.} - true + false {The "Greenhouse effect schematic" in the section on "Temperature changes..." indicates that most of the energy from the Sun is absorbed at the earth's surface.} + true - false {Which external force plays the smallest role in current efforts to model global warming?} - volcanic eruptions - greenhouse gasses - solar luminosity (i.e. variations in energy from the sun) + orbital cycles {"External forcings" refer to effects that can increase, but not decrease, the Earth's temperature.} - true + false {"External forcings" refer to effects that can either increase or decrease, the Earth's temperature.} - true + false {Water vapor contributes more to the greenhouse effect than does carbon dioxide.} + true - false {Carbon dioxide contributes more to the greenhouse effect than does water vapor.} - true + false {The Keeling curve shows that carbon dioxide concentrations} - show a steady rise in CO2 levels, at constant slope, and irregular fluctuations due associated with El Ninos and La Ninas. + show a steady rise in CO2 levels, with increasing slope, and regular and predictable annual fluctuations - show a steady rise in CO2 levels, at constant slope, and regular and predictable annual fluctuations {The climate change community is divided between those who believe the goal should be to eliminate the earth's greenhouse effect altogether, and those who argue that we should attempt to minimize earth's greenhouse effect.} - true + false {Emissions scenarios are} + estimates of changes in future emission levels of greenhouse gases - estimates of how greenhouse gasses are absorbed and emitted by nature - estimates of how greenhouse gasses are absorbed and emitted by the world's oceans - estimates of how greenhouse gasses are absorbed and emitted by agriculture {It is expected that carbon emissions will begin to diminish in the 21st century as fossil fuel reserves begin to dwindle.} - true + false {The carbon cycle } - is an effort to store carbon in underground caves. + describes how carbon is absorbed and emitted by the oceans, soil, plants, etc. - is a proposal to trade carbon credits. {Global dimming, caused by air-born particulates produced by volcanoes and human made pollutants} - exerts a heating effect by absorbing infra-red radiation from earth's surface + exerts a cooling effect by increasing the reflection of incoming sunlight - is more related to the ozone problem than to global warming {Soot tends to warm the earth when it accumulates in atmospheric brown clouds.} - true + false {Soot tends to cool the earth when it accumulates in atmospheric brown clouds.} + true - false {In the arctic, soot tends to cool the earth.} - true + false {In the arctic, soot tends to warm the earth.} + true - false {Approximately what percent of global warming can be attributed to a long-term trend (since 1978) in the sun's energy?} + 0% - 50% - 30% - 10% {Greenhouse warming acts to cool the stratosphere} + true - false {Greenhouse warming acts to warm the stratosphere} - true + false {The distinction between the urban heat island effect and land use changes is that the latter involves the earth's average temperature while the former involves only the temperature near weather stations where the measurements are made} + true - false {Depleting the ozone layer cools the stratosphere because ozone allows UV radiation to penetrate.} - true + false {Depleting the ozone layer cools the stratosphere because ozone absorbs UV energy from the sun that heats the stratosphere.} + true - false { Feedback } {Changes in ice-albedo refers to changes in} - how much ice is melted during the summer months - how much CO2 is absorbed by the sun + how much the Earth's surface absorbs or reflects incoming sunlight {The Stefan-Boltzmann law plays a central role in establishing a planets temperature as the sun heats the planet until the thermal (infra-red) radiation away the planet rises to match the solar radiation onto the planet} + true - false {The Stefan-Boltzmann law plays a central role in establishing a planets temperature as the sun heats the planet with thermal (infra-red) radiation adding to the other solar radiation onto the planet} - true + false {Stefan-Boltzmann radiation is called a negative feedback mechanism because if the sun's radiation increases, the Stefan-Boltzmann law ensures that more heat is lost from the planet to compensate.} + true - false {Stefan-Boltzmann radiation is called a negative feedback mechanism because if the sun's radiation increases, the Stefan-Boltzmann law ensures that this heat is retained by the planet.} - true + false { Climate models } {Computer models accurately model feedback mechanisms associated with the role of clouds as a feedback mechanism.} - true + false {Computer models accurately model feedback mechanisms associated with how the soil will retain or release CO2 as the earth warms.} - true + false {Analysis of the uncertainties associated with feedback suggests that the "worst-case" scenario is easier to model.} - true + false {Analysis of the uncertainties associated with feedback suggests that the "worst-case" scenario is more difficult to model.} + true - false {The cryosphere refers to} - the highest mountains + two of these are true - the upper atmosphere - the north and south poles {While computer modeling indicate that the warming since 1970 is dominated by man-made greenhouse gas emissions, they are unable to conclusively ascertain whether the warming from 1910 to 1945 was anthropogenic.} + true - false {Computer modeling has conclusively established that anthropogenic warming has occurred since 1910.} - true + false {How is the validity of a computer model typically tested?} - by making predictions about future years and seeing if they come true. + all of these are true - by verifying its ability to calculate current climate conditions. - by verifying its ability to calculate past climate conditions.