Choose the best answer.
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1 | |
Which of the following would indicate a warming in global average temperature? |
| | A) | An expansion of glaciers around the world. |
| | B) | A rise in sea level. |
| | C) | Earlier freeze dates for major lakes. |
| | D) | A and B. |
| | E) | B and C. |
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2 | |
A byproduct of fossil fuel combustion is carbon dioxide. Which of the following is the 'cleanest' with respect to the release of carbon dioxide? |
| | A) | Coal. |
| | B) | Oil. |
| | C) | Wood. |
| | D) | Natural gas. |
| | E) | Gasoline. |
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3 | |
Which of the following would increase the albedo of the earth-atmosphere system? |
| | A) | Deforestation. |
| | B) | Glacial shrinking. |
| | C) | Reduction in snow cover. |
| | D) | All of the above. |
| | E) | None of the above. |
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4 | |
Which of the following represent(s) a source(s) of atmospheric energy? |
| | A) | Infrared radiation emitted downward from clouds. |
| | B) | Visible radiation scattered upward into space. |
| | C) | Latent heat release. |
| | D) | All of the above represent potential sources. |
| | E) | None of the above. |
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5 | |
Which of the following is the least predictable factor in assessing climate change? |
| | A) | Changes in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. |
| | B) | Changes in cloud cover. |
| | C) | Changes in soil moisture. |
| | D) | Changes in the global distribution of vegetation. |
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6 | |
Deforestation leads to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide because: |
| | A) | decomposing trees release carbon dioxide. |
| | B) | live trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via photosynthesis. |
| | C) | burning wood releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. |
| | D) | A and B. |
| | E) | A, B, and C. |
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7 | |
The addition of particulate matter via volcanic eruption or air pollution has what effect on the global average temperature? |
| | A) | The temperature will increase, due to the particulate's ability to absorb and emit longwave radiation. |
| | B) | The temperature will decrease as a result of decreased solar insolation. |
| | C) | The temperature will remain constant, as the effects noted in A and B exactly balance one another. |
| | D) | All of the above are possible effects. |
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8 | |
Why would global warming lead to an increase in sea level? |
| | A) | Sea ice would melt. |
| | B) | Land-based ice would melt. |
| | C) | An increase in water temperature would cause the water to expand. |
| | D) | A and B. |
| | E) | B and C. |
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9 | |
Which of the following statements is/are true? |
| | A) | Experiments reveal that the greatest warming from doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide will be found along the equator. |
| | B) | Due to uncertainty, climate modelling experiments should be viewed with caution. |
| | C) | Computer models that predict weather and climate are infallible. |
| | D) | All of the statements are true. |
| | E) | All of the above are false. |
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10 | |
Which of the following is not considered to be a greenhouse gas? |
| | A) | Methane. |
| | B) | Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). |
| | C) | Hydrogen. |
| | D) | Water vapor. |
| | E) | Ozone. |
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11 | |
Which of the following is an example of a positive feedback loop? |
| | A) | A weak surface low deepens, strengthening the wind field, which leads to stronger thermal and vorticity advections, which deepen the surface low. |
| | B) | The local atmosphere becomes unstable, resulting in thunderstorms that stabilize the local atmosphere. |
| | C) | Increased solar radiation leads to an increase in global average temperature, which increases evaporation and cloud cover, blocking solar insolation. |
| | D) | All of these are positive feedback loops. |
| | E) | All of these are negative feedback mechanisms. |
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12 | |
Which of the following statements about the trend in global average temperature is true? |
| | A) | There is a distinct causal relationship between the greenhouse effect and global warming. |
| | B) | Proxy data do not support the reported increase in global average temperature. |
| | C) | While the global average surface temperature is increasing, the average stratospheric temperature is actually decreasing. |
| | D) | Since there is doubt to the validity of the link between global warming and increased greenhouse gases, it is safe to dismiss global warming as harmless. |
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13 | |
Why is it desirable to examine temperature 'statistics' as opposed to actual temperatures when determining the potential of global warming? |
| | A) | Temperature data can be error-ridden, which can be (at least partially) alleviated by the use of statistics. |
| | B) | The long-term trend can be masked by year-to-year variations. |
| | C) | Actual temperature data is of little climatological value. |
| | D) | B and C are valid reasons. |
| | E) | A and B are valid reasons. |
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14 | |
If no preventative action is taken, the global average temperature is estimated to: |
| | A) | increase by 3°C by 2100. |
| | B) | decrease by 2°C by 2050. |
| | C) | increase by 3°F by 2100. |
| | D) | increase by 5°C by 2100. |
| | E) | remain constant. |
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15 | |
Representativeness is a major issue when examining climate data. If a city's weather observation site is located at an airport, what judgment can we make about its temperature data? |
| | A) | The city is typically warmer than reported by the observation site. |
| | B) | The city is always cooler than reported. |
| | C) | The city's temperature is usually within a degree of the airport temperature. |
| | D) | Airport temperatures are warmer than the city due to measurement error. |
| | E) | There are a number of unknown factors that make it impossible to make a judgment without greater knowledge of the area. |
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education