Climate

El Nino develops because of a weakening of what?

• polar front
• prevailing westerlies
• trade winds
• jet stream

Which natural factor is capable of ejecting ash and other gases into the atmosphere reducing local temperatures.

• sunspots
• volcanic eruption
• El Nino
• La Nina

Southern Israel has a climate described as humid in the summer and dry in the winter.  Which of the following would be the best classification for this climate?

• continental
• polar
• tropical
• dry

Which of the following climate categorizes is categorized by consistently freezing temperatures and constant low rainfall?

• tropical
• temperate
• continental 
• polar

How is climate different than weather?

• Climate influences people's daily activities
• weather refers to atmospheric conditions for a given season
• climate is based on observations for a given region over several years
• climate is constantly changes, whereas weather changes slowly over time

Which of these events is an example of a change in climate?

• average annual precipitation decreases
• a break-out of tornadoes in an area
• an overnight temperature drop forming frost
• afternoon clouds blocking out sunlight

Carbon dioxide levels in the ocean are directly related to carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.  What would be the most likely effect of burning large amounts of the rainforest?

• the ocean water would become more alkaline
• the ocean water would become more acidic
• the ocean water would dissolve gases less easily
• the ocean water would dissolve gases more easily

Visible light reaches Earth's surface while infrared light is trapped as heat.  Which characteristic of the Earth's atmosphere causes this to happen?

• the ozone layer
• the ozone hole
• greenhouse gases
• temperature inversion

Which of these is a likely consequence if the trend of global warming continues?

• evaporation will enlarge land areas near coastlines
• melting glaciers will cause flooding of coastal cities
• melting glaciers will reduce lake sizes in mountain regions
• evaporation will cause sea level to rise

What effect does the burning of coal have on the environment?

• decrease in atmospheric temperature
• increase amounts of radioactive waste
• increased levels of greenhouse gases
• decreased rates of deforestation