Climate

What would be the average temperature of the Earth without the greenhouse effect?

• -18

• -15

• 0

• 15

Answer explanation

Thus, without the greenhouse effect, the average temperature on Earth would be -18°C and little water would be in liquid form. This effect has a beneficial influence since it allows our planet to have an average temperature of 15° C, and therefore life on earth.

How much has the sea level risen since 1900?

• ~ 4 dm

• ~ 2 cm

• ~ 2 dm

• ~ 1 m

Answer explanation

Since 1900, the sea level has risen by about 25 cm on average globally, with a clear acceleration: over the last 25 years, the rise has been about 8 cm on a global scale, or an average of 3 mm per year

As ice melts, what types of ice cause sea levels to rise? (multiple choices)

• mountain glaciers

• the ice pack

• icebergs

• the ice caps (on the continents, at the poles)

Answer explanation

The melting of mountain glaciers and ice caps lead to a rise in sea level. Indeed, floating ice (icebergs and pack ice) do not increase the sea level by melting. The volume of the submerged part of an iceberg is the same as the volume it will occupy in liquid form after melting.

Is air quality in the United States better or worse than it was 20 years ago?

• Better

• Worse

• same

• there is no more air in the USA

Answer explanation

It is better. Largely due to the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, which reduced emissions from industry and mobile sources

When did the IPCC assure that global warming was man-made?

• 1988, since its creation

• 2007, based on the increase in extreme climatic phenomena

• 2014, in view of the COP21 in 2015 in Paris

• 2005, since hurricane katrina

Answer explanation

In 2007, the IPCC experts stated that there is a 90% chance that humans are responsible for climate change.

The Gulf Stream is an ocean current that originates between Florida and the Bahamas and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. What impact will global warming have on this current?

• A sudden cooling of the climate in Europe

• A brutal cooling of the climate in America

• A brutal warming of the climate in Europe

• A brutal warming of the climate in America

Answer explanation

The Gulf Stream, which brings heat from the coasts of Virginia to Europe, could be modified or even disappear. The consequence for Europe would be a sudden cooling of the climate.

High mountains are particularly sensitive to climate and environmental changes. Between 1880 and 1980, how many glaciers disappeared?

• 94

• 26

• 58

• 71

Answer explanation

According to Spanish researchers, by 2050, 21 glaciers in the Pyrenees could disappear. The Glacier National Park in Montana could disappear completely by 2030 (of its 150 glaciers, only 26 still exist).

Global warming has led to the discovery of a 30,000-year-old virus in the frozen soil of Siberia. What disease, eradicated in 1977 and dangerous to humans, could be revived?

• The plague

• Diphtheria

• Smallpox ('variole' in french)

• Whooping cough ('coqueluche' in french)

Answer explanation

Following the melting of ice in Siberia, some experts fear that human remains are exposed to the open air, making the reactivation of the smallpox virus potentially possible.