Unit 4 AOS 1 - Climate Change

Which of the following approaches do scientists use as the main method of projecting how Earth’s climate will change in the future?

•  assumptions about the continuation of current climate trends

• simulations by computer-based climate models

• ice core and tree ring records

• daily weather forecasts

Which one of the following is not a method of collecting scientific evidence of past atmospheric conditions?

•  palaeobotany

• ice core sampling

• climate modelling

• temperature monitoring

Sea surface temperature (SST) can be recorded to monitor long-term temperature changes, forecast the weather and assist with climate modelling.

Which one of the following would be the best method to generate SST data?

•  Use submarines to collect ocean temperature data at different depths globally.

•  Investigate changes in tide levels at different coastal locations.

• Analyse ice core samples in both Antarctica and the Arctic.

• Use temperature sensors on ships and buoys.

Snow has a high albedo.

This means that it will

• store a high percentage of carbon.

• release a high percentage of methane.

• reflect a high percentage of incoming solar energy.

• absorb a high percentage of incoming infrared radiation.

Volcanic eruptions release emissions that contribute to the composition of the atmosphere.

Which one of the following is a major gas emitted from volcanic eruptions?

• methane

•  nitrous oxide

• carbon dioxide

• chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

As part of the natural greenhouse effect, visible light is

• trapped by greenhouse gases.

• absorbed by Earth and re-emitted as infrared radiation.

• converted into ultraviolet radiation in the thermosphere.

• reflected by Earth as infrared radiation and then absorbed by greenhouse gases.

Which one of the following lists the gases in Earth’s atmosphere from greatest concentration to lowest concentration?

• oxygen, neon, methane, nitrogen

• nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide

• carbon dioxide, oxygen, methane, xenon

• nitrogen, methane, sulfur dioxide, oxygen

Which one of the following is an example of carbon sequestration?

• burning crop waste instead of burying it in soil

• adding iron to the oceans to enhance plankton growth

• replacing coal-burning power stations with solar power stations

• monitoring programs that measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere