Temperature Record 101: How We Know What We Know about Climate Change

The video discusses the history and current state of global warming, highlighting the testimony of Jim Hansen in 1988 and the subsequent rise in Earth's temperature. It explains NASA's GISS temperature record, which tracks climate changes from 1880 to the present. The video details methods for verifying climate data, including collaboration with NOAA and satellite measurements. It identifies human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, as primary causes of climate change, and describes the effects on Earth's systems, including ocean warming and extreme weather. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding and mitigating climate change.

What significant event in 1988 is highlighted in the context of global warming?

• The discovery of the ozone hole

• The first Earth Day celebration

• Jim Hansen's testimony before the US Senate

• The launch of the first weather satellite

What is the primary source of data for the GISS temp record?

• Ice core samples

• Historical climate models

• Weather stations and ocean buoys

• Satellite imagery

Which human activity is primarily responsible for the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

• Deforestation

• Nuclear energy production

• Burning of fossil fuels

• Agricultural practices

What is the Keeling Curve used to measure?

• Ozone layer thickness

• Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels

• Sea level rise

• Global temperature changes

How do oceans contribute to mitigating climate change?

• By increasing salinity

• By expanding in volume

• By reflecting sunlight

• By absorbing excess heat

What is a significant consequence of ice melting due to global warming?

• Increased volcanic activity

• Rising sea levels

• More frequent earthquakes

• Decreased ocean salinity

What is a major effect of climate change on weather patterns?

• Decreased hurricane frequency

• More intense snowstorms

• Shorter drought periods

• Less extreme precipitation