Climate change and global Warming chp. 9 – Flashcards
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We are entering the ____________________ epoch, named for dominant role that human beings play in altering Earth's environment.
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anthropocene
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What is the average annual air temperature near the Earth's surface?
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57 f
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Impacts of global warming include all of the following except ________.
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decrease in mortality because winter is warmer
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Which of the following will have the least impact on rising sea level?
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melting of the floating polar ice caps.
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Business as usual scenario assumes that what will happen?
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no action is taken to reduce green house gas emission.
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General circulation models simulate what kind of processes in Earth's environment?
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physical
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About how much are greenhouse gas emissions reduced by switching from coal to natural gas?
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by about one quarter
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Transportation efficiency refers specifically to ________.
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employing more hybrid vehicle tech
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Total annual carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions are greatest in ________.
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china
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When examining the Keeling Curve in the accompanying graph, one notices a "zigzag" upward-moving curve. What do these small up and down movements indicate?
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seasonal cycles in carbon dioxide concentrations
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True or false. The economic impacts of global warming will be the same in every region.
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false
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True or false. The IPCC science members summarize research published by experts in related climate change fields to inform policymakers.
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true
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The earth has_____ for the past 2 million years
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cycled between hot and cold
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A cooling of surface ocean waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean is known specifically as ________.
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La Nina
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Which of the following is the least abundant natural greenhouse gas?
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methane
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The alternating cold and warm periods in Earth's climate over the past 2 millions years is called the:
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Pleistocene epoch
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The ________ is the current interglacial period and began about 10,000 years ago.
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Holocene
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Global temperature trends can be inferred from changes in ________ and ________.
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fossils; chemical isotopes found in sediments and glacial ice
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Which of the following is not expected to occur with a 5 degree Celsius increase in the average annual temperature of Earth?
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Forests will thrive where tundra once existed.
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Photovoltaic cells are ________.
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devices that directly convert sunlight to electrical currents
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If in the next 45 years, we stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at their current annual levels, how much more would greenhouse gas concentrations increase relative to pre-industrial levels?
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about twice as much
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established by which two United Nations organizations?
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the World Meteorological Association and the UN Environmental Program
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True or false. The IPCC science members receive funding from the United Nations to conduct original, peer-reviewed studies on climate change.
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False
