Climate Change External and Internal Forcings

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What is the timescale of tectonic processes?

10-100 thousand years
10-100 years
10-100 million years (correct)
100-1000 years

What is an example of internal climate forcing?

Orbital changes
Land cover change
Strength of the sun
Volcanic activity (correct)

What is the result of a positive radiative forcing?

The planet will warm (correct)
No change in the planet's temperature
The planet will cool
The planet's temperature will fluctuate

What is the unit of measurement for radiative forcing?

Watts per meter squared (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a feedback that amplifies the response caused by a climate forcing?

Ice sheet melting (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between incoming and outgoing radiation?

Radiative forcing (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary consequence of decreasing albedo?

More solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth's surface (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the temperature of an object and its energy radiation according to the Stefan-Boltzmann Law?

Temperature is proportional to the fourth power of energy radiation (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of albedo in the Earth's radiation budget?

To reflect solar radiation (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the temperature of the Earth without greenhouse gases?

-19°C (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary pathway for outgoing longwave radiation?

Radiated out into space (D) Signup and view all the answers

What type of radiation is emitted by the Earth's surface?

Longwave radiation (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary effect of deep water rising to the surface in certain regions?

Brings nutrients and promotes surface productivity (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary driver of coastal upwelling?

Wind driving offshore surface ocean transport (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of El Nino?

Anomalously warm sea-surface temperatures in the central/eastern tropical Pacific (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the unit of measurement for carbon in the carbon cycle?

Gigatons (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the current atmospheric CO2 level?

422.80 ppm (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the process that moves carbon between reservoirs in the carbon cycle?

Exchange mechanism (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary direction of net water transport relative to the wind direction?

90° (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of ocean current is characterized by being relatively warm, fast, deep, and narrow?

Western boundary currents (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the zone where temperature changes rapidly with depth?

Thermocline (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary process by which deep water is formed?

Cooling by contact with air (D) Signup and view all the answers

Where is deep water primarily formed?

At high latitudes (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the circulation of ocean water driven by changes in temperature and salinity?

Thermohaline circulation (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'parts per million' (ppm) represent?

A measure of the concentration of gases (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the 'Keeling Curve'?

It is a long-term record of atmospheric CO2 levels (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of measuring carbon isotopes in determining the source of CO2?

To identify the source of the CO2, such as fossil fuels or biological processes (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'residence time' of carbon in a reservoir?

The average period of time carbon spends in a reservoir (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the CO2 data measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii?

It provides a long-term record of atmospheric CO2 levels (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference in delta 13 C values between pre- and post-industrial revolution periods?

The values are lower in the post-industrial revolution period (D) Signup and view all the answers