MCQ Questions

Question 1

What is the IPCC?
a) Independent Panel for a Changing Climate b) International Panel on Climate Change
c) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
d) Independent Panel on Climate Change
e) Intergovernmental Research on Climate Change

Answer 1

intergovernmental panel on climate change

Question 2

Which of the following is the main reason that the tropics is warmer than the poles?

a) there is more ice at the poles
b) the tropics receives more sunlight than the poles
c) the poles receive less infrared radiation
d) the poles are a greater altitude than the tropics
e) it is windier at the poles

Answer 2

b) the tropics receives more sunlight than the poles

Question 3

3) Which of the following is not a climate forcing?

a) greenhouse gas emissions from human activities b) changing energy output of the sun
c) a large, explosive volcanic eruption
d) changes in the fraction of stratus clouds
e) air pollution leading to elevated ozone

Answer 3

d) changes in the fraction of stratus clouds

Question 4

Which of the following is a climate feedback?

a) deforestation to make way for agricultural
b) increasing nitrous oxide concentration from vehicle exhaust c) reduced reflection of sunlight as ice melts with warming
d) volcanic aerosol haze
e) aircraft contrails

Answer 4

C

Question 5

5) What is the approximate global average surface temperature?

a) 255 K
b) 25 oC
c) 273.15 K
d) 15 oC
e) 5oC

Answer 5

d) 15 oC

Question 6

6) Which of the following is a negative radiative forcing?

a) decreasing CO2 concentration due to climate mitigation b) less volcanic eruptions than average
c) increasing concentrations of CFCs
d) increasing coverage of stratus cloud as the ocean warms e) a brighter sun

Answer 6

d) increasing coverage of stratus cloud as the ocean warms

Question 7

7) Which of the following is a negative feedback?

a) Croll/Milankovic cycles in solar radiation
b) Decreases in water vapour in response to volcanic cooling c) Decreases in CO2 concentration during glaciation
d) Cloud brightening due to industrial aerosol emissions
e) Decreased low altitude cloud coverage as the planet cools

Answer 7

d) Cloud brightening due to industrial aerosol emissions

Question 8

8) What is the definition of albedo?

a) the fraction of incoming infra-red radiation that is absorbed b) the coverage of ice
c) the absorbed solar radiation by the planet
d) The fraction of surface emitted radiation reaching space
e) the fraction of incoming sunlight that is reflected

Answer 8

e) the fraction of incoming sunlight that is reflected

Question 9

9) What is global warming potential?

a) The amount of climate change that could occur
b) A measure of the relative potency of different gases
c) The increase in temperature for a specific level of emissions d) The amount of warming that would be prevented by mitigation e) The amount of warming that would happen without mitigation

Answer 9

b) A measure of the relative potency (strenghth) of different gases

strength is the definiton of potency

Question 10

10) Sea level is currently

a) falling by 5-6 mm/year at most locations
b) rising globally at 3-4 mm/year
c) 80m lower than the last glacial maximum d) 120m higher than the last interglacial

Answer 10

b) rising globally at 3-4 mm/year

Question 11

11) . What is the largest single source of uncertainty in predictions of global mean temperature change for the end of the 21st century?

(a)Errors in the formulation of climate models
(b)Natural climate variability
(c)Variations in the energy coming from the Sun
(d)Variations in future anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions
(e)Unknown levels of emissions of sulphate aerosol from future
volcanic eruptions

Answer 11

(d)Variations in future anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions

Question 12

Which of the following greenhouse gas emission scenarios is likely to lead to the largest increase in global mean temperature by the end of the 21st century?

(a)Constant year 2000 emissions
(b)RCP 8.5 scenario
(c) Doubling of CO2 scenario
(d)Stabilisation at 450 parts per million atmospheric CO2
concentration
(e)RCP2.6 scenario

Answer 12

(b)RCP 8.5 scenario

Question 13

A climate change scenario is:

(a) a prediction of the future climate
(b) a description of a feasible future climate (c) a forecast of future climate
(d) a long-term weather forecast
(e) a proposal for a climate mitigation policy

Answer 13

(b) a description of a feasible future climate

Question 14

14) Which of the following is the best definition of a Complex Climate Model?

(a)A numerical representation of the energy balance at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere
(b)A mathematical representation of all the physical processes and feedbacks which affect the Earth’s climate
(c) A statistical definition of the Earth’s climate
(d)A physical model of the Earth’s atmosphere, built in a laboratory (e)A set of computer code used to produce weather forecasts

Answer 14

(b)A mathematical representation of all the physical processes and feedbacks which affect the Earth’s climate

Question 15

15) Which of the following processes is NOT dealt with by “parametrization” in the current generation of Global Climate Models?

(a) Formation of clouds and precipitation
(b) Transmission of solar radiation through the atmosphere
(c) Wind motions due to pressure gradients in the atmosphere
(d) Transfer of heat from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere
(e) Turbulent drag due to the generation of gravity waves as air
flows over mountains

Answer 15

(d) Transfer of heat from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere

Question 16

Which one of the following processes is NOT included with the latest generation of Earth System Models used for climate change prediction?

a.) Interactions between the atmosphere and vegetation
b.)The uptake and release of carbon by oceanic biogeochemistry
c.)Atmospheric chemical reactions which may generate
greenhouse gas species
d.)Interactions between the atmosphere and oceanic ice-sheets
e.)Interactions between the atmosphere and geology (e.g.
weathering and erosion of rocks)

Answer 16

e - interactions between the atmosphere and geology (e.g. weathering and erosion of rocks)

Question 17

17) According to the IPCC AR6 model projections what is the maximum likely sea level rise by 2100?

a) 5cm
b) 10cm
c) 50cm
d) 1m
e) 2m

Answer 17

1m

Question 18

)Which of the following model components are not used in most weather forecast models and therefore have to be added when
building a climate model?
(a) radiation
(b) cloud formation
(c) ocean
(d) convection
(e) turbulence

Answer 18

(c) ocean

Question 19

Which of the following emissions are not part of an emission scenario?

(a) Emissions of carbon dioxide by power plants
(b) Emissions of soot by cars
(c) Emissions of methane by cows
(d) Emissions of longwave radiation by the surface
(e) Emissions of sulfur dioxide by ships

Answer 19

(b) Emissions of soot by cars

Question 20

what is the best definition of a regional climate model?

a) a model which covers a part of the world in more detail than a global climate model
b) a model operated by a regional climate agency
c) a model predicting each region separately
d) a model which simulates the regional impacts of climate change
e) a local weather forecast model

Answer 20

a) a model which covers a part of the world in more detail than a global climate model

Question 21

What
is a ‘dangerous’ climate change?
is the best definition of a regional climate model?

(a) An increase above 2oC
(b) A subjective level, depending on perspective
(c) An increase above 1.5oC
(d) One that causes irreversible climate change
(e) One that destroys valued ecosystems

Answer 21

(b) A subjective level, depending on perspective

Question 22

22) Is it possible to directly attribute recent heatwaves to climate change?

(a) No, because heatwaves have always occurred
(b) Yes, because the trend is large
(c) No, because there is insufficient proof that heatwaves have become more frequent recently
(d) We cannot say that individual events were directly caused by climate change, but we can say that climate change has made heatwaves like we have experienced more likely
(e) Yes, because recent heatwaves have been longer than ever before

Answer 22

We cannot say that individual events were directly caused by climate change, but we can say that climate change has made heatwaves like we have experienced more likely

Question 23

Why do we not use global climate model output directly to estimate the impacts of climate change at the local scale?

(a) Global climate models are too complicated
(b) Global climate models do not necessarily simulate local
weather very well
(c) Global climate models do not simulate weather
(d) Global climate models take too long to run
(e) Predictions depend too much on assumed emissions

Answer 23

Global climate models do not necessarily simulate local
weather very well

Question 24

By approximately how much, relative to now, is temperature likely to increase in Reading by 2050?

(a) 5-10oC
(b) 0-0.5oC
(c) 20-30oC
(d) 2-3oC
(e) 6-8oC

Answer 24

(d) 2-3oC

Question 25

How is average rainfall likely to change in southern England?

(a) Increase throughout the year
(b) Decrease throughout the year
(c) Less in summer, more in winter
(d) More in summer, less in winter
(e) More very wet days, fewer very dry days

Answer 25

(c) Less in summer, more in winter

Question 26

26) The most recent decade has been approximately how much
warmer than pre-industrial times?

(a) 0.05oC
(b) 5oC
(c) 1.5oC
(d) 0.8oC
(e) 2oC

Answer 26

(c) 1.5oC

Question 27

What
is the long-term temperature goal in the Paris Agreement?

(a) To prevent dangerous climate change
(b) To hold the increase in temperature to well below 2oC above
pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the increase to
1.5oC.
(c) To limit the increase in temperature to 1.5oC.
(d) To hold the increase in temperature to well below 2oC above
current levels and pursue efforts to limit the increase to
1.5oC.
(e) To limit the increase in temperature to 2oC.

Answer 27

To hold the increase in temperature to well below 2oC above
pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the increase to
1.5oC.

Question 28

What should happen to greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve the paris agreement targets?

(a) Emissions have to increase at lower rates than at present
(b) Non-CO2 gases need to be eliminated
(c) Emissions have to decrease after 2050
(d) Developing country emissions need to reduce
(e) Net emissions should be close to zero by the middle of the century

Answer 28

Net emissions should be close to zero by the middle of the century

Question 29

What is meant by the term ‘CO2 equivalent’?

(a) It expresses the effect of a greenhouse gas in terms of the amount of CO2 which would have the same effect
(b) It describes other greenhouse gases
(c) It is the amount of radiative forcing produced by one
molecule of CO2
(d) It is the amount of CO2 in a unit of carbon
(e) It describes the radiative effect of methane

Answer 29

It expresses the effect of a greenhouse gas in terms of the amount of CO2 which would have the same effect

Question 30

Where does the carbon that is emitted by human activity go?

(a) It all goes into the atmosphere
(b) Most of it goes into the ocean
(c) Most is absorbed into rocks
(d) Approximately half stays in the atmosphere
(e) All of it is taken up by vegetation

Answer 30

(d) Approximately half stays in the atmosphere