Quiz Questions Flashcards
1
Q
Which of the following are statements related to CLIMATE (as opposed to weather)? Choose all that apply.
A
- The highest average summertime temperature in Europe on record was in 2024
- A persistent downward trend has been observed in Sierra Nevada snowpack since 1980
- The likelihood of a very wet year following a very dry year in California is increasing
2
Q
Where on Earth has the HIGHEST precipitation?
A
- Near the equator, in the summer hemisphere
3
Q
Averaged across all longitudes, where on Earth has the LOWEST precipitation?
A
- The polar regions (90N and 90S)
4
Q
Why does rain in the MIDLATITUDES tend to fall along the WEST coast of continents?
A
- The storm track pushes air from west to east in the midlatitudes
5
Q
What are some ways to describe MEDITERRANEAN climates? Choose all that apply.
A
- Hot, dry summer
- Wet winter
6
Q
Which of the following is NOT a major component of the Earth system?
A
- The Sun
7
Q
Which of the following is NOT impacted (directly or indirectly) by human activity?
A
- Volcanoes
8
Q
Which of the following is NOT a climate threat in Northern California?
A
- More intense, rainier hurricanes
9
Q
Where on Earth is warming faster than average global temperatures? Select all that apply.
A
- The Arctic
- Over land
10
Q
As a result of climate change, what kind of biome might we expect to find in the Sierra Nevada by end of century?
A
- Woodland/shrubland
11
Q
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
A
- Temperatures are higher at the top of mountains because you are closer to the sun
12
Q
Snow pillows are an example of…
A
- A climate observation system
13
Q
Among the following options, which region of the world is MOST VULNERABLE to drought?
A
- Central Africa
14
Q
Which of the following are likely to INCREASE everywhere under climate change? Select all that apply.
A
- Rainfall from tropical cyclones (when they occur)
- Intensity of tropical cyclones (when they occur)
15
Q
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply
A
- California’s Great Flood of 1862 was only possible because of climate change
- A 1000-year flood event is weaker than a 100-year flood event
16
Q
What is the ORDER OF LAYERS in the Earth’s atmosphere (from bottom to top)?
A
- Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
17
Q
At present and FROM LARGEST PROPORTION TO SMALLEST PROPORTION what is the order of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
A
- water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous dioxide, CFCs
18
Q
What is the MAIN REASON global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration varies seasonally?
A
- Vegetation takes up CO2 to grow, and there is more vegetation in the northern hemisphere so when plants in this region are growing there is less atmospheric CO2
19
Q
Where is the ozone layer located?
A
- In the stratosphere between 20-30km altitude
20
Q
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select all that apply.
A
- Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor are well mixed in the atmosphere (found in roughly equal proportion everywhere)
21
Q
How many circulation cells (such as the Hadley cell) does the Earth have in each hemisphere?
A
- 3
22
Q
What climatological feature is associated with the subtropics (30N and 30S)?
A
- Subsiding (descending) air
23
Q
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
A
- In the Hadley cell, air rises in the subtropics and sinks near the equator
24
Q
Which of the following IS NOT a feature of glacial periods in Earth’s history?
A
- High humidity
25
In brief, what are Milankovitch cycles?
Variations in Earth’s orbit and tilt that drive differences in energy received from the sun
26
Which of the following can be used to estimate Antarctic temperatures from 50 million years ago? Select all that apply.
- Ice cores
- Benthic δ18O from ocean sediments
27
Which of the following can we learn from ice cores? Select all that apply.
- How atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature are related
- The chemistry of the atmosphere over the past 800 thousand years
- How much carbon dioxide is dissolved in the oceans
28
Despite atmospheric carbon dioxide levels being 20-30 times present day values in the distance past, why did the Earth not overheat?
- Because the sun was much weaker in the distant past, higher CO2 levels were needed to keep the planet warm
29
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the greenhouse climates of Earth’s past?
- Lower atmospheric carbon dioxide
30
Which mechanism allows the sun to warm the Earth?
- Radiation
31
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Warmer objects emit less long wavelength radiation than cooler objects
32
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select all that apply.
- The sun only emits radiation in the visible part of the radiative spectrum
- Over the course of a year, a solar panel placed at the equator will generally produce more energy than a solar panel in the Sahara Desert
33
From LEAST ENERGETIC to MOST ENERGETIC order the following types of electromagnetic radiation:
- Radio : Infrared : Visible : Ultraviolet
34
Consulting the plot on slide 21 of the Lecture 05 slide deck (reproduced below), under a cloudless sky approximately how much energy (in Watts per square meter) would you expect to receive at the equator on December 21st?
- 400 W/m2
35
Which of the below factors DIRECTLY AFFECTS the wavelengths of radiation EMITTED by a black body? Select all that apply.
- The temperature of the black body
36
Which of the below processes is PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE for the sky being blue?
- Scattering
37
What is the basic scientific premise of the greenhouse effect?
- Greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere absorb more terrestrial radiation, some of which is re-emitted back to the surface
38
Which of the following land types has the lowest albedo?
- Oceans
39
Which of the following statement is FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Outside of the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, the atmosphere is mostly opaque to radiation.
- Outside of the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, solar radiation is negligible.
40
Approximately what percentage of incident solar radiation on the Earth is reflected back to space?
- 30%
41
Which of the following IS NOT a type of aerosol?
- CFCs
42
Why is PM2.5 dangerous?
- PM2.5 aerosols are small enough to pass through the lungs into the blood stream and cause damage to DNA
43
Which of the following, when in the atmosphere, has a net cooling effect on surface temperatures?
- Organic carbon
44
Which of the following regions IS NOT a substantial source of aerosols?
- Antarctica
45
What is ONE DIFFERENCE between aerosols and greenhouse gases?
- Aerosols generally reflect solar radiation, whereas greenhouse gases do not interact with solar radiation
46
What are ship tracks most closely associated with?
Aerosol indirect effect
47
Which of the following is an example of weather modification that is being done today?
Precipitation suppression from airborne aerosol dispersal
48
How many working groups are part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?
- 3
49
The sixth IPCC assessment report (AR6) states that human influence on the climate system is …?
- unequivocal
50
Match the greenhouse gas with its primary source
- Water vapor = Evaporation
- Carbon Dioxide = Burning of Fossil Fuels
- Methane = Agriculture
- CFCs = Refrigeration
51
Which of the following statements about carbon dioxide is FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Volcanic eruptions ARE NOT a significant source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
- In the past 800,000 years, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have frequently risen above 300 ppm
52
Which of the following quantities have DECREASED over the past 50 years? Select all that apply.
- Global sea ice area
53
Under the high-emission “fossil fueled development” scenario (SSP5-8.5), changes in surface temperatures between 1995-2014 and 2100 are estimated to be
- 3 to 5 degrees C (6 to 9 degrees F)
54
Which changes to the climate system are expected over the next 80 years? Select all that apply.
- Sea level rise of 12 to 30 inches
- Increasing acidity of the oceans
55
Among the following list, which expect should be consulted first if you’re planning to project climate change over the next 80 years?
- Economist
56
What is the water cycle?
- The movement and recycling of water through ocean, land and atmospheric reservoirs
57
If air is saturated, which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
- Absolute humidity equals saturation absolute humidity
58
Roughly where on Earth has the highest specific humidity?
- At the equator
59
Assume you have an air parcel at 100% relative humidity. Which of the following will NOT lead to formation of clouds or fog?
- Heating of the air parcel from solar radiation
60
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
- Global warming will lead to more precipitation in the deserts of the world
61
Where on Earth can you often find relative humidity above 60%? Select all that apply.
- The equator near the surface
- The North pole near the surface
62
Which of the following indicate that a region is currently very humid? Select all that apply.
- High dew point temperature
- Relative humidity near 100%
63
Which of the following types of clouds are primarily caused by active convection? Note that planes will tend to avoid these kind of clouds.
- Cumulonimbus
64
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Convection (rising air) will always lead to precipitation
- When air reaches the lifting condensation level it will stop rising
65
Which of the below mechanisms is a primary driver for precipitation in California from atmospheric rivers?
- Topographic uplift
66
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
- When present, aerosols make it more difficult for water to condense
- Clouds entirely consist of water vapor and liquid water
67
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Raindrops are easily suspended by turbulent motion in the cloud
- When it rises, moist air cools more rapidly than dry air
68
Which of the following is an example of WATER CONVEYANCE?
- California Aqueduct
69
Which of the following sources of water are at the GREATEST RISK from climate change?
- Natural storage
70
Which of the following factors are important for California being the source of 50% of the nation’s fruits and vegetables? Select all that apply.
- A flat nutrient-rich Central Valley
- The warm Mediterranean climate
- Mountainous topography that supports a natural snowpack
71
What is the term for a California water right earned because a parcel of land is adjacent to water?
- Riparian right
72
Which regions of the Sierra Nevada are at GREATEST RISK of snowpack loss?
- The Sierra foothills
73
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Wet periods in California provide enough water to compensate for groundwater loss during dry periods
- Climate change is increasingly shifting precipitation from the Winter into the Spring and Fall
74
Which region of California is experiencing the greatest loss of groundwater?
- Tulare Basin
75
Which of the following approaches is UNLIKELY to significantly help with water supply issues in the future?
- Building more surface reservoirs
76
Under RCP8.5, how many extreme heat days (more than 40 degrees C or 103.9 degrees F) per year are expected in Sacramento by end of century?
- 30-50
77
More frequent wet yearsIn the future, annual precipitation is expected to become more variable. What are the consequences of this? Select all that apply.
- More frequent wet years
- More frequent dry years
- Higher likelihood of an extremely dry year following an extremely wet year
78
Which of the following are responsible for increased wildfire activity? Select all that apply.
- More frequent extreme summertime winds
- More human activity in wildland areas
- Soil drying
79
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Almost all increases in wildfire burned area since the 1980s has been due to climate change
80
Which of the following is expected to DECREASE in the future?
- Frequency of Santa Ana wind events
81
Which of the following is NOT an example of geoengineering?
Improved vehicle fuel efficiency
82
How can one improve the adaptive capacity of California?
- Implement residential health programs
83
The Paris Agreement aims to keep average global temperature increase above pre-industrial levels below…
- 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F)
84
Which of the following statements are FALSE? Select all that apply.
- Current policies are sufficient to hit the Paris Agreement warming target
- The European Union is currently aiming for zero carbon emissions by 2050
85
Which of the following has UC Davis done to tackle climate change? Select all that apply.
- Construction of the UC Davis Anaerobic Biodigester
- Improving building energy efficiency
- Construction of the UC Davis Solar Farm
- Supporting research into technologies for addressing climate change
86
As of this year, which single country is emitting the most total CO2, despite its modest CO2 per capita?
- China
87
Which regions of the world are likely to obtain more agricultural land and higher agricultural productivity because of climate change? Select all that apply.
- Canada
- Europe
88
Of the past four years (2020-2023), how many have experienced a below average number of billion-dollar weather disasters?
- 0
89
Which communities are likely to be disproportionately impacted by climate change? Select all that apply.
- Communities of color
- Low-income groups
- Countries with underdeveloped infrastructure
90
Which of the following is an example of an environmental justice issue that is NOT a climate justice issue?
- Farm workers in California’s Central Valley being frequently exposed to contaminated soils
