Climate Change Environmental Science Fundamentals 2

Question 1

Which ocean current system plays a critical role in redistributing heat globally and is vulnerable to disruption by freshwater influx from melting ice?

Accepted Answer

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Answer

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) transports warm surface water northward and cold deep water southward, but freshwater from melting glaciers can weaken this conveyor belt.

Question 2

What is the primary reason permafrost thaw is considered a climate change 'tipping point'?

Accepted Answer

It releases stored carbon as CO₂ and methane, amplifying warming

Answer

Permafrost stores vast amounts of organic carbon; when it thaws, microbial decomposition releases CO₂ and methane, creating a positive feedback loop that accelerates warming.

Question 3

Which biogeochemical cycle is most directly disrupted when fossil fuels are burned?

Accepted Answer

Carbon cycle

Answer

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon that was sequestered underground for millions of years back into the atmosphere, disrupting the natural carbon cycle balance.

Question 4

Ocean acidification caused by absorbed CO₂ most directly threatens which marine organisms?

Accepted Answer

Organisms that build calcium carbonate shells or skeletons

Answer

Carbonic acid formed when CO₂ dissolves in seawater lowers pH, making it harder for corals, mollusks, and echinoderms to build and maintain their calcium carbonate structures.

Question 5

What distinguishes 'radiative forcing' as a concept in climate science?

Accepted Answer

The imbalance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation

Answer

Radiative forcing measures the change in energy flux in the atmosphere caused by natural or anthropogenic factors, with positive values indicating net warming and negative values indicating net cooling.

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Environmental Science Fundamentals 2