Climate Change Environmental Science Fundamentals 4

Question 1

What is 'climate sensitivity' as used by climate scientists?

Accepted Answer

The equilibrium temperature increase expected from a doubling of atmospheric CO₂

Answer

How quickly ecosystems respond to temperature shifts

Answer

The degree to which different regions warm compared to the global average

Answer

How sensitive climate models are to initial data inputs

Question 2

What is 'thermal expansion' and why is it significant for sea level rise?

Accepted Answer

The increase in ocean volume as seawater warms and expands

Answer

The expansion of Arctic permafrost as it absorbs heat

Answer

The growth of glaciers when temperatures rise above freezing

Answer

The widening of the ozone hole due to higher UV radiation

Question 3

How does climate change affect the water cycle in terms of precipitation extremes?

Accepted Answer

Warmer air holds more moisture, intensifying both droughts and heavy precipitation events

Answer

It makes precipitation more uniform and predictable globally

Answer

It shifts all precipitation from rain to snow in northern regions

Answer

It reduces total global precipitation while redistributing it equally

Question 4

Which US coastal city faces the highest combined risk from sea level rise AND land subsidence?

Accepted Answer

New Orleans, Louisiana

Answer

San Francisco, California

Answer

Portland, Maine

Answer

Seattle, Washington

Question 5

What distinguishes 'adaptation' from 'mitigation' in climate change response strategies?

Accepted Answer

Mitigation addresses causes; adaptation adjusts to impacts that are already occurring or inevitable

Answer

Adaptation reduces emissions; mitigation helps communities cope with extreme weather

Answer

Mitigation is a local strategy; adaptation requires international cooperation

Answer

Adaptation applies only to ecosystems; mitigation applies only to human systems

Question 6

What role do wetlands play in the global carbon cycle?

Accepted Answer

They act as carbon sinks, storing large amounts of organic carbon in waterlogged soils

Answer

They are primarily carbon sources, releasing large amounts of CO₂ year-round

Answer

They have a neutral carbon balance and do not affect atmospheric CO₂

Answer

They only sequester carbon in tropical regions near the equator

Question 7

What is 'loss and damage' in international climate negotiations?

Accepted Answer

Compensation for climate-related harms that cannot be adapted to or avoided

Answer

Financial penalties imposed on countries that exceed emission targets

Answer

Insurance programs for businesses affected by carbon taxes

Answer

Legal liability for nations that historically emitted the most greenhouse gases