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

Equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) estimates how much global average temperature would ultimately rise if CO₂ concentrations doubled and the climate system reached a new equilibrium, typically estimated between 2.5°C and 4°C.

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

Water expands as it warms, and because the oceans are vast and deep, even small temperature increases translate to significant volume increases that contribute substantially to sea level rise alongside ice melt.

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

A warmer atmosphere holds about 7% more water vapor per degree Celsius (Clausius-Clapeyron relationship), leading to more intense rainfall events when precipitation occurs and longer dry spells between them.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

New Orleans, Louisiana

Answer

New Orleans sits several feet below sea level due to natural compaction and groundwater extraction causing land subsidence, and faces Gulf Coast sea level rise that is faster than the global average.

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

Mitigation reduces or prevents greenhouse gas emissions to limit future warming, while adaptation involves adjusting policies, infrastructure, and behaviors to cope with climate changes that are already locked in.

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Environmental Science Fundamentals 4