Climate Change and Atmosphere Flashcards
6 cards from real Environmental Science practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Climate Change and Atmosphere flashcards as text
Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer that protects Earth from UV radiation?
Answer: Stratosphere
The stratospheric ozone layer (15–35 km altitude) absorbs harmful UV-B and UV-C radiation from the sun.
What is the global warming potential (GWP) of methane compared to CO₂ over a 100-year timeframe?
Answer: About 28–36 times greater
Methane's 100-year GWP is approximately 28–36 times that of CO₂, making it a potent but shorter-lived greenhouse gas.
Which international agreement, adopted in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5–2°C above pre-industrial levels?
Answer: Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement commits nations to nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to reduce emissions and limit warming.
Rising sea levels due to climate change are primarily caused by two processes. What are they?
Answer: Thermal expansion of seawater and melting land ice
Warmer water expands (thermal expansion) and melting glaciers/ice sheets add water volume, both raising sea levels.
Which feedback mechanism amplifies warming by reducing Earth's reflectivity as polar ice melts?
Answer: Ice-albedo feedback
As ice melts, it exposes darker ocean or land surfaces with lower albedo, absorbing more solar energy and warming further.
What is the Keeling Curve?
Answer: A continuous record of atmospheric CO₂ concentration at Mauna Loa
The Keeling Curve is the continuous record of atmospheric CO₂ measured at Mauna Loa Observatory since 1958.