Environmental Science Climate Change and Atmosphere 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Ocean acidification is caused primarily by oceans absorbing excess:
- Methane
- Nitrogen oxide
- Carbon dioxide (Correct answer)
- Sulfur dioxide
Correct answer: Carbon dioxide
Absorbed CO₂ reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid, lowering ocean pH and threatening shell-forming organisms.
Question 2: Which phenomenon involves unusual warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, disrupting global weather patterns?
- La Niña
- El Niño (Correct answer)
- North Atlantic Oscillation
- Arctic Oscillation
Correct answer: El Niño
El Niño is a periodic warming of Pacific surface waters that shifts rainfall patterns and can cause droughts and floods globally.
Question 3: What is a carbon sink?
- A device that captures carbon from smokestacks
- A natural or artificial reservoir that absorbs more carbon than it releases (Correct answer)
- A deep-sea carbon storage facility
- The point where CO₂ emissions equal absorption
Correct answer: A natural or artificial reservoir that absorbs more carbon than it releases
Carbon sinks like forests and oceans absorb net CO₂ from the atmosphere, helping regulate atmospheric carbon levels.
Question 4: Which sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States?
- Agriculture
- Industry
- Transportation (Correct answer)
- Electricity production
Correct answer: Transportation
Transportation overtook electricity as the largest U.S. GHG source, accounting for about 28% of total emissions.
Question 5: The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) primarily does which of the following?
- Enforces international climate treaties
- Sets national emissions targets
- Assesses and synthesizes climate science for policymakers (Correct answer)
- Funds renewable energy projects
Correct answer: Assesses and synthesizes climate science for policymakers
The IPCC reviews and synthesizes published climate science to provide authoritative assessment reports for policymakers.
Question 6: Which natural process releases large amounts of methane from thawing Arctic permafrost?
- Sublimation
- Methanogenesis by soil microbes (Correct answer)
- Hydrolysis
- Oxidation
Correct answer: Methanogenesis by soil microbes
As permafrost thaws, anaerobic microbes decompose organic matter and produce methane through methanogenesis.
Environmental Science Climate Change and Atmosphere 2
Ocean acidification is caused primarily by oceans absorbing excess: