Climate Science & Atmospheric Systems Flashcards
7 cards from real CAP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Climate Science & Atmospheric Systems flashcards as text
Which of the following gases has the highest 100-year Global Warming Potential (GWP100) among common industrial refrigerants?
Answer: Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆)
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) has a GWP100 of approximately 23,500, making it one of the most potent greenhouse gases used in electrical switchgear.
What climate phenomenon is characterized by anomalous warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean?
Answer: El Niño
El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), during which warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific alter global weather patterns.
The carbon cycle's 'biological pump' refers to which process?
Answer: Ocean phytoplankton fixing CO₂ that sinks as organic matter
The biological pump describes the process by which marine phytoplankton absorb CO₂ through photosynthesis, and when they die, transport organic carbon to the deep ocean.
According to the IPCC AR6, which scenario (SSP) projects the highest warming by 2100?
Answer: SSP5-8.5
SSP5-8.5 represents a fossil-fuel intensive development pathway with the highest greenhouse gas emissions, projecting up to 4.4°C of warming above pre-industrial levels by 2100.
What is the approximate atmospheric lifetime of CO₂ that is most relevant for long-term climate commitments?
Answer: Centuries to millennia
While the 'effective' atmospheric lifetime of CO₂ is often cited as 50–100 years for policy purposes, about 20% of emitted CO₂ remains in the atmosphere for thousands of years.
Which Earth system tipping point could irreversibly destabilize the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, contributing multiple meters of sea level rise?
Answer: Marine ice sheet instability (MISI)
Marine Ice Sheet Instability (MISI) is a self-reinforcing feedback where warm ocean water melts the base of marine-based ice sheets, potentially causing irreversible collapse.
In atmospheric science, what does a 'temperature inversion' describe?
Answer: A layer where temperature increases with altitude rather than decreasing
A temperature inversion is an atmospheric condition where a layer of warm air traps cooler air below it, reversing the typical decrease of temperature with altitude.