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
In the context of the global carbon cycle, 'net land use change emissions' primarily refer to CO₂ released from:
Answer: Deforestation, peatland drainage, and conversion of natural ecosystems
Net land use change emissions account for carbon lost when forests, peatlands, and other natural ecosystems are converted to agricultural or urban land, typically releasing stored organic carbon.
What does a positive Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS) value of 3°C mean in practice?
Answer: A doubling of atmospheric CO₂ from pre-industrial levels would ultimately result in ~3°C of equilibrium warming
ECS represents the long-run global mean temperature change that would result from a sustained doubling of CO₂ concentration after the climate system fully equilibrates.
Which phenomenon causes the tropics to expand poleward as a documented consequence of climate change?
Answer: Hadley cell expansion shifting subtropical dry belts poleward
Observations show Hadley cells are expanding poleward, shifting subtropical dry zones (and associated drought risk) toward higher latitudes in both hemispheres.
What is 'ocean acidification' and its direct cause?
Answer: Decrease in ocean pH as absorbed CO₂ forms carbonic acid, reducing carbonate ion availability
When the ocean absorbs CO₂, it reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid, lowering pH and reducing carbonate ions that marine organisms need to build shells and skeletons.
Which of the following is an example of a 'negative emission technology' (NET) relevant to climate mitigation?
Answer: Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)
BECCS is a negative emission technology because it combines bioenergy generation (where plants absorb CO₂) with geological carbon storage, resulting in net removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere.
The Arctic is warming approximately how many times faster than the global average, a phenomenon known as 'Arctic amplification'?
Answer: Approximately 4× or more
Arctic amplification causes the Arctic to warm at roughly 4 times the global average rate, driven primarily by ice-albedo feedback, changes in atmospheric and ocean heat transport, and loss of sea ice.
In atmospheric modeling, what is the 'intertropical convergence zone' (ITCZ) and why is it climate-relevant?
Answer: A low-pressure belt near the equator where trade winds converge, driving heavy tropical rainfall and deep convection
The ITCZ is where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet near the equator, creating rising moist air, deep convection, and the heavy rainfall that sustains tropical forests and monsoon systems.