Climate Change Science & Modeling Flashcards
7 cards from real CCP 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 Change Science & Modeling flashcards as text
What is the primary source of natural variability in global mean surface temperature on interannual timescales?
Answer: El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
ENSO drives the largest year-to-year fluctuations in global mean temperature by redistributing heat between the ocean and atmosphere in the tropical Pacific.
Which isotope ratio in ice cores is used as a proxy for past atmospheric temperatures?
Answer: Oxygen-18/Oxygen-16 (δ¹⁸O)
The ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 in ice core bubbles and water molecules reflects past temperatures because heavier isotopes fractionate differently at different temperatures.
What distinguishes a climate model from a weather forecast model?
Answer: Climate models simulate statistical averages over long periods, not specific weather events
Climate models project long-term statistical behavior of the climate system, not the specific sequence of weather events, which become unpredictable beyond ~2 weeks.
The 'tipping point' concept in climate science refers to:
Answer: A threshold beyond which a climate system component undergoes self-sustaining change
Climate tipping points are thresholds in the Earth system where small perturbations can trigger abrupt, self-reinforcing, and potentially irreversible state changes (e.g., collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet).
What does 'transient climate response' (TCR) measure, and how does it differ from equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS)?
Answer: TCR measures the temperature increase at the time of CO₂ doubling; ECS measures the long-term steady-state response
TCR is the global mean temperature change at the moment CO₂ doubles under a 1% per year increase scenario, capturing the transient response with ocean thermal lag, whereas ECS reflects the eventual equilibrium after full ocean adjustment.
Which natural archive provides evidence of past CO₂ concentrations extending back ~800,000 years?
Answer: Antarctic ice cores with trapped air bubbles
Antarctic ice cores (e.g., EPICA Dome C) preserve ancient air bubbles that directly record atmospheric CO₂ concentrations going back 800,000 years, showing glacial-interglacial cycles between ~180–280 ppm.
What is 'multi-model ensemble' analysis in climate science used for?
Answer: Using multiple climate models to characterize uncertainty and identify robust projections
Multi-model ensembles combine projections from structurally different models to identify where they agree (robust signals) and where they diverge (key uncertainties), providing a more reliable picture than any single model.