The primary long-lived greenhouse gas driving recent warming is:
A a) Nitrous oxide
B b) Methane
C c) Carbon dioxide
D d) Ozone
Radiative forcing positive values indicate:
A a) Cooling effect
B b) Warming effect
C c) No temperature change
D d) Only cloud changes
Global Warming Potential (GWP) compares gases based on:
A a) Direct toxicity
B b) Lifetime and infrared absorption relative to CO₂
C c) Ozone depletion only
D d) Source sector
A key positive feedback in the climate system is:
A a) Increased surface albedo from sea ice
B b) Water vapor amplification
C c) Aerosol scattering
D d) Enhanced carbon uptake by oceans without limit
Ocean acidification is caused primarily by:
A a) Nitrate runoff
B b) CO₂ dissolving to form carbonic acid
C c) Sulfate aerosols
D d) Methane oxidation
The Paris Agreement aims to limit warming to:
A a) Below 3°C with no stretch goal
B b) Well below 2°C and pursue efforts to 1.5°C
C c) Exactly 1°C
D d) 0.5°C above preindustrial
Mitigation in climate policy refers to:
A a) Managing drought impacts
B b) Reducing greenhouse gas emissions or enhancing sinks
C c) Evacuating people from floods
D d) Building seawalls only
Black carbon primarily influences climate by:
A a) Strong longwave absorption in the stratosphere
B b) Shortwave absorption, reducing albedo especially on snow/ice
C c) Only scattering sunlight
D d) Increasing ocean alkalinity
Climate sensitivity (equilibrium) typically refers to warming from:
A a) Doubling methane
B b) Doubling nitrous oxide
C c) Doubling CO₂
D d) Halving aerosols
The carbon budget concept estimates:
A a) Annual government spending on climate
B b) Cumulative CO₂ allowed to stay within a temperature limit
C c) Yearly forest growth
D d) Corporate emission inventories only
Permafrost thaw concerns arise because it can:
A a) Increase ocean salinity
B b) Release CO₂ and methane from previously frozen soils
C c) Reduce sea level
D d) Eliminate albedo feedbacks
Aerosols from sulfate pollution generally:
A a) Warm by absorbing longwave strongly
B b) Cool by scattering sunlight and increasing cloud albedo
C c) Have no climatic effect
D d) Only affect stratospheric ozone
RCP/SSP pathways are used to:
A a) Map tectonic hazards
B b) Project population pyramids only
C c) Explore future emissions, concentrations, and socioeconomics
D d) Estimate daily weather
The Keeling Curve measures:
A a) Global temperature anomaly
B b) Sea level rise
C c) Atmospheric CO₂ at Mauna Loa
D d) Methane in wetlands
A market-based mitigation tool that sets a cap and allows trading is:
A a) Carbon tax only
B b) Feed-in tariff
C c) Cap-and-trade (emissions trading)
D d) Green bonds