Atmosphere
What force keeps Earth's atmosphere from escaping into space?
Gravity
What human activity releases large amounts of CO₂ from coal, oil, and natural gas?
Burning fossil fuels
Give two reasons why low-income countries may struggle more to respond to climate disasters.
Limited financial resources, weaker infrastructure, or less capacity to recover from disasters. Any two.
A farmer starts growing drought-resistant crops. Is this an example of structural or non-structural adaptation?
Non-structural adaptation
In which atmospheric layer is most of Earth's protective ozone found?
Stratosphere
What is the scientific term for tiny solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air?
Aerosols
Which greenhouse gas is commonly released by livestock and rice cultivation?
Methane (CH₄)
What social problem can develop when drought reduces freshwater availability for several communities?
Competition or conflict over limited water resources.
What economic policy requires polluters to pay a fee for each tonne of greenhouse gases they emit?
Carbon tax
What does CFC stand for?
Chlorofluorocarbon
What type of radiation is mainly emitted by Earth's surface after absorbing solar energy?
Long-wave infrared radiation.
Why can thawing permafrost make global warming worse?
It can release methane and CO₂, increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and further warming.
Why can a warmer atmosphere contribute to heavier rainfall events?
Warmer air can hold more water vapour, providing more moisture for rainfall.
A power station captures CO₂ before it reaches the atmosphere and stores it underground. What is this technology called?
Carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Which international agreement, adopted in 1987, controls ozone-depleting substances?
Montreal Protocol
Why does breathing become more difficult at high altitudes even though oxygen still makes up about 21% of dry air?
Lower air pressure means fewer oxygen molecules are available in each breath.
In climate science, what does the term anthropogenic mean?
Caused by human activities.
Ocean acidification reduces the availability of which ions needed by corals and shellfish to build their skeletons or shells?
Carbonate ions.
Under the Paris Agreement, what are countries' national climate action pledges called?
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
What is the chemical formula for ozone?
O₃
Explain how clouds can contribute to both cooling and warming Earth.
Clouds reflect incoming sunlight, causing cooling, but also absorb outgoing infrared radiation, contributing to warming.
If humans emit 40 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually and natural sinks absorb half, approximately how much remains in the atmosphere each year?
20 billion tonnes of CO₂.
As the climate warms, in which two general directions may the geographical ranges of species shift?
Toward the poles or to higher altitudes
Explain why restoring mangrove forests can contribute to both climate mitigation and adaptation.
Mangroves store carbon, contributing to mitigation, and protect coastlines against flooding and erosion, supporting adaptation.
The ozone column above a region decreases from 280 Dobson Units to 210 Dobson Units. What is the percentage decrease?
5%. Calculation: (280 − 210) ÷ 280 × 100.