Greenhouse Gas
Based on carbon dioxide having a value of one, this is the fundamental measure of greenhouse gas potency.
What is the Greenhouse Warming Potential (GWP)?
How much carbon dioxide was in the atmosphere 200 years ago before the Industrial Revolution?
about 280 ppm
An imbalance in what two atmospheric components creates wind?
Heat and atmospheric pressure.
The Milankovitch Cycle, which measures changes in Earth's orbital tilt and shape, predicts what phenomenon?
Ice Ages
True or False: The Greenhouse Effect allows infrared radiation from Earth to pass unobstructed directly back into space.
False
Carbon dioxide has exceeded what level in the past five years?
over 420 ppm
What is the principal driver of the short-term carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis
What are two synonyms for a hurricane?
Typhoon and tropical cyclone
In what atmospheric layer does all weather occur?
Troposhere
Which planet has an atmosphere with an extreme "runaway" greenhouse effect?
Venus
What two molecular characteristics make greenhouse gases so effective in trapping infrared (heat) radiation?
Uneven polarity and geometry
The long-term carbon cycle has been disrupted by burning what component that normally lies buried for millions of years?
Fossil fuels
What is the biggest and longest rain event on our planet called?
Monsoon
How much more heat can water hold compared to air?
1000 times
What is the most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas in the troposphere?
Carbon dioxide (or CO2)
True or False: Photosynthesis absorbs carbon dioxide from the air.
True
True or False: Carbon is able to move from the air to the ocean by dissolving in water.
True
What direction do hurricanes spin in the Northern Hemisphere?
Counterclockwise
How long has Earth's climate been stable enough for human civilization to emerge and prosper?
12,000 years
What gas provides an ultraviolet shield in the stratosphere but a greenhouse gas in the troposphere?
Ozone (O3)
How long does carbon dioxide stay in the atmosphere once it has been emitted?
At least 100 years
How much carbon is held in the oceans compared to Earth's atmosphere?
The oceans hold nearly 50X more carbon than the atmosphere.
What does ENSO stand for?
El Nino Southern Oscillation
ENSO's strongest phase is called what?
La Nina