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Climate feedbacks and natural climate cycles

12th grade (Year 13 in England) · 16 questions · Common Core: NGSS.HS-ESS2-2, NGSS.HS-ESS2-4 · England: A level Geography: The carbon and water cycles (extension), GCSE Combined Science: Chemistry of the atmosphere

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Score/ 16

  1. Question 1

    Desert sand has an albedo of 0.4 (it reflects that fraction of sunlight). If 340 W/m² of sunlight arrives, how much is absorbed, in W/m²?

    AnswerW/m²

  2. Question 2

    Why can Milankovitch cycles not explain today's warming?

    • A. They act over thousands of years, but today's warming has happened in about 150 years
    • B. They only affect Mars
    • C. They stopped working in 1900
    • D. They cause cooling only

  3. Question 3

    Is this a positive or negative climate feedback: a warmer Earth radiates more energy to space?

    • A. positive feedback (amplifies warming)
    • B. negative feedback (reduces warming)

  4. Question 4

    Open ocean has an albedo of 0.06 (it reflects that fraction of sunlight). If 340 W/m² of sunlight arrives, how much is absorbed, in W/m²?

    AnswerW/m²

  5. Question 5

    What are Milankovitch cycles?

    • A. the 11-year sunspot cycle
    • B. daily changes in weather
    • C. yearly ocean tides
    • D. slow changes in Earth's orbit and tilt that pace ice ages over tens of thousands of years

  6. Question 6

    Is this a positive or negative climate feedback: more COâ‚‚ boosts plant growth, which takes up some COâ‚‚?

    • A. positive feedback (amplifies warming)
    • B. negative feedback (reduces warming)

  7. Question 7

    Open ocean has an albedo of 0.06 (it reflects that fraction of sunlight). If 200 W/m² of sunlight arrives, how much is absorbed, in W/m²?

    AnswerW/m²

  8. Question 8

    What are Milankovitch cycles?

    • A. the 11-year sunspot cycle
    • B. daily changes in weather
    • C. slow changes in Earth's orbit and tilt that pace ice ages over tens of thousands of years
    • D. yearly ocean tides

  9. Question 9

    Is this a positive or negative climate feedback: more COâ‚‚ boosts plant growth, which takes up some COâ‚‚?

    • A. positive feedback (amplifies warming)
    • B. negative feedback (reduces warming)

  10. Question 10

    Desert sand has an albedo of 0.4 (it reflects that fraction of sunlight). If 300 W/m² of sunlight arrives, how much is absorbed, in W/m²?

    AnswerW/m²

  11. Question 11

    Why might a "tipping point" in the climate system be especially worrying?

    • A. It only affects weather for one day
    • B. Past a threshold, change can become self-sustaining and hard to reverse
    • C. It makes the climate change back instantly
    • D. It reduces sea level

  12. Question 12

    Is this a positive or negative climate feedback: thawing permafrost releases methane?

    • A. positive feedback (amplifies warming)
    • B. negative feedback (reduces warming)

  13. Question 13

    Sea ice has an albedo of 0.6 (it reflects that fraction of sunlight). If 200 W/m² of sunlight arrives, how much is absorbed, in W/m²?

    AnswerW/m²

  14. Question 14

    Why can Milankovitch cycles not explain today's warming?

    • A. They only affect Mars
    • B. They cause cooling only
    • C. They act over thousands of years, but today's warming has happened in about 150 years
    • D. They stopped working in 1900

  15. Question 15

    Is this a positive or negative climate feedback: warmer air holds more water vapour, a greenhouse gas?

    • A. positive feedback (amplifies warming)
    • B. negative feedback (reduces warming)

  16. Question 16

    Forest has an albedo of 0.15 (it reflects that fraction of sunlight). If 300 W/m² of sunlight arrives, how much is absorbed, in W/m²?

    AnswerW/m²

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Answer key: Climate feedbacks and natural climate cycles

  1. 1. 204 W/m²

  2. 2. A. They act over thousands of years, but today's warming has happened in about 150 years

  3. 3. B. negative feedback (reduces warming)

  4. 4. 319.6 W/m²

  5. 5. D. slow changes in Earth's orbit and tilt that pace ice ages over tens of thousands of years

  6. 6. B. negative feedback (reduces warming)

  7. 7. 188 W/m²

  8. 8. C. slow changes in Earth's orbit and tilt that pace ice ages over tens of thousands of years

  9. 9. B. negative feedback (reduces warming)

  10. 10. 180 W/m²

  11. 11. B. Past a threshold, change can become self-sustaining and hard to reverse

  12. 12. A. positive feedback (amplifies warming)

  13. 13. 80 W/m²

  14. 14. C. They act over thousands of years, but today's warming has happened in about 150 years

  15. 15. A. positive feedback (amplifies warming)

  16. 16. 255 W/m²