MCQ Questions

What is the IPCC? a) Independent Panel for a Changing Climate b) International Panel on Climate Change c) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change d) Independent Panel on Climate Change e) Intergovernmental Research on Climate Change

Which of the following is the main reason that the tropics is warmer than the poles? a) there is more ice at the poles b) the tropics receives more sunlight than the poles c) the poles receive less infrared radiation d) the poles are a greater altitude than the tropics e) it is windier at the poles

3) Which of the following is not a climate forcing? a) greenhouse gas emissions from human activities b) changing energy output of the sun c) a large, explosive volcanic eruption d) changes in the fraction of stratus clouds e) air pollution leading to elevated ozone

Which of the following is a climate feedback? a) deforestation to make way for agricultural b) increasing nitrous oxide concentration from vehicle exhaust c) reduced reflection of sunlight as ice melts with warming d) volcanic aerosol haze e) aircraft contrails

5) What is the approximate global average surface temperature? a) 255 K b) 25 oC c) 273.15 K d) 15 oC e) 5oC

6) Which of the following is a negative radiative forcing? a) decreasing CO2 concentration due to climate mitigation b) less volcanic eruptions than average c) increasing concentrations of CFCs d) increasing coverage of stratus cloud as the ocean warms e) a brighter sun

7) Which of the following is a negative feedback? a) Croll/Milankovic cycles in solar radiation b) Decreases in water vapour in response to volcanic cooling c) Decreases in CO2 concentration during glaciation d) Cloud brightening due to industrial aerosol emissions e) Decreased low altitude cloud coverage as the planet cools

8) What is the definition of albedo? a) the fraction of incoming infra-red radiation that is absorbed b) the coverage of ice c) the absorbed solar radiation by the planet d) The fraction of surface emitted radiation reaching space e) the fraction of incoming sunlight that is reflected

9) What is global warming potential? a) The amount of climate change that could occur b) A measure of the relative potency of different gases c) The increase in temperature for a specific level of emissions d) The amount of warming that would be prevented by mitigation e) The amount of warming that would happen without mitigation

10) Sea level is currently a) falling by 5-6 mm/year at most locations b) rising globally at 3-4 mm/year c) 80m lower than the last glacial maximum d) 120m higher than the last interglacial

11) . What is the largest single source of uncertainty in predictions of global mean temperature change for the end of the 21st century? (a)Errors in the formulation of climate models (b)Natural climate variability (c)Variations in the energy coming from the Sun (d)Variations in future anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (e)Unknown levels of emissions of sulphate aerosol from future volcanic eruptions

Which of the following greenhouse gas emission scenarios is likely to lead to the largest increase in global mean temperature by the end of the 21st century? (a)Constant year 2000 emissions (b)RCP 8.5 scenario (c) Doubling of CO2 scenario (d)Stabilisation at 450 parts per million atmospheric CO2 concentration (e)RCP2.6 scenario

A climate change scenario is: (a) a prediction of the future climate (b) a description of a feasible future climate (c) a forecast of future climate (d) a long-term weather forecast (e) a proposal for a climate mitigation policy

14) Which of the following is the best definition of a Complex Climate Model? (a)A numerical representation of the energy balance at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere (b)A mathematical representation of all the physical processes and feedbacks which affect the Earth’s climate (c) A statistical definition of the Earth’s climate (d)A physical model of the Earth’s atmosphere, built in a laboratory (e)A set of computer code used to produce weather forecasts

15) Which of the following processes is NOT dealt with by “parametrization” in the current generation of Global Climate Models? (a) Formation of clouds and precipitation (b) Transmission of solar radiation through the atmosphere (c) Wind motions due to pressure gradients in the atmosphere (d) Transfer of heat from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere (e) Turbulent drag due to the generation of gravity waves as air flows over mountains

Which one of the following processes is NOT included with the latest generation of Earth System Models used for climate change prediction? a.) Interactions between the atmosphere and vegetation b.)The uptake and release of carbon by oceanic biogeochemistry c.)Atmospheric chemical reactions which may generate greenhouse gas species d.)Interactions between the atmosphere and oceanic ice-sheets e.)Interactions between the atmosphere and geology (e.g. weathering and erosion of rocks)

17) According to the IPCC AR6 model projections what is the maximum likely sea level rise by 2100? a) 5cm b) 10cm c) 50cm d) 1m e) 2m

)Which of the following model components are not used in most weather forecast models and therefore have to be added when building a climate model? (a) radiation (b) cloud formation (c) ocean (d) convection (e) turbulence

Which of the following emissions are not part of an emission scenario? (a) Emissions of carbon dioxide by power plants (b) Emissions of soot by cars (c) Emissions of methane by cows (d) Emissions of longwave radiation by the surface (e) Emissions of sulfur dioxide by ships

what is the best definition of a regional climate model? a) a model which covers a part of the world in more detail than a global climate model b) a model operated by a regional climate agency c) a model predicting each region separately d) a model which simulates the regional impacts of climate change e) a local weather forecast model

What is a ‘dangerous’ climate change? is the best definition of a regional climate model? (a) An increase above 2oC (b) A subjective level, depending on perspective (c) An increase above 1.5oC (d) One that causes irreversible climate change (e) One that destroys valued ecosystems

22) Is it possible to directly attribute recent heatwaves to climate change? (a) No, because heatwaves have always occurred (b) Yes, because the trend is large (c) No, because there is insufficient proof that heatwaves have become more frequent recently (d) We cannot say that individual events were directly caused by climate change, but we can say that climate change has made heatwaves like we have experienced more likely (e) Yes, because recent heatwaves have been longer than ever before

Why do we not use global climate model output directly to estimate the impacts of climate change at the local scale? (a) Global climate models are too complicated (b) Global climate models do not necessarily simulate local weather very well (c) Global climate models do not simulate weather (d) Global climate models take too long to run (e) Predictions depend too much on assumed emissions

By approximately how much, relative to now, is temperature likely to increase in Reading by 2050? (a) 5-10oC (b) 0-0.5oC (c) 20-30oC (d) 2-3oC (e) 6-8oC