Earth Institute Climate Change Quiz

1: In the twentieth century, approximately how much did the average global temperature over land and ocean areas increase?

1°F

.8°F

1.08°F

2°F

2: Of the following gases, which is not considered to be a greenhouse gas (GHG)?

Methane

Water vapor

Nitrogen

Chlorofluorocarbons

3: In addition to the United States, which of the following countries did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol?

Uzbekistan

Australia

Kiribati

Luxembourg

4: The European Union signed on to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a single party, and is therefore considered to be one of the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters. Which of the following are currently the world’s top five greenhouse gas emitters?

United States, China, European Union, Russia and India

United States, China, European Union, Russia and Japan

United States, Mexico, European Union, China and India

United States, Brazil, European Union, Russia and Canada

5: In which of the following natural systems have effects of recent warming already been observed?

Glaciers and permafrost

Marine ecosystems

Terrestrial ecosystems

All of the above

6: Which of the following phenomena is not associated with increasing global temperatures?

Decrease in sea level

Increase in vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue

Reduction in sea ice cover

Increase in agricultural growing seasons

7: Over the past century, how much has the temperature in the New York metropolitan region increased?

No change

.5°F

2.0°F

5.5°F

8: What decade is widely known as the “hottest decade” since 1861 when scientists began to keep reliable records of air temperatures?

1890s

1930s

1970s

1990s

9: As the Earth warms, summer temperatures will rise, and the incidence of heat waves will increase. If warming trends continue, by 2020, summer heat mortality in the New York metropolitan region may increase as much as:

25%

40%

55%

100%

10: To understand the Earth’s climate history and make future projections based on their findings, scientists study a range of natural, or proxy (indirect), elements. Which of the following is not studied by climate scientists in order to understand the climate?

Ice cores

Ocean sediment

Tree rings

Insects trapped in amber