Exam 20: Global Climate Change

The climate system consists of the________ .

Gases are called ________gases because their concentrations are so much smaller than that of carbon dioxide.

Oxygen isotopes (18O and 16O)are used to determine ________.

What are the significant differences between global warming by greenhouse gases and aerosol cooling?

Global warming since the mid- 1970s has been about________ .

Discuss the three major volcanic events covered in the chapter and how the affected climate change. Also, analyze the Cretaceous Period climate and how it was related to volcanic activity.

The _________ isotopes in the hard skeletons of corals are an important paleothermometer.

Gases are selective absorbers and __________ of radiation.

What are some of the human impacts on global climate change? What are the possible consequences of global warming? Discuss the projected changes and estimated probability of certain global warming effects occurring.

Types of climate- feedback mechanisms consist of _________ .

Explain why the atmosphere is heated mostly by radiation from the Earth's surface rather than by direct solar radiation.

Carbon dioxide is transparent to incoming ________solar radiation.

Earth's atmosphere is divided vertically into four layers on the basis of temperature. The layers, in order from bottom to top, are________ .

In 1883, _________ erupted and emitted great quantities of sulfur dioxide gas that cooled the global mean temperature.

The role of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere plays in heating Earth's surface has been named the _________.

The trace gas(es)that are most important are ________.

What are the solid and liquid particles suspended within the atmosphere called?

Light, heat, and ultraviolet rays are part of a large array of energy from the Sun called________.

One half of the atmosphere lies below an altitude of________ .

Clean, dry air is composed almost entirely of ________.