Instructions

Your essay answer should be clear and succinct, amounting to perhaps 3-5 sentences totaling 50 to 80 words; longer essays are strongly discouraged. It is recommended that you prepare your answer in a separate document from which you copy it into Canvas.

Question 1 5 pts

Is the temperature increase associated with increased concentrations of atmospheric CO2 globally uniform, or does it vary between continents and oceans, or show other spatial variations?

A strong answer will describe the variations in temperature changes in different regions, ideally citing values for temperature anomalies in °C relative to the 1951-1980 baseline. It will compare the temperature changes for continents and oceans and identify regions where the changes are most extreme.

Question 2 3 pts

Match the three processes that are associated with climate change resulting from increasing CO2 with the specific feedbacks that they trigger.

Loss of Arctic sea ice

[ Choose ]Increased ocean productivityIncreased albedoIncreased calcificationSea level fallIncreased dust fluxesSea level riseDecreased albedoCoral bleaching and decreased calcification

Ocean acidification

[ Choose ]Increased ocean productivityIncreased albedoIncreased calcificationSea level fallIncreased dust fluxesSea level riseDecreased albedoCoral bleaching and decreased calcification

Increasing ocean temperatures

[ Choose ]Increased ocean productivityIncreased albedoIncreased calcificationSea level fallIncreased dust fluxesSea level riseDecreased albedoCoral bleaching and decreased calcification

Question 3 2 pts

Ice cores and/or marine sediments provide records of past glacial/interglacial cycles associated with major changes in ice volume. Select the two aspects of these climate cycles that are characteristic of these glacial/interglacial cycles.

Stepwise cooling and rapid warming

Rapid cooling and gradual warming

Increased dust during glaciations

Increased dust during interglacials

Higher levels of CO2 during glacials

Higher levels of CO2 associated with lower temperatures

Decreased 18O in forams during cold intervals