C264 Climate Change

Explanation:

Sea level rise results primarily from the melting of land-based ice, because this adds water to the ocean. The Greenland Ice Sheet and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are the two major ice masses currently contributing significantly to global sea level rise. In contrast, Arctic sea ice floats on the ocean and its melting does not directly raise sea level, and the other listed glaciers or ice features are either too small or geographically irrelevant to contribute meaningfully on a global scale.

Correct Answer:

The West Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheet

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Arctic Sea Ice and African Ice Core

Melting sea ice does not appreciably raise sea level because it is already floating, and African ice cores are small and insignificant contributors compared to the vast polar ice sheets.

Gangotri glacier and Kangchejunga ice sheet

These Himalayan glaciers are much smaller and while they affect regional water supplies, they are not major drivers of global sea level rise.

Rocky Mountain Ice Pack and frozen Niagara Falls

These represent minor or seasonal ice formations that do not significantly contribute to global sea level changes.

All of the above

This is incorrect because only the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets are large enough and currently melting at rates that meaningfully raise global sea levels.

Explanation:

During a normal (non–El Niño) year, strong trade winds push warm surface waters westward toward the western Pacific, allowing cold water to upwell along the eastern Pacific near South America. During El Niño, these trade winds weaken, and the warm surface water moves eastward across the Pacific Ocean toward the west coast of the Americas. This shift brings warmer sea surface temperatures and often very wet conditions to the west coasts of North and South America while altering global weather patterns.

Correct Answer:

Warm water moves eastward towards the west coast of North America due to the weaker trade winds, causing very wet conditions

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Warm water moves westward towards the western pacific due to the weaker trade winds, causing very wet conditions.

This describes the normal, non–El Niño pattern. During El Niño, the movement is eastward, not westward, because the trade winds lose their typical strength.

Explanation:

Climate projections consistently show that the Arctic will warm much more rapidly than the tropics because of polar amplification, where melting ice and reduced snow cover enhance heat absorption. Land areas are projected to warm faster than oceans because water has a higher heat capacity and mixes vertically, so the statement that oceans will warm more than the land is incorrect. While short-term local cooling can occur due to natural variability, the long-term expectation is broad global warming rather than persistent regional cooling. Therefore, the only statement that accurately reflects robust projections is that the Arctic will warm more than the tropics.

Correct Answer:

the arctic will warm more than the tropics

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

oceans will warm more than the land. Oceans absorb most of the planet’s excess heat, but their vast volume and mixing slow surface temperature increases, so land surfaces warm more quickly. Observations and models both show stronger warming over continents than over open ocean by century’s end.

some regions of the Earth are expected to cool. While temporary or localized cooling events may occur, long-term projections show nearly all regions warming, especially when averaged over decades. Persistent regional cooling is not a predicted feature of 21st-century climate change.

none of the above are true. This is incorrect because the Arctic warming more than the tropics is strongly supported by both observational data and climate models, making at least one of the listed statements true.

all of the above are true. This option is wrong because only one statement—greater Arctic warming—is consistently supported by climate science. The others are contradicted by established understanding of land–ocean warming differences and overall global temperature trends.

Explanation:

During El Niño events, the normally strong easterly trade winds that blow across the Pacific weaken. Under normal conditions, these winds push warm surface water westward toward the western Pacific, allowing cold, nutrient-rich water to upwell along the west coast of the Americas. When the trade winds weaken, this westward push lessens, and warm surface water flows back eastward. As a result, the eastern Pacific, including the waters along the west coast of the Americas, experiences significantly warmer sea surface temperatures. This shift disrupts normal ocean currents and weather patterns globally.

Correct Answer:

It leads to warmer water being pushed east

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

It causes colder water to rise

This describes normal upwelling during non–El Niño conditions. Weakened trade winds actually suppress the upwelling of cold water, causing warming rather than the rise of cold water.

It has no effect on ocean temperatures

This is incorrect because El Niño events are defined by their impact on ocean temperatures, specifically the warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean, which strongly influences global weather patterns.

It increases nutrient upwelling

In reality, nutrient upwelling decreases during El Niño. The weaker trade winds and accumulation of warm surface water reduce the upward movement of cold, nutrient-rich water, harming fisheries and marine ecosystems along the coast.

Explanation:

To engage a community where climate change effects may seem subtle, connecting the issue to local experiences is key. Highlighting observable local environmental changes—such as shifts in rainfall, new patterns of pests, or unusual weather events—makes the abstract concept of global warming more tangible and relatable. This approach fosters personal relevance and motivates action by demonstrating that even areas with less obvious climate shifts are not immune to broader consequences.

Correct Answer:

Highlight local environmental changes and their impacts.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Focus solely on global statistics. Global data are important but can feel distant and fail to inspire local engagement without a direct connection to community experiences.

Use only scientific jargon to explain climate change. Technical language can alienate non-experts and limit understanding among the general public.

Ignore the differences in regional changes. Overlooking regional variations misses the chance to show how climate change affects the local environment and people’s daily lives.

Explanation:

A rain gauge is designed to capture and measure the amount of liquid precipitation over a specific period. It typically consists of a funnel that channels rainwater into a graduated cylinder or a calibrated container, allowing meteorologists and researchers to quantify rainfall accurately. This information is essential for weather forecasting, hydrology, and agriculture, as it provides direct data on precipitation levels rather than indirect measurements or predictions.

Correct Answer:

A rain gauge is an instrument that collects and measures the volume of precipitation, typically using a funnel and graduated cylinder.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A rain gauge is a device that measures wind speed using a rotating anemometer.

This describes an anemometer, not a rain gauge. Wind speed is unrelated to the purpose of a rain gauge, which is specifically designed for collecting and measuring precipitation, not airflow.

A rain gauge is used to determine atmospheric pressure by measuring the weight of air.

Atmospheric pressure is measured by a barometer, not a rain gauge. A rain gauge has no mechanism to measure the weight of air and is not used to track pressure changes.

A rain gauge is a tool that forecasts weather conditions based on temperature changes.

Rain gauges do not predict weather or record temperature. They provide direct measurements of rainfall after it occurs, which can inform future forecasts but does not serve as a forecasting instrument itself.

Explanation:

If present warming trends persist, Arctic sea ice will continue to decline in both summer and winter, though the summer minimum will remain the most dramatic. The loss of reflective ice amplifies warming through the ice–albedo feedback, which allows more solar energy to be absorbed by the darker ocean. This continuing reduction in ice cover will likely disrupt global climate systems by altering the jet stream, affecting mid-latitude weather, and contributing to sea-level rise through interactions with Greenland’s ice sheet.

Correct Answer:

The reduction in sea ice will likely become more pronounced in both summer and winter, potentially disrupting global weather patterns.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Sea ice will increase in winter and decrease in summer, stabilizing global temperatures. Observations and models consistently show winter ice extent shrinking over time, not increasing. Warmer ocean and air temperatures prevent the refreezing necessary for winter growth, and any idea of stabilizing global temperatures contradicts current scientific consensus that continued greenhouse gas emissions will enhance warming and destabilize climate patterns.

There will be no change in seasonal patterns, as climate change does not affect the Arctic. The Arctic is warming at more than twice the global rate, a phenomenon known as polar amplification. Satellite data show unmistakable downward trends in both summer minimum and winter maximum ice extents. Claiming no change denies the overwhelming evidence from decades of direct measurement and sophisticated climate modeling.

Sea ice will only decrease in winter, leading to cooler global temperatures. Sea ice loss is greatest in summer, though winter ice is also declining. Additionally, reduced sea ice leads to greater heat absorption and overall planetary warming, not cooling. This option misrepresents both the seasonality of ice decline and the resulting climate feedbacks, which drive further warming rather than a cooler global climate.

Explanation:

Muir Glacier in Alaska has retreated dramatically since 1941, providing striking visual evidence of glacier response to rising global temperatures. This retreat illustrates how glaciers are highly sensitive indicators of climate change, shrinking as air and ocean temperatures warm. While not every glacier behaves identically, the widespread pattern of retreat seen at Muir Glacier and around the world highlights the broader impacts of global warming on cryospheric systems.

Correct Answer:

It demonstrates the sensitivity of glaciers to climate change

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

It indicates that all glaciers are advancing

This is incorrect because Muir Glacier’s retreat is evidence of widespread melting, not glacier advancement.

It shows that glaciers are unaffected by climate change

The dramatic loss of ice at Muir Glacier clearly contradicts the idea that glaciers are unaffected.

It suggests that glaciers are only retreating in the Arctic

Muir Glacier is in Alaska, and glacier retreat is occurring globally, not just in the Arctic.

Explanation:

The northern North Atlantic plays a key role in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of currents that helps regulate global climate by moving warm surface water northward and sending cooler, denser water southward at depth. Continued cooling of this region can reduce the density of surface waters and slow the sinking motion that drives the AMOC. A slowdown or disruption of the AMOC can lead to wide-ranging climate impacts, including changes in rainfall patterns in the tropics, shifts in the position of the jet stream, stronger hurricanes, and altered temperatures across Europe and North America.

Correct Answer:

It could disrupt the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, potentially altering weather patterns globally.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

It could strengthen the Gulf Stream, leading to increased warming in Europe. Cooling in the northern North Atlantic is more likely to weaken, not strengthen, the Gulf Stream component of the AMOC, which would reduce rather than enhance warming in Europe.

It would have no impact on ocean currents or climate patterns. The North Atlantic is critical to the global ocean conveyor belt, so ongoing cooling would almost certainly affect currents and climate.

It could lead to a uniform cooling of the entire planet. Global climate impacts from AMOC disruption are complex and regionally variable, not a simple, uniform planetary cooling.