©BRAINBARTER EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
GLOBAL WARMING FINAL EXAM
Questions With Correct Answers
Why do scientists use climate models? - answer✔1. To predict future climate
2. Apply physical laws on large scales
3. Test the models using recent historical records
Physical processes represented by climate models - answer✔Wind, surface pressure,
temperature, humidity, and rainfall
How and why does atmospheric CO2 change during the year? - answer✔CO2 decreases in
spring-summer because plants absorb it. In fall-winter, the plants die/decay and release CO2
back into the atmosphere
What is positive feedback? - answer✔Feedback that increases the output of a process
(magnifying)
What is negative feedback? - answer✔Feedback that dampens a response (stabilizing)
Are most feedbacks positive or negative? - answer✔Positive
What is albedo? - answer✔Fraction of light that is reflected
1|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
How is albedo measured? - answer✔W/M^2
What is the equation for albedo? - answer✔a=reflected/incident
What controls the amount of water vapor that a mass of air can hold? - answer✔Temperature
What is saturated air? - answer✔Maximum amount of water that the air can hold as vapor
What is undersaturated air? - answer✔Air is at the point where it can still take in more water
vapor
What is relative humidity? - answer✔The ratio between the amount of H2O in given volume of
gas and the maximum amount it is capable of holding at that temperature.
RH=water content/saturation water content
Is water vapor a greenhouse gas? How can we tell? - answer✔Yes. It has 3 atoms.
How do high clouds (cirrus clouds) alter the temperature of the surface? - answer✔Warm the
earth
How do low clouds (stratus and cumulus clouds) alter the temperature of the surface? -
answer✔Cool the earth
What is the approximate Radiative Imbalance of earth today? - answer✔0.8 W/M^2
What is the Radiative Forcing of human activities to date? - answer✔1.6 W/M^2
2|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
What are the 4 primary drivers of climate variability and climate change over the last 1000
years? - answer✔1. Greenhouse gases
2. Solar variability
3. Industrial pollution
4. Volcanoes
What is an industrial aerosol? - answer✔Small solid particle or liquid droplet suspended in the
air
How are industrial aerosols removed from the air? - answer✔By rain
How do industrial aerosols affect the climate? - answer✔Cause cooling
What are 2 major ways aerosols affect the climate? - answer✔1. Reflect sunlight back to space
2. Make clouds more reflective
How do major explosive volcanic eruptions affect global climate? - answer✔1. Form barrier to
sunlight
2. Reflect sunlight (cool earth)
What kind of feedback is Radiative Emission? - answer✔Negative
What is dew point? - answer✔When the number of molecules that evaporates equals the
number that condense
3|Page
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
GLOBAL WARMING FINAL EXAM
Questions With Correct Answers
Why do scientists use climate models? - answer✔1. To predict future climate
2. Apply physical laws on large scales
3. Test the models using recent historical records
Physical processes represented by climate models - answer✔Wind, surface pressure,
temperature, humidity, and rainfall
How and why does atmospheric CO2 change during the year? - answer✔CO2 decreases in
spring-summer because plants absorb it. In fall-winter, the plants die/decay and release CO2
back into the atmosphere
What is positive feedback? - answer✔Feedback that increases the output of a process
(magnifying)
What is negative feedback? - answer✔Feedback that dampens a response (stabilizing)
Are most feedbacks positive or negative? - answer✔Positive
What is albedo? - answer✔Fraction of light that is reflected
1|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
How is albedo measured? - answer✔W/M^2
What is the equation for albedo? - answer✔a=reflected/incident
What controls the amount of water vapor that a mass of air can hold? - answer✔Temperature
What is saturated air? - answer✔Maximum amount of water that the air can hold as vapor
What is undersaturated air? - answer✔Air is at the point where it can still take in more water
vapor
What is relative humidity? - answer✔The ratio between the amount of H2O in given volume of
gas and the maximum amount it is capable of holding at that temperature.
RH=water content/saturation water content
Is water vapor a greenhouse gas? How can we tell? - answer✔Yes. It has 3 atoms.
How do high clouds (cirrus clouds) alter the temperature of the surface? - answer✔Warm the
earth
How do low clouds (stratus and cumulus clouds) alter the temperature of the surface? -
answer✔Cool the earth
What is the approximate Radiative Imbalance of earth today? - answer✔0.8 W/M^2
What is the Radiative Forcing of human activities to date? - answer✔1.6 W/M^2
2|Page
, ©BRAINBARTER EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
What are the 4 primary drivers of climate variability and climate change over the last 1000
years? - answer✔1. Greenhouse gases
2. Solar variability
3. Industrial pollution
4. Volcanoes
What is an industrial aerosol? - answer✔Small solid particle or liquid droplet suspended in the
air
How are industrial aerosols removed from the air? - answer✔By rain
How do industrial aerosols affect the climate? - answer✔Cause cooling
What are 2 major ways aerosols affect the climate? - answer✔1. Reflect sunlight back to space
2. Make clouds more reflective
How do major explosive volcanic eruptions affect global climate? - answer✔1. Form barrier to
sunlight
2. Reflect sunlight (cool earth)
What kind of feedback is Radiative Emission? - answer✔Negative
What is dew point? - answer✔When the number of molecules that evaporates equals the
number that condense
3|Page
