How good is your climate literacy? Take the quiz!
What are the four main spheres of the Earth’s system?
A. Atmosphere, geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere
B. Ecosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere
C. Geosphere, stratosphere, biosphere, magnetosphere
D. Troposphere, cryosphere, mesosphere, plasmasphere
A. Atmosphere, geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere
Geographers break down the Earth’s system into four major subsystems called spheres that make up the world’s air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), land (geosphere), and living organisms (biosphere).
Frozen water (glaciers, ice, hail, snow) is also known as the cryosphere.
Which of these is NOT weather?
A. Ocean surface temperatures
B. Today’s rainfall
C. This week’s wind direction
D. Yesterday’s humidity
A. Ocean surface temperature
Weather refers to hourly, daily or weekly meteorological events. Climate change, like ocean surface temperature, refers to long-term change.
Carbon dioxide is made up of which elements?
A. Carbon, methane and oxygen
B. Carbon and oxygen
C. Oxygen and water vapour
D. Carbon monoxide and methane
B. Carbon and Oxygen
Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of a carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. The over production of greenhouse gasses creates a cover that traps the sun’s heat energy around earth, warming our planet and its oceans.
Which of these is NOT a greenhouse gas?
A. Ozone
B. Nitrous oxide (N2O)
C. Methane (CH4)
D. Oxygen (O)
D. Oxygen (O)
Oxygen on its own is not considered to be a greenhouse gas because it does not have the molecular structure needed to trap infrared radiation. The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour, ozone, nitrous oxide, and CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons).
Carbon dioxide currently makes up how much of the earth’s atmosphere?
A. 0.04%
B. 40%
C. 4%
D. 8%
A. 0.04%
Carbon dioxide currently makes up around 0.04% of Earth’s atmosphere. Even though this seems like a tiny amount, it is having a huge impact. Small changes in the Earth’s heat balance can lead to large climatic changes.
Which industrial sector is responsible for the most greenhouse gas emissions?
A. Construction
B. Electricity and heat production
C. Transportation fuels
D. Agricultural production
B. Electricity and heat production
The burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat is the largest single source of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Which is the current epoch?
A. Cenzozoic
B. Mezozoic
C. Holocene
D. Anthropocene
C. Holocene & D. Anthropocene
Epochs are units of time used to describe the geological timescale of earth. The official current epoch is called the Holocene, which began 11,700 years ago after the last major ice age. However, the Anthropocene Epoch is an unofficial unit of geologic time, which describes the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.