ENVS 195 – Introduction to Environmental Studies

Climate Change Lecture: Multiple Choice Study Questions

The following questions represent a sampling of questions submitted by students for PM 8.

These questions may be helpful to use as practice questions when studying for the final
test.
1) Why has the frequency of major flooding increased in Metro Manila, in the Philippines?
A) Due to the increase in frequency of Tropical Cyclones
B) The storms bring forth heavier and more intense rain fall
C) Increased population density and increased exposure
D) Both B and C
Correct Answer: D
2) What is Global Warming?
A) A change only in average surface temperature
B) Something that does not contribute to climate change
C) A representation of average day to day weather conditions
D) A long-term shift in the climate of a specific region or location
Correct Answer: A
3) Which of the following statements about tropical storms in the Philippines is true?
A) The frequency of storms has increased significantly
B) The frequency of storms has increased although the intensity of storms has
decreased.
C) The frequency and intensity of storms has increased significantly
D) The frequency of storms has not changed significantly
Correct Answer: D
4) Which of the following reasons is not a cause of the recent increase in flooding in Manila,
Philippines?
A. The channels running throughout the city have decreased in overall capacity
B. Deforestation in the Marikina watershed
C. The duration of the rainy season has increased in length
D. Infrastructure and construction has been built over top of the smaller rivers
throughout the city
Correct Answer: C
5) How is weather different from climate?
A) Weather is a subtle change while climate is drastic
B) Weather is short-term while climate is long-term
C) Weather can be forecasted but climate cannot
D) They are the same thing
Correct Answer: B
6) What are some of the factors that lead to the serious flooding issues in the case
study: Manila, Philippines?
A. Low population density, appearances of rivers, development of along water ways
B. Increasing population density, deforestation in the Marikina watershed, outdated
drainage structures
C. Overfishing, formal settlements along waterways, new drainage systems
D. Ground subsidence, decreasing sea levels, informal settlers
Correct Answer: B
7) Which of these factors is not considered evidence of climate change?
A) Decrease in glacial mass
B) Rising temperatures
C) Rising sea levels
D) Deforestation
Correct Answer: D
8) Question: Which of the following factors was not an aggravator for increased impact of
cyclones and flooding in Metro Manila?
A. Outdated drainage structures
B. Decreased channel capacities
C. Disappearing small rivers
D. Inadequate government Funds
Correct Answer: D
9) Which of the following is NOT a reason for a decrease in channel capacities in Metro
Manila?
A) Clogged river channels
B) Sedimentation
C) Building of dams
D) Encroachment at the edge of river banks
Correct Answer: C
10) In the case of the Montreal Protocol, what were the factors that made it so successful?
A. Government involvement, small amount of Companies and public involvement,
scientific data
B. Multiple major corporations, Public involvement, and scientific data
C. Small amount of companies, government involvement, and results of past
agreements.
D. Scientific data, government involvement, scientific data.
Correct Answer: A
11) Which portion of the electromagnetic spectrum does the sun predominantly emit?
a) X-rays, infrared, visible light
b) Visible light, infrared, ultraviolet
c) Radio waves, x-rays, visible light
d) Ultraviolet, gamma rays, x-rays
Correct Answer: B
12) Which of the following is not evidence of Climate Change?
A) Trend of warming
B) Decrease in plant species
C) Rising seas levels
D) Decreasing glacier mass
Correct Answer: B
13) What is the most accurate definition of climate change?
A. Day to day weather condition in a specific location, or region.
B. Long term weather conditions in a specific location, a region, or entire planet.
C. Short term atmosphere conditions of a specific place in a specific moment in time.
D. Long term shift in the climate of a specific location, a region, or the entire planet.
Correct Answer: D
14) Which of these statements about the greenhouse effect is correct?
A) Same radiation is absorbed by Earth’s surface, but most is reflected off the
surface.
B) All infrared radiation in emitted from Earth’s surface.
C) The greenhouse effect only has negative consequences for the planet.
D) More greenhouse gas particles in the atmosphere results in an increase in
absorption of long-wave, infrared radiation.
Correct Answer: D
15) What is the difference between climate and weather?
A) climate occurs near the equator, weather occurs in northern climates
B) climate is long term and includes averages of expected weather patterns, while
weather is short term atmospheric conditions
C) Only climate has effects on wildlife habitat, while weather does not
D) Climate is short term while weather is long term
Correct Answer: B
16) Which of the following statements is false?
A) The sun gives off short wave radiation
B) Insolation means incoming solar radiation
C) Glaciation periods are caused by low CO2 levels
D) Typhoons mean the same as hurricanes
Correct Answer: C
17) What is the difference between a hurricane, a typhoon, and a cyclone?
A) a hurricane is stronger than a typhoon and a cyclone
B) a cyclone only occurs for a couple hours
C) All three terms are interchangeable (identical)
D) a typhoon only involves wind and not any precipitation
Correct Answer: C
18) What is the difference between weather and climate? Choose the most accurate
answer:
A. Weather: The long term average of the Earth’s climate, Climate: Refers to the
atmospheric conditions in a specific place and moment in time
B. Weather: Refers to the atmospheric conditions in a specific place and moment in
time, Climate: Long term average of the day to day weather conditions, expectations
of the weather based on previous data
C. Weather: Extreme disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. Climate: Data of
all disasters that have taken place in the past
D. There is no difference, they are the same.
Correct answer: B
19) Has there been a change in tropical cyclone activity in the Philippines?
A. Yes, it has gotten more frequent
B. Yes, it has gotten more intense
C. Yes, it has gotten more frequent and more intense
D. No, there hasn’t been a change in the tropical cyclones in Phillipines.
Correct Answer: B
20) What is the difference between climate change and global warming
a) Global warming only indicates the average increase in global surface
temperatures while climate change is a long-term shift in climate in a specific
location, region or the entire planet.
b) Climate change is global warming.
c) The only way to reduce climate change is to reduce global warming.
d) Climate change is the change in surface temperatures.
Correct Answer: A
21) What is climate change?
A. short-term, atmospheric conditions of a particular place in a certain moment of time
B. average day to day weather conditions as well as seasonal variations
C. increase in average surface temperatures
D. a long-term shift or change in long-term expected averages, a change in trends
Correct Answer: D
21) Which of these steps best describes the greenhouse effect?
A) Insolation, Absorption, Re-emission, Reflection
B) Precipitation, Condensation, Reflection, Absorption
C) Radiation, Refraction, Absorption, Insolation
D) Emission, Insolation, Reflection, Absorption
Correct Answer: A
22) Which of the following is not a major contributing factor to flooding in metropolitan
Manilla?
A. Land subsistence
B. South Western wind patterns
 C. Increase hurricane (typhoon) occurrences
D. Increased development along waterways
Correct Answer: C
23) What is the term that defines the proportion of energy from the sun that gets emitted
towards the Earth?
A) Insulation
B) Insolation
C) Solar flare
D) Electromagnetic radiation
Correct Answer: B
24) What are some challenges we face in responding to climate change through an
international agreement like the Montreal Protocol?
A) Greenhouse gases are emitted worldwide
B) Social and economic resistance
C) Lack of scientific evidence
D) Number of different GHG sources
Correct Answer: C
25) Fill in the blanks: _______ is a contributor towards __________.
A) sea levels; deforestation
B) climate change; global warming
C) global warming, climate change
D) deforestation; rise in sea levels
Correct Answer: C
26) What does ‘insolation’ mean?
A) incoming solar radiation
B) inward sonar degradation
C) material that retains household heat
D) incoming scoliosis irrigation
Correct Answer: A
27) Which is the best definition of climate change?
A) Atmospheric conditions at a particular and time
B) A shift in climate at a specific location, including changes to extremes and
seasonal patterns
C) Changes in the average surface temperature
D) Short term average of day to day conditions of a location
Correct Answer: B
28) Which statement best describes the relationship between greenhouse gases and global
warming?
A) The sun emits shortwave radiation which is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere, before reaching Earth’s surface.
 B) The sun emits shortwave radiation which passes through the atmosphere and is
reflected by the Earth. Greenhouse gases then absorb this shortwave radiation.
C) The sun emits shortwave radiation which passes through the atmosphere, is
absorbed by Earth and then emitted as longwave radiation which the greenhouse
gases absorb.
D) The sun emits longwave radiation which passes through the atmosphere, is
absorbed by Earth then emitted as shortwave radiation. Greenhouse gases then
absorb this shortwave radiation.
Correct Answer: C
29) Select the most correct response based on the Case Study of Flooding in Manila,
Philippines.
A) Tropical cyclone activity is the primary cause the floods
B) Overpopulation does not play a key role
C) Increased sea level rise and the growth of small rivers in manila are primary
factors of increased flooding
D) Ground water extraction and construction increases flooding risk in low-lying
coastal areas
Correct Answer: D
30) Which of the following statements is not example of decreased channel capacities?
a) Sedimentation of rivers
b) Clogged water ways
c) Invasive water hyacinths
d) Development of infrastructure
Correct Answer: D
31) How does carbon dioxide in the atmosphere relate to glacial or inter-glacial periods?
A) Inter-relate
B) Co-relate
C) Causation
D) No relation
Correct Answer: B
32) Which type of light wave has the greatest impact on the Greenhouse Effect?
A) Short waves
B) Medium Waves
C) Long Waves
D) Tidal Waves
Correct Answer: C
33) Which of the following statements regarding the greenhouse effect is NOT true?
A) It is affected by increased carbon emissions
B) It has only negative effects on the earth and its ecosystems.
C) It is caused by greenhouse gases absorbing long wave radiation released by the
earth.
D) It aids in keeping the planet at a temperature suitable for life.
Correct Answer: B
34) The earth emits _______ wave energy. Greenhouse gases _____ absorb it.
A) Long wave, do
B) Long wave, do not
C) Short wave, do
D) Short wave, do not
Correct Answer: A
35) What type of electromagnetic radiation do greenhouse gases absorb?
A) Ultraviolet Light
B) Infrared Light
C) Visible Light
D) Radio waves
Correct Answer: B
36) In the Metro Manila case study, which of the following factors influences the relocation
of informal settlers back to the area they were moved from?
A) Distance from daily activities (job, resources)
B) Do not like their new settlement
C) Cannot afford to move
D) Government does not fund their relocation
Correct Answer: A
37) Why is the increase in amount of greenhouse molecules in the atmosphere a concern?
A) The greenhouse effect is vital for sustaining life on the planet, therefore it’s not a
concern
B) It’s a concern because the increase in molecules means long wave radiation
“bounces around” and remains for a longer amount of time in the atmosphere
C) It’s a concern because the increase in molecules means short wave radiation
“bounces around” and remains for a longer amount of time in the atmosphere
D) It’s a concern because it means there will be too much molecules in the
atmosphere and birds will suffocate
Correct Answer: B