Atmospheric Composition, Carbon Dioxide

Typical Exam Questions

1. If we are worried about emissions of CO₂ from fossil fuels, why is so much attention paid to natural sources and sinks of atmospheric CO₂?

2. How does a gas qualify as a greenhouse gas?

3. Since water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas, why do we not consider eliminating agricultural irrigation rather than limiting CO₂ ethane emissions?

4. Discuss the composition of Earth's atmosphere and the relationship of the composition to the surface temperatures.

5. Discuss the seasonal change in CO₂ in the atmosphere in the Northern Hemisphere:

A. When is the concentration maximum and when is it minimum?
B. What is the reason for the timing of these extremes?

6. How does the seasonal change in CO₂ in the Southern Hemisphere differ from that in the Northern Hemisphere, both in magnitude and timing of extremes? Explain.

7. Global changes in the chemical composition of the earth's atmosphere are the root cause of numerous anthropogenically induced changes in the global environment and hence were discussed in seven units in Block 1. List 4 changes in atmospheric chemistry that have occurred in the last 200 years and discuss a global change consequence of each.