Heat, Gases, and the Atmosphere

What is least likely to be a contribution to an urban heat island?
1. Heat islands attract animals, which respire and release heat into the environment
2. At night, buildings radiate heat into the cooler surrounding air
3. Materials such as asphalt and concrete tend to absorb the sun's heat and radiate it back at night
4. Heat islands generally contain less vegetation, which have a cooling effect on the surrounding air
What would be a poor choice if your goal was to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by vehicles?
1. Encourage vehicle use in colder cities so that their emissions can contribute to the heat island effect rather than produce pollution
2. Encourage drivers to carpool whenever possible by creating a dedicated carpool lane on freeways
3. Encourage car manufacturers to create cars than automatically shut off when stopped at stoplights or in traffic lineups, to reduce the time spent idling
4. Put more public funding into creating and maintaining train, LRT and bus service in all large urban centres
"There is a point at which change due to human activity brings about sufficient new processes in nature to make any human reversal of the change impossible. This is called the tipping point."

Which process do you think this statement best describes?
1. Greenhouse effect
2. Heat island
3. Manufacturing technology
4. Recycling efforts
Why are some gases called greenhouse gases and not others?
1. Greenhouse gases are able to absorb infrared radiation from the sun and then emit it, warming the atmosphere
2. Greenhouse gases are explosive gases that tend to be unstable at normal air temperatures
3. Greenhouse gases are heavy gases that tend to sink and rest near the Earth's surface, providing a reflective zone in the atmosphere
4. Greenhouse gases mix well with the ocean's water and warm the oceans
Which greenhouse gas is emitted when gasoline is burned in vehicles as well as from fertilizers on farms?
1. Nitrogen oxides
2. Methane
3. Carbon dioxide
4. Water vapour
Which statement about heat islands is true?
1. Roads and sidewalks increase the effect of a heat island
2. Heat islands create heat pollution but do not harm people
3. Heat islands can be measured using ultraviolet satellite imagery
4. In winter, heat islands can be especially destructive in cold cities
Most of Earth's atmosphere is made up of which gas?
1. Nitrogen
2. Oxygen
3. Carbon dioxide
4. Argon
Which gas is not a greenhouse gas?
1. Oxygen
2. Nitrogen oxides
3. Water vapour
4. Methane
Which of the following is not a major contributor of the greenhouse gas, methane?
1. Fertilizers on farms
2. Non-renewable fuel extraction
3. Wetlands
4. Grazing cattle
Scientists believe global warming began approximately how long ago?
1. 150 years ago
2. 1000 years ago
3. 4000 years ago
4. 10,000 years ago

Heat, Gases, and the Atmosphere - Section 12.2 Quiz